Coventry City 3 Northampton Town 1

Match report and analysis after Sky Blues qualify for knockout stage of Checkatrade Trophy

The paying public have yet to be convinced by the Checkatrade Trophy – the Ricoh crowd again only just scraped past the 2,000 mark – but the Sky Blues are now officially on the march to the arch.

A second qualifying-group victory, sealed with three exceptional goals, means that they travel to Wycombe Wanderers next month looking to clinch a home draw for the knock-out phase.

And following their long-awaited first League One at Port Vale on Saturday they go into their unscheduled mini Winter break in high spirits. Mark Venus made just two changes for his second goal in caretaker control, recalling Jodi Jones and Vladimir Gadzhev to midfield, while Robert Page stretched the competition rules to the limit with nine variations on Saturday’s starting 11.

The visitors presumably spent much of Monday fine-tuning their formation but it was ripped apart in precisely 20 seconds by the very definition of a solo effort. Straight from the start Agyei received the ball tight on the right touchline just inside his own half and weaved his way past half-a-dozen back-pedalling Cobblers before sliding home a left-foot shot from 12 yards.

Starts don’t come much more perfect but 70 seconds later – most of them devoted to Sky Blue celebrations – it was back to square one as Northampton broke down the same flank, their left, and Hooper clipped over a low cross for Richards to prod past Burge at the near post. Gorre shot straight at the keeper when he had a good chance to ease the Cobblers in front but it was Jones, looking hungry and bright on his return to the starting line-up, who broke the brief deadlock in the eighth minute.

He was crowded out by three defenders as he cut into the box but less than a minute later he repeated the trick and this time left them all stranded to steer his shot into the corner. The three goals in seven minutes set the pattern for a frantic exchange which at times resembled a short-handed kickabout on the training pitch with both sides looking to shoot at every opportunity.

Cornell had to save two more Jones attempts – the second a 20-yard stinger – while Bigirimana whipped a free-kick just over and Page a long-range effort just wide. At the other end Burge had to stretch to parry a 30-yard snap shot from old boy Phillips and Hooper was a shade too high with his angled effort after outfoxing Sterry deep in the corner.

Looking for a cushion, City chalked up three goal attempts in the first five minutes of the second half, the best of them Gadzhev’s thumping 25-yard which forced a full-stretch save from Cornell. Burge needed considerably quicker reactions when substitute Beautyman let fly from half that range after a half-cleared free-kick.

But Venus then enhanced his touchline credentials with the proverbial inspired substitution, pitching on Lameiras whose first touch controlled McCann’s long diagonal pass and second left Cornell stranded with a delightful volleyed chip. The game, inevitably, lost much of its fizz at that stage, although Jones and Lameiras were both eager to turn on the party tricks at every opportunity, but Northampton nearly made things very interesting two minutes from time when McDonald spooned over from prime position after City had been caught napping by a quick free-kick.