Walsall. 2-2 Coventry City City win 4-3 on pens
Coventry City: O'Brien, Grimmer. Dion Kelly-Evans. Hyam, Camwell, Stevenson. Maycock (Sayoud 75), Vincenti, Beavon (Ponticelli 46), Shipley, McNulty. Subs: Addai, Ford, Hickman, Finn, Bayliss.
Walsall: Roberts, Leahy, Guthrie, Devlin, Morris, Flanagan, Ismail (Oztumer 68), Bakayoko, Roberts, Kouhyar (Edwards 63) Agyei. Subs: Ganley, Sangha, Shorrock, Mason, Cairns.
Goals Zeli Ismail 32 pen, Marc McNulty 53 pen, Jordan Ponticelli 58, Danny Agyei 92
Att 1,517
Coventry City beat Walsall 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
The EFL Trophy holders second game in defence of their title saw a trip to Walsall, who beat West Bromwich Albion U21's 3-1 in their first game, on a Tuesday night with a full moon.
With this competition now a low priority, Mark Robins made ten changes and made Jack Grimmer captain for the night for a game which saw the City support in the Main Stand at the Banks' Stadium
The couple blocks for City supporters soon filled up before kick off and the game started with former City loanee Danny Agyei getting forward early,
A fourth minute corner for City came to nothing an two minutes, Ismail fired wide of O'Brien"s left hand post at the other end.
With a block behind the goal now open for City supporters, a 15th minute Beavon header was hacked away by Roberts off the line for a corner.
Dominic Hyam led City's defence well and helped City have a 28th minute Vincenti header cleared away and then a Stevenson shot deflected for a corner.
Then in the 32nd minute, for some reason, Peter Vincenti shoved Keli Ismail in front of the referee who awarded a penalty. Ismail stepped up and beat O'Brien with ease and City were a goal down.
Roberts in the Saddlers goal made a great save to deny Vincenti who got up to meet a free kick.
Bakayoko was rightly booked for missing the ball and hitting Liam O'Brien.
Jordan Shipley got into a great position and passed to Vincenti who drove wide of Roberts post in the 43rd minute.
Jordan Ponticelli was sent on for the second half in place of Stuart Beavon and was involved in the 50th minute move which saw Stevenson fire so wide that his shot hit the corner flag.
Chris Camwell did well on the left and won City a 52nd minute corner. That came over and McNulty was tripped by the keeper. He got up and stroked home the penalty to get City level.
Camwell sent a lovely ball across the area. City attacked and a mistake by a Walsall defender was seized upon by Marc McNulty who squared for Jordan Ponticelli to stroke into the net from twelve yards.
Jordan Shipley started a move in the 66th minute and curled just over for City who had to clear their lines when Bakayoko shot.
Bilal Sayoud came on with fifteen minutes left and just before City cleared a Walsall free kick.
A 78th minute corner for City just missed everyone and this allowed Walsall to win a corner in the 81st minute which was also cleared.
City continued to battle away but in the second minute of time added on, Danny Agyei bundled home and the match went to penalties which City won 4-3 with Liam O'Brien making two good saves and Vincenti, Stevenson, Shipley and Ponticelli putting away their spot kicks.
Penalties
McNulty saved 0-0
Oztumer scored 1-0
Leahy . Scored 2-0
Vincenti scored 2-1
Stevenson scored 2-2
Agyei saved 2-2
Bakayoko scored 3-2
Shipley scored 3-3
Ponticelli scored 3-4
Edwards saved. 3-4