Don Howe's young Gunners set themselves up for a glorious FA Youth Cup Final second leg at Highbury next Friday by cruising past Coventry at Highfield Road.

All the goals came in the second half after both sides had shown signs of nerves in the first period.

Coventry created marginally the better chances in the first period and almost scored in the 13th minute when their central defender Callum Davenport beat goalkeeper Graham Stack with a close-range shot only for Arsenal's full-back Israel Da Silva Filho to somehow get his body in the way as the ball was crossing the line.

It was Arsenal's turn in the 21st minute when the winger Jerome Thomas skipped past two tacklers to fire in a fierce right-footer which was well saved by Gary Montgomery.

The Coventry goalkeeper then made another fine stop from a shot by David Noble.

In the 23rd minute Arsenal's centre-forward Graham Barrett thought he had scored, but his effort was inches wide into the side-netting.

Arsenal started the second half in great style when Jerome Thomas cut into the box from the left and coolly side-footed into the far corner in the 47th minute.

Then they hit the home side with two goals in three minutes.

Both were supplied by Jay Bothroyd with centres from the left. The first was knocked in by Barrett after 65 minutes, and the second by Steven Sidwell after 68 minutes.

Just when it seemed the Gunners had the perfect cushion Coventry's young striker Gary McSheffrey fired home a free-kick in the 85th minute.