Coventry City 1 - 0 Luton Town

[dutchman]

Ellis Simms' 57th minute goal for Coventry separated the two sides



Championship side Coventry City narrowly saw off Luton Town in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

In a repeat of the 2022-23 Championship play-off final, Ellis Simms' second-half strike from close range was enough to separate the two teams at the CBS Arena.

In the early stages, Simms was played in down the right channel but, on his 100th appearance for the club, he skewed his effort wide of the far post.

Following a slow start, Luton gained a foothold and after the ball was knocked down from a corner, Lamine Fanne's goalbound effort was terrifically blocked by Sky Blues full-back Miguel Angel Brau.

Cauley Woodrow went close to opening the scoring for the visitors, stinging the palms of Coventry keeper Ben Wilson from distance, before playing a through ball to Lasse Nordas moments later, but he slipped at the vital moment in front of goal.

Teenager Kai Andrews was guilty of spurning Coventry's best chance in the first half when his deflected left-footed effort from inside the box flew narrowly wide following good work from Haji Wright.

The deadlock was finally broken 12 minutes into the second half when Raphael Borges Rodrigues' marauding run was followed by a lovely through ball to Wright whose cross found Simms and he prodded home into an empty net.

Late on, substitute Jack Rudoni's low, driven free-kick was brilliantly kept out by Luton keeper James Shea before Simms missed a golden opportunity when he shot wide at the near post from close range after a cross from the left.