Holders Boro cruised to a 3-0 win over Coventry with 19-year-old substitute Danny Graham grabbing the third goal on only his second senior appearance.

First-half strikes from Szilard Nemeth and James Morrison had set up a comfortable win for a Boro side boasting nine changes from the team which started Sunday’s Barclays Premiership draw against Portsmouth.

Perhaps confident McClaren knew about the minimal threat from Peter Reid’s free-falling Sky Blues, who travelled north without a Championship win since August.

With Boro in the middle of their first UEFA Cup campaign thanks to last season’s success, they were never going to take this competition lightly.

And within four minutes they had made a significant step towards a place in the fourth round.

A comedy of errors in the visiting defence followed Stuart Downing’s rising shot which was flapped by Luke Steele in the Coventry goal.

Dean Leacock’s dismal attempts to play a backpass let in Nemeth, who knocked home the simplest of chances.

Coventry responded through Andy Morrell’s flick into the Boro box which just failed to reach Eddie Johnson and Colin Cooper cleared.

But the Sky Blues’ defence, which shipped four goals at Wigan on Saturday, looked leaky with Chris Riggott coming close from Downing’s 13th minute corner.

Boro’s returning captain Ugo Ehiogu almost provided an error to match Leacock’s in the 15th minute when his stabbed backpass nearly deceived Nash with Johnson lurking.

Recalled striker Joseph Desire-Job caused more problems down Coventry’s right flank in the 20th minute but his eventual cross towards the unmarked Nemeth was well intercepted by Leacock.

At the other end full-back Stuart Giddins made good progress before crossing towards Bjarni Gudjonsson – only for Nash to flap clear.

Boro increased their lead in the 24th minute when Steele missed Colin Cooper’s cross from the left, allowing Morrison to nod home the second goal.

It was the second senior goal for Morrison, also a teenager, who had found the net at the start of Boro’s UEFA Cup campaign in Ostrava.

Moments later Steele was lucky to escape another howler after clattering a goal-kick against Morrison as things threatened to get worse for Reid’s beleaguered troops.

Striker Eddie Johnson was doing his best up front but with non-existent support he scarcely threatened the Boro back-line.

McClaren opted to withdraw Downing at half-time and give Graham only his second senior appearance on the left.

Mark Wilson had the first chance of a low-key opening to the second period when he blazed over the bar from Job’s lay-off in the 51st minute.

But with Boro seemingly home and dry neither side was giving the sparse Boro crowd much to shout about.

Riggott tamely headed into Steele’s arms from Wilson’s cross as Boro retained what passed for the initiative.

Colin Cooper was next to have a chance before Reid made his first change introducing Patrick Suffo for Gudjonsson.

Coventry finally fashioned an on-target chance just passed the hour when Stephen Hughes’ low drive was held by Nash.

Two minutes later Nash got down well to hold substitute Patrick Suffo’s free-kick on the goal-line.

Graham grabbed Boro’s third in the 70th minute, showing admirable poise to collect Doriva’s pass from the right and shoot home low past Steele from the edge of the box.

Fellow substitute Tony McMahon came close to grabbing a fourth with two minutes to go when his shot from the right beat Steele but hit the post.