Carabao Cup round-up: Kion Etete double sends Northampton into second round
Coventry exit Carabao Cup after Northampton come from behind to win 2-1 at the Coventry Building Society Arena; Nottingham Forest hold on to beat Bradford; Blackpool win 3-0 against Middlesbrough; Oxford, QPR also advance
Thursday 12 August 2021 06:48, UK
Kion Etete's debut double helped Northampton dump Championship side Coventry out of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 win at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
The hosts scored after a bright start when Jordan Shipley's cross found Jamie Allen and the midfielder teed up Tyler Walker to poke home.
The Cobblers grew into the game as the half went on and Danny Rose could have levelled but struck the outside of the post before Etete had a shot cleared off the line.
Etete struck Northampton's deserved equaliser in style moments after Coventry had a goal disallowed for offside. The 19-year-old took the ball down from a punt forward, flicked his way past Declan Drysdale and fired beyond Ben Wilson on the half-volley.
With 20 minutes to go he showed another side of his game, using his 6ft 6in frame to bundle home Mitch Pinnock's long throw and complete the turnaround.
Carvalho double sees off spirited Bradford
Joao Carvalho's first goals since November 2019 proved sufficient for Nottingham Forest to see off Bradford 2-1 in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
Carvalho opened the scoring on 39 minutes with a composed first-time finish into Richard O'Donnell's bottom-right corner from eight yards after on-loan Watford playmaker Philip Zinckernagel pulled the ball back from the right byline.
The pair then combined again to double the lead two minutes later.
This time, Zinckernagel floated a perfect cross to the far post that was taken in his stride by Carvalho before he again showed calmness to shoot across goal and find O'Donnell's bottom-left corner from seven yards.
Bradford reduced the arrears nine minutes after the interval when American 'keeper Ethan Horvarth was beaten too easily inside his left-hand upright by Cooke's curling 20-yard free-kick. But the visitors left Nottingham still without a win at the City Ground since 1934.
Blackpool ease past Middlesbrough
Callum Connolly scored his first Blackpool goal as the Tangerines beat Middlesbrough 3-0 to progress.
James Husband, Josh Bowler and Connolly all went close inside the opening half-hour but Connolly finally put the home side ahead when he smashed home after a Bowler free-kick had hit the wall.
Martin Payero was off target with a free-kick as Middlesbrough finally registered their first attempt three minutes later.
Bowler had a shot saved by Joe Lumley after a good run on the stroke of half-time, while Lavery was denied and Bowler curled an effort wide as Blackpool continued to dominate proceedings.
But Lavery wrapped up the tie with his second goal in two games after beating Lumley at his near post in the 77th minute and substitute Anderson made it 3-0 a minute later after his flick-on looped in at the back post.
QPR avoid Orient scare as Warburton reaches century
QPR needed penalties to avoid an upset after eventually beating Leyton Orient 5-3 in a shootout.
Rob Dickie's second goal in consecutive matches appeared to put the Sky Bet Championship side on course for a routine victory, as Mark Warburton celebrated his 100th game in charge of the west London club.
But the hosts recovered and Aaron Drinan levelled late on before Ruel Sotiriou's missed effort from 12 yards in the shootout saw the hosts exit the competition.
Mousinho returns to haunt Burton
Former Burton captain John Mousinho atoned for scoring an own goal for his old club by bagging a shootout winner to send Oxford into the second round.
Oxford looked to have won it in normal time through substitute Nathan Holland in the 85th minute only for Mousinho to inadvertently put into his own net deep into stoppage time in a 1-1 draw.
Lucas Akins and Thomas O'Connor missed their spot-kicks, though, allowing Mousinho to make amends as the U's claimed a 4-2 win on penalties.
