A SECOND-HALF Robbie Simpson double and a first strike for Clinton Morrison handed the Sky Blues a Carling Cup Second Round berth following their 3-1 first round win over Aldershot Town on Wednesday night.

The sides went in level at 1-1 at half-time but a double from Simpson in the second half put paid to any fears of a long night at the Ricoh.

Coventry endured a less than ideal first half despite rarely being threatened in the first half, Morrison bagging his first goal ina City shirt after half an hour, only for Scott Donnelly's cruelly deflected free kick effort for Shot six minutes later to creep past Coventry's debutant 'keeper Danny Ireland.

The visitors looked lively throughout the first half but apart from a third-minute opportunity when striker John Grant beat the offside trap to unsuccessfully lob Ireland, the away side rarely threatened.

The Sky Blues looked equally lively and looked far more dangerous from distance, Freddy Eastwood twice having efforts turned around the post by Shots 'keeper Nikki Bull.

But it was his cross for Robbie Simpson which almost opened the scoring after 25 minutes, Simpson rising at the far post to head at goal, but Bull equal to it.

Coventry finally got on the scoresheet after half an hour though, Eastwood ghosting in from a flick on by Morrison before cutting back at the goal line for his attacking partner who applied an easy finish.

But Shot were on level terms six minutes later, Donnelly's set-piece effort clipping the top of the City wall and sending Ireland the wrong way.

The Sky Blues came out a much improved side for the second half though, reinstating their lead three minutes before the hour mark when Simpson picked up a bobbled ball in the area from a Danny Fox corner to blast inside Bull's near post.

And it got better for Simpson seven minutes later, Eastwood's crossfield ball finding him just inside the area to fire through traffic and into the far corner, completing a double on the same stage where he scored his first goal for Coventry last season.

Eastwood was desperately unlucky not to be on the scoresheet himself, twice being denied his first Coventry goal by the width of a far post.

But he more than played his part, supplying the passes for two of City's three goals which sees them into the next round of the Carling Cup.

Attendance - 9,293 (869)

TEAMS

Coventry City

Ireland; Wright, Dann, Turner, Fox; Mifsud, Beuzelin, Gunnarsson (Doyle 89), Simpson (McKenzie 67), Morrison, Eastwood

Subs - Marshall (GK), Ward, Birchall, Borrowdale, Walker

Aldershot Town

Bull, Starosta, Blackburn, Charles, Soares (Mendes 84), Grant, Morgan (Hylton 67), Howell, Donnelly (Chalmers 67), Hudson, Harding

Subs not used - Jaimez-Ruiz (GK), Day, Elvins, Newman