Tottenham Hotspur won 3-0 at first division Coventry City in the League Cup on Wednesday in their first match since they sacked manager Glenn Hoddle, while Leeds United narrowly avoided a shock defeat.

 Leeds won an exciting tie at Elland Road 4-3 on penalties after second division Swindon Town, Hoddle's first club as a manager, were seconds away from knocking the premier league side out of the competition in the second round.

 England goalkeeper Paul Robinson ran upfield to head a 90th-minute equaliser from a corner to make the score 2-2 and send the match into extra time.

 No further goals were scored and Robinson made a decisive save in the shootout when he parried Stefani Miglioranzi's effort before Andy Gurney missed for Swindon.

 Defender Gurney had put the visitors in front a minute from halftime by rifling a free kick into the top right-hand corner.

 Swindon went 2-0 up after 74 minutes through striker Sam Parkin but Leeds pulled one back when Ireland defender Ian Harte volleyed home from a corner three minutes later.

 The second division side then had goalkeeper Bart Griemink sent off two minutes from the end of normal time for a second bookable offence.

 TWIN STRIKERS

 Spurs strikers Frederic Kanoute and Robbie Keane combined twice to score a fine goal each in the opening 23 minutes of their match against Coventry at Highfield Road.

 Substitute Rohan Ricketts extended the lead in the 86th minute with a rising shot from the edge of the box, his first goal for Tottenham.

 Hoddle, who had been in charge at Spurs since April 2001, was sacked on Sunday following a 3-1 premier league defeat at home to his former club Southampton on Saturday.

 Ironically, the north London club's caretaker manager David Pleat was in charge when they lost 3-2 to Coventry in the 1987 FA Cup final -- Hoddle's last match for the club as a player.

 "We worked very hard for each other and, of course, we have the advantage that we have some good front players at the club," said Pleat, who made four changes from the side that lost to Southampton.

 One of those was the return of Uruguayan veteran Gustavo Poyet for his first match since a pre-season injury.

 Poyet had a close-range header parried and then headed the rebound on to the near post in the first half.

 "If we give the ball to them (the front players) we're a threat," Pleat told Sky Sports. "We worked very hard for each other. We defended solidly and restricted Coventry to very few clear-cut chances.

 "With the greatest respect to Coventry it will be a harder game on Sunday (at Manchester City in the premier league)," added Pleat, who is also Tottenham's director of football.

 Tottenham are third from bottom of the standings with just four points from six matches.

 EXTRA TIME

 Middlesbrough needed extra time to overcome a tough challenge at home from second division Brighton, winning 1-0 with a 94th minute goal from Malcolm Christie.

 Brazilian striker Mario Jardel scored twice for Bolton Wanderers in their 3-1 home win over first division Walsall. He headed an early goal and although his 80th minute penalty was parried by keeper James Walker he netted from the rebound.

 Kevin Nolan scored Bolton's second before former England striker Paul Merson pulled one back for Walsall.

 Everton striker Duncan Ferguson also scored twice, his first a penalty, in Everton's 3-0 home win over second division Stockport County. Nick Chadwick hit the other goal.

 First division Reading won 3-1 at third division Oxford United with second half goals from John Salako, Nicky Forster and James Harper. Jefferson Louis scored for Oxford.

 The draw for the third round is on Saturday.

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