Town progressed through to round two of the Carabao Cup courtesy of Sam Folarin’s first-half strike that sealed a 1-0 win over Carlisle United.
Victory made to two wins from their opening two games to start the 2023/24 campaign in style, although Town were grateful that Ryan Edmondson missed a late penalty for the visitors.
Simon Weaver rang the changes to the team that was victorious at Doncaster on Saturday, with only Mark Oxley, Abraham Odoh, Sam Folarin and Matty Foulds named in the starting line-up.
For the visitors, who opened their League One campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Fleetwood, there were changes with Tyler Charters, Jack Ellis, Dylan McGeouch and Ben Barclay coming into the side.
Given the different looks to both sides it was no surprise that the opening stages were somewhat scrappy but the visitors had the first real moment when Taylor Charters fired a low shot from the edge of the area that Mark Oxley was quickly down to smother.
Town sprang into life on the quarter hour mark when persistent play down the left from Abraham Odoh saw a great opportunity for Matty Daly but the visitors defence closed out the danger in the nick of time.
Jack Armer then went close for Carlisle when he slid in at the far post but he lacked control and his effort failed to trouble Oxley.
But it was Town who grabbed the lead midway through the first-half when Daly freed Folarin who used his pace well before coolly slotting home past Tomas holy from just outside of the box.
Folarin went close again shortly after before the returning Warren Burrell powered a header that Holy turned away, but it was the visitors who almost levelled on the stroke of half-time when Oxley miscued a clearance.
The Town keeper redeemed himself with a smart save to turn the ball onto the bar before Kayne Ramsay headed behind to end the danger.
Trailing at the break manager Paul Simpson made four changes with Sean Maguire, Ryan Edmondson, Callum Guy and Jack Robinson entering the fray.
Goalscorer Folarin turned provider just before the hour when his pace saw him get beyond his marker down the right-hand side with his low cross finding Sutton at the near post, but he couldn’t steer his effort on target.
George Thomson then curled a free-kick inches from the top of Holy’s crossbar as Town pressed to double their advantage.
Alfie McCalmont fired narrowly over just after the hour mark to fire a warning to Town though that there was still plenty of work to do.
With twenty minutes Town made a double change with goalscorer Folarin and Abraham Odoh replaced by Jack Muldoon and James Daly, before the visitors made their fifth change of the night with Dan Butterworth coming on for Luke Plange.
Substitute Daly almost had an immediate impact when he took Muldoon’s pass to fire a shot that just over the bar.
Town had an escape with just under 15 minutes remaining after Oxley was penalised for bringing down Charters inside the box. However, he breathed a sigh of relief when Edmondson drilled the penalty wide of the left-hand post.
The hard-working midfield duo of Sutton and Falkingham were then replaced by Dean Cornelius and Liam Gibson as Simon Weaver looked to close out the game.
James Daly rounded the keeper late on but found his angle at goal narrowed and the defence managed to clear but Town played out the remaining minutes with little trouble to book their passage to the next round.
