Coventry and Crystal Palace both found their goalscoring touch as they cruised into the third round of the League Cup with emphatic wins last night.

Gary McSheffrey led the Coventry procession with a hat-trick as they put hapless Rushden and Diamonds to the sword with a 8-0 win at Highfield Road. It was a record defeat for Third Division Diamonds, who also had two men sent off to compound their misery.

McSheffrey opened the scoring after just 10 minutes before Diamonds goalkeeper Billy Turley blundered to gift Danny Mills the second.

Diamonds then completely lost their way as defender Barry Hunter was shown the red card for the third time this season and McSheffrey and Mills both struck again before half-time.

McSheffrey's third came six minutes into the second half before Jay Bothroyd came off the bench to add two more either side of a Robert Betts penalty.

Betts had struck from the spot after John Dempster deliberately handled to become the second man of the night to be sent off.

Palace went through after a second-half blitz at Selhurst Park comprehensively accounted for Division Two strugglers Cheltenham. Dele Adebola's first goal for Palace, after Dougie Freedman's long-range shot had been parried by Steve Book, was all they had to show for their efforts at half-time.

But Trevor Francis' side stepped up a gear after the break to cruise to a 7-0 win. Hayden Mullins, Tony Popovic and Freedman put the result beyond all doubt before Adebola bagged a second and Richard Walker put through his own goal.

Freedman completed the scoring with his second of the night in the last minute.

Nottingham Forest came unstuck on their own patch as they crashed out 2-1 to Walsall at the City Ground. Jorge Leitao drilled home the first with 21 minutes on the clock before Brazilian forward Junior followed up with a left-footed effort.

David Johnson's 13th goal in as many games gave the home side a 79th-minute lifeline but Walsall held on.