Mick McCarthy’s second-string Wolves strolled to victory in their Carling Cup second-round clash at League Two Northampton.

McCarthy changed all 11 of his players from Saturday’s win over Fulham to take on a side 82 league places beneath them – and two goals from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Nenad Milijas’ classy free-kick and a late Sam Vokes strike vindicated his decision.

The Cobblers are tricky customers in the cups, having beaten Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool on penalties at Anfield last season and seen off npower Championship Ipswich in the first round earlier this month.

But there was to be no repeat after Adebayo Akinfenwa squandered a gilt-edged chance to put them ahead when he blazed over from three yards out.

Lewis Young, the young winger attempting to follow in the footsteps of his famous big brother, Manchester United and England star Ashley, showed glimpses of his potential.

But Wolves rarely looked troubled after Ebanks-Blake fired them ahead.

The striker should have given them an eighth-minute lead when Michael Kightly’s through-ball sent him clean through on goal but Cobblers keeper Sam Walker stood up well and got a vital touch on the shot.

And Town blew up their big opportunity to take a shock lead after 14 minutes when Kelvin Langmead headed on Ben Tozer’s throw-in and the portly Akinfenwa scooped the ball over the crossbar.

The underdogs knew they could not afford to squander chances like that, especially with Wolves beginning to warm to their task.

Ebanks-Blake had already flashed a fierce shot across Walker’s goal, and when the ball fell to him in exactly the same spot after 31 minutes he made no mistake.

Debutant Jamie Reckord, who had a spell on loan with Northampton last season, floated in a diagonal cross which Ebanks-Blake chested down in the right-hand corner of the area before rifling his low shot past Walker and into the net. Ebanks-Blake could have made it two when he rounded Walker but the angle was too acute and he rolled his shot wide.

But the second goal did arrive with eight minutes of the first half remaining, and a superb strike it was too.

Arron Davies fouled Adam Hammill some 25 yards out and Milijas stepped up to curl his free-kick into the top corner as Walker stood and admired.

As first-half stoppage time approached Town almost pulled one back when Jake Robinson crossed for Young but Dorus De Vries, making his debut, saved well .

But the plucky hosts were picked off on the counter-attack 13 minutes from time when Kightly raced to the byline and crossed for Ebanks-Blake to plant a simple header past Walker and into the net.

And Vokes rubbed salt in the wounds with a minute to go when he smashed Matt Doherty’s cross first time into the top corner. McCarthy will have been pleased to see his fringe players get a decent work-out as well as book Wanderers a place in the third round of a competition they could have a decent shout in this term.

By Andy Sims