Coventry City’s youngsters were left to lick their wounds after a thorough mauling from a rampant West Ham United side.

City were hoping to strike early to switch momentum after they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 in the first leg at Highfield Road but those hopes were dashed after three minutes and it went downhill from there.

Adam Newton returned a cross back into the City area and Bertie Brayley managed to get in before Chris Kirkland and flicked the ball home from close range.

That effectively killed off any hopes of a City revival but West Ham were in no mood to coast despite their obvious advantage.

They added a second three minutes short of the half hour when Newton, the outstanding player across both games, exchanged passes with Joe Cole and Michael Ferrante before lashing a left foot shot in off a post.

Coventry tried to counter and Steve McPhee, playing up alongside Gary McSheffrey, gave the very solid West Ham defence plenty to deal with even if his lack of physical presence put him at a disadvantage.

McSheffrey headed just over the bar from a Craig Pead corner before the interval but the chances were few and far between.

City made changes after the break with Craig Strachan, Martin Grant and Daire Doyle coming on but they couldn’t stem the Hammers tide.

Skipper Tom Cudworth was caught out for West Ham’s fourth after 58 minutes when Brayley’s header from Carrick’s cross stuck him and allowed the striker a second chance.

Carrick came within an inch of scoring the goal of the season in the 73nd minute when he launched a ferocious volley only for it to hit the cross bar and shake the whole of the goal as it bounced out.

He got his reward two minutes later when he side footed home a cross from Richard Garcia who had robbed Gerry Mooney deep inside the City half. Carrick returned the favour in injury time allowing Garcia to make it on to the scoresheet.