Lampard praises Awoniyi after first Coventry goal in 4-2 Carabao Cup win

Taiwo Awoniyi scored his first goal for Coventry City and provided an assist as Frank Lampard’s team defeated Plymouth Argyle 4-2 in the second round of the Carabao Cup. The performance came in the Nigerian striker’s first start since joining Coventry from Nottingham Forest.

Awoniyi put Coventry ahead after three minutes, finishing a move created by Caleb Yirenkyi’s flick behind the Plymouth defence. Two minutes later, he helped extend the lead by setting up Jack Rudoni for the second goal.

Plymouth recovered from the early setback and brought the match level, but Coventry regained their advantage before adding another goal. The result sent Lampard’s side into the next round and gave Awoniyi an immediate contribution in his first competitive start for the club.

Lampard was encouraged by the striker’s display but said Awoniyi is still building his fitness. The forward had featured from the bench in Coventry’s previous match after limited involvement during the final part of his time at Nottingham Forest.

The Coventry manager believes the goal and assist showed the qualities the club expected when it signed Awoniyi. His progress will also be monitored by Nigeria as the Super Eagles prepare for the approach of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.

Coventry’s next fixture is against Hull City in the Premier League on 29 August. Coventry are 18th with no points after one match, while Hull occupy fifth place with three points. Coventry’s recent form before that fixture included wins over Watford, Wrexham and Portsmouth, alongside draws with Northampton Town and Blackburn. Hull’s sequence featured victories against Rizespor, Konyaspor, Middlesbrough and Millwall, followed by a draw with Millwall.