Coventry City advanced to the Carabao Cup third round with a 4-2 victory over League One Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on Tuesday, but Frank Lampard's side were made to work hard after squandering an early two-goal cushion.

Taiwo Awoniyi and Jack Rudoni struck inside the opening five minutes to put City in command, only for Plymouth to claw their way back level early in the second half — forcing Coventry to dig deep before eventually pulling clear.

Awoniyi and Rudoni fire Coventry into early command

Awoniyi opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, finishing calmly after a brilliant flick-on from Caleb Yirenkyi, who had turned sharply to meet skipper Liam Kitching's through ball. The striker picked his spot and beat goalkeeper James Storer with a composed side-foot finish.

Within two minutes, the lead was doubled. Awoniyi found Rudoni bursting forward on the right, and the midfielder made no mistake, driving a clinical finish past Storer from the edge of the box to make it 2-0.

Jake Bidwell came agonisingly close to a third in the 18th minute, heading just past the post from Joel Latibeaudiere's precise delivery to the far post.

Plymouth's debutant Irow sparks fightback

Plymouth reduced the deficit in the 21st minute through Danny Irow — on loan from Tottenham and making his debut — after Harvey White's superb long pass from deep found the winger out wide. Irow cut inside past Latibeaudiere and drilled a low shot into the far corner past Daniel Bentley.

Awoniyi missed a golden chance to restore the two-goal advantage on 27 minutes, heading wide from six yards following Latibeaudiere's deep cross. At the other end, a Will Evans effort struck the foot of Bentley's post in the 31st minute after the keeper failed to hold White's long-range shot.

Plymouth completed their comeback in the 54th minute. Half-time substitute Xavier Amaechi dispossessed Kitching on the edge of the area and drove a thumping low finish into the corner to level at 2-2.

Bench impact seals the win for Coventry

Coventry restored their lead through second-half substitute Ephron Mason-Clark, who had come on in the 62nd minute. Within five minutes of his introduction, he turned in Victor Torp's powerful cross from close range to make it 3-2.

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto had volleyed narrowly over from Mason-Clark's cross in the 65th minute before the roles were reversed for the winning goal two minutes later.

Torp then wrapped things up from the penalty spot in the 78th minute, converting after substitute Joe Edwards fouled Brandon Thomas-Asante inside the box. Thomas-Asante could have added a fifth in stoppage time but hammered his volley over from the edge of the six-yard box.

The win sends Lampard's Premier League side into the third round of the competition.