Michael Mifsud staked his claim for a first team place by netting a brace as Coventry City beat Carlisle United 2-0 in the Carling Cup.

The diminutive striker struck once in each half to secure the victory and maintain City's unbeaten start to the season.

Iain Dowie made four changes to the side which beat Cardiff City 1-0 on Saturday.

Andy Marshall played in goal in place of Dimi Konstantopoulos, while Robert Page replaced Marcus Hall in the heart of the defence.

Mifsud started up front instead of Leon McKenzie, with Ellery Cairo starting on the right side of midfield - Jay Tabb moving onto the left to accommodate.

The home side had a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the second minute of the match when Simon Hackney's ball found Danny Graham, who smashed his shot just wide of the left upright.

Cairo hit his shot high and wide with 12 on the clock, before a mazy run from the Dutchman saw Adebola backheel the ball to Mifsud - the Maltese international seeing his shot deflected wide.

The Sky Blues were forced to make a substitution on 20 minutes when Page - who was still suffering the effects of an earlier knock - was replaced by Marcus Hall.

But there was good news for the visitors just two minutes later when they took the lead - Adebola finding Mifsud, who finished well across the keeper and into the bottom corner.

Adebola saw his show blocked at close range by Westwood in the Carlisle goal just before the half hour, before Cairo's follow-up was high, wide and into row Z.

It was the final real opportunity of the half, with the Sky Blues holding a 1-0 lead at the break.

The Sky Blues started the second half brightly with Tabb heading wide moments after the restart, before Coventry made it 2-0 after 55 minutes.

Cairo showed his guile on the right as he crossed it into the mixer with Mifsud finishing with his second of the evening with the Carlisle defence all at sea.

The goal forced Carlisle into a double substitution, with Gall and Smith replacing Hackney and Graham on the hour.

Coventry made a substitution 11 minutes later, with Robbie Simpson replacing Adebola, while Ben Turner made his first appearance of the season when he replaced Elliott Ward with 81 gone.

Substitute Gall forced the largely redundant Andy Marshall into a good save two minutes before the end of the game but it was to no avail for the home side, who slipped out of the competition.

Carlisle United: Westwood; Raven; Aranalde; Livesey; Lumsdon; Graham Gall, 60); Carlton; Thirlwell; Arnison; Hackney (Smith, 60); Brittain

Subs: McDermott; Howarth; Kirkup

Coventry City: Marshall; Osbourne; Page (Hall, 20); Ward (Turner, 81); Borrowdale; Cairo; Hughes; Doyle; Tabb; Adebola (Simpson, 71); Mifsud

Subs: Konstantopoulos; McKenzie;

Bookings: Lumsdon 77;

Attendance: 5744 (428 visitors)

Referee: J Moss