OXFORD United crashed out of the Emirates FA Cup with a third round defeat away to Coventry City.

The home side took an early lead through Joel Latibeaudiere, from a corner, but Mark Harris equalised for the U’s just two minutes later.

Sky Blues captain Ben Sheaf quickly restored the lead for the Sky Bet Championship promotion hopefuls, before a thunderbolt from Kasey Palmer put Coventry 3-1 up with 17 minutes on the clock.

Callum O’Hare converted from the penalty spot five minutes into the second half to all but end the tie.

Tyler Goodrham pulled a goal back for United with 11 minutes to go when he netted with a low strike from just outside the penalty area, however Matty Godden scored a quickfire brace from the bench with two clinical strikes, as the hosts ran out 6-2 winners.

The U’s made two changes to the side which began 2024 with a win at Charlton Athletic on New Year’s Day, as Simon Eastwood and Jordan Thorniley replaced James Beadle and Elliott Moore, the latter missing out through illness.

Moore’s unavailability meant Cameron Brannagan skippered the U’s in his absence.

The game got off to a crazy start with four goals scored in a nine-minute period, all before 20 minutes had been played.

Coventry made a fast start, with Latibeaudiere netting at the near post from an inswinging Josh Eccles corner, however just two minutes later, Harris levelled matters when he took control of the ball 20 yards out and found Ben Wilson’s bottom right corner, via a slight deflection off a home defender.

Sheaf restored the Sky Blues lead though almost immediately afterwards, finishing from inside the penalty box after a cross from the left-hand side.

The final goal of the half came with 17 minutes on the clock, when Palmer smashed home a sublime strike from 30 yards, leaving Eastwood with no chance.

The four goals were the four attempts on target in the first half, with the hosts having further sniffs of goal when Ellis Simms’ right-footed shot from outside the penalty area flew over, and when Milan van Ewijk sent a central free kick on the edge of the box comfortably over the United goal.

U’s boss Des Buckingham made a double change at the break, as Stan Mills and Billy Bodin replaced Oisin Smyth and McEachran respectively.

It meant a change in shape for United, with the side switching to a 4-2-3-1 set-up. Bodin and Mills played wide, with Ruben Rodrigues behind Harris up front.

However, the hosts made another blistering start in the opening exchanges of the second period, with Eastwood getting down low to save from O’Hare in the first 60 seconds.

Ciaron Brown was then adjudged to have fouled Palmer in the penalty box, with referee Josh Smith pointing for a spot kick.

O’Hare stepped up and sent Eastwood the wrong way with a dummy, as the second tier outfit extended their advantage to three goals.

Joe Bennett did well down the left and played the ball across the face of goal, however Rodrigues was too far away to get a killer touch.

At the other end, Jake Bidwell placed a low shot just wide from 20 yards out, before Simms bought himself a yard of space, only for Eastwood to thwart the striker with his legs at his near post.

Palmer then sent a 25-yard free kick into the U’s wall just after the hour mark, while Simms fired well over from a similar distance in open play, and Eccles shot straight at Eastwood after drifting inside from the left.

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto impressed down the Coventry right in the first half, and his final action of the afternoon before being withdrawn was to wriggle into a shooting position inside the box, before arrowing a strike straight at Eastwood.

Buckingham made two further changes just before 70 minutes had been played, with James Henry and Goodrham on for Brannagan and Rodrigues.

Eastwood positioned himself well to thwart a Simms shot down the left channel of the area, prior to the U’s pulling a goal back via Goodrham.

Coventry failed to effectively clear their lines from a United corner, and Goodrham took full advantage, firing through a sea of bodies to find the goal from 20 yards out.

However, five minutes later, substitute Godden made it a three-goal lead again for the home side, when he danced his way into the area and slotted in, before a ruthless effort on the counter-attack made it 6-2 to the home side.

Coventry City (4-4-1-1): Wilson; van Ewijk (Thomas 46), Latibeaudiere, Binks, Bidwell; Sakamoto (Dasilva 67), Sheaf, Eccles, Palmer (Allen 79); O’Hare (Tavares 67); Simms (Godden 72).

Unused subs: Moore, McFadzean, Kelly, Andrews.

Booked: Sheaf.

Oxford United (3-4-2-1): Eastwood; Smyth (Mills 46), Thorniley, Brown; Stevens, McEachran (Bodin 46), Brannagan (Henry 68), Bennett; Rodrigues (Goodrham 68), McGuane; Harris (O’Donkor 85).

Unused subs: McGinty, McIntyre, Gorrin, Woltman.

Booked: Brannagan, McEachran, Rodrigues.

Referee: Josh Smith (Lincolnshire).

Attendance: 18,211 (3,191 away).