Craig Bellamy and skipper Moustapha Hadji ensured an easy passage into the fourth round of the FA Cup for Coventry City who continued their recent revival at the expense of second division strugglers Swindon.

Gordon Strachan's side have started to turn the corner in the Premiership on the back of a four game unbeaten run and they carried too much class and power for the Wiltshire side.

Coventry will forever be remembered for their embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Sutton in 1989 - two years after winning the competition.

But under Strachan they have reached the quarter-finals once and the fifth round three times and in all honesty they won this tie at the County Ground in a canter.

Bellamy's early goal took the sting out of the second division strugglers and Coventry had enough chances to have sewn the game up long before Hadji effectively killed off the tie mid-way through the second period.

Bellamy could easily have been celebrating a hat-trick and only some excellent saves by Swindon goalkeeper Bart Griemink and poor finishing by the visitors kept the score-line down.

The crossing and right-wing runs of David Thompson, the pace of Bellamy and the guile of Moroccan duo Hadji and Youssef Chippo proved too much for Andy King's side.

Swindon only briefly threatened to embarrass Coventry with former Aston Villa striker Steven Cowe looking sharp upfront but 'keeper Chris Kirkland was only called upon to deal with long range efforts.

Coventry took control from the start on a bobbly pitch and needed only four minutes to break the deadlock courtesy of a mistake by Swindon defender Sol Davis.

Davis appeared to be caught napping as Bellamy nipped in to dispossess him and drill a low shot past the exposed Griemink.

Swindon looked nervy in defence every time the Sky Blues ventured forward as they struggled to cope with Bellamy.

He was sent clear of the Swindon defence by Gary Breen but Davis partially atoned for his earlier error with a fine tackle.

A mistake by Swindon skipper Alan Reeve then let in Coventry skipper Hadji after a flick-on from Bellamy but Griemink did well to block his shot.

Swindon threatened only occasionally although Kirkland had to beat out a fierce effort from former Aston Villa striker Steven Cowe.

But it was generally one-way traffic towards the Swindon goal and Griemink again excelled himself to tip over a volley at full stretch from Lee Carsley.

A long and quick throw-out by Kirkland then sent Bellamy powering clear of the Swindon defence as the home side were again caught napping but he failed to get full power into his cross-shot which was saved by Griemink.

Coventry continued to dominate and Griemink finger-tipped away a 30 yard pile-driver by the recalled Chippo.

The game was more evenly matched in the early part of the second period with Cowe causing Coventry problems.

One run by the Swindon striker took him to the edge of the Coventry penalty area before his eventual shot was blocked by Paul Williams.

Coventry were now finding clearcut chances less easy to come by although Hadji volleyed over when unmarked from a cross by the increasingly dangerous Thompson.

But the Moroccan made amends in the 63rd minute when he doubled Coventry's lead.

Thompson broke quickly down the right and sent over a low cross which picked out Chippo. His shot was blocked by Griemink but the rebound fell back to him - and he turned the ball to Hadji who tapped it into an empty net.

That silenced the majority of the 14,445 crowd and Chippo should have made it 3-0 from another dangerous cross by Thompson but he lost control and Griemink was able to save.

Teams:

Swindon: Griemink, Hall, Reeves, Dryden, Davis (James Williams 70), Duke, Whitley (O'Halloran 46), Woan, Invincible, Cowe, Alexander (Young 78).

Subs Not Used: Mildenhall, van der Linden.

Booked: Alexander.

Coventry: Kirkland, Edworthy, Quinn, Williams, Breen, Thompson, Chippo, Telfer, Carsley, Hadji, Bellamy.

Subs Not Used: Hedman, Konjic, Strachan, Guerrero, Aloisi.

Booked: Carsley, Bellamy.

Goals: Bellamy 5, Hadji 64.

Att: 14,445

Ref: S Bennett (Orpington).