David CuffleyNorwich City have been handed a home tie in the Carling Cup first round, with Gillingham making a swift return visit to Carrow Road. The Gills provided the opposition when the Canaries clinched the League One title with a 2-0 home win back in April.David Cuffley

Norwich City have been handed a home tie in the Carling Cup first round, with Gillingham making a swift return visit to Carrow Road.

The Gills provided the opposition when the Canaries clinched the League One title with a 2-0 home win back in April.

The two sides met three times in all last season, but are now two divisions apart following City's return to the Championship and the Kent club's relegation to League Two.

The tie will be played in the week starting August 9, just days after the first Championship game.

Manager Paul Lambert said he was very happy with a home tie.

'We had some close games against them last year and they will be tough again, I'm sure, but it's a home draw and I'm pleased about that,' he told the club's official website.

'They will come and give us a hard game but we will be looking to progress through to the next round in front of our own fans.'

City secured a 1-1 draw at Priestfield Stadium in League One last September thanks to Darel Russell's stoppage-time equaliser, and followed up with a 1-0 Johnstone's Paint Trophy second round win in October, courtesy of Cody McDonald's goal.

In the return league fixture at Carrow Road, goals from Russell and Michael Nelson confirmed City as champions.

Gillingham were relegated on the final day of the season with a 3-0 defeat at Wycombe, who also went down.

Manager Mark Stimson left the club two days later and Andy Hessenthaler was appointed boss for the second time.

Ticket information for the game has yet to be released.

The Canaries have been starved of success in the League Cup competition in its various guises, in which they once had an impressive record as winners in 1962 and 1985 and beaten finalists in 1973 and 1975. They have not even reached the quarter-finals since 1996, when they lost 2-1 in a replay at Birmingham.

Last season, City won 4-0 at Yeovil in the first round in what proved to be Bryan Gunn's last game in charge. They were then beaten 4-1 at home by Premier League club Sunderland in a televised match in round two.

t Full Carling Cup first round draw:

Hartlepool United v Sheffield United

Leicester City v Macclesfield Town

Walsall v Tranmere Rovers

Carlisle United v Huddersfield Town

Stockport County v Preston North End

Barnsley v Rochdale

Morecambe v Coventry City

Doncaster Rovers v Accrington Stanley

Chesterfield v Middlesbrough

Peterborough United v Rotherham United

Bradford City v Nottingham Forest

Leeds United v Lincoln City

Sheffield Wednesday v Bury

Scunthorpe United v Oldham Athletic

Crewe Alexandra v Derby County

Exeter City v Ipswich Town

Southend United v Bristol City

Southampton v AFC Bournemouth

Brentford v Cheltenham United

Queens Park Rangers v Port Vale

Torquay United v Reading

Norwich City v Gillingham

Stevenage v Portsmouth

Shrewsbury Town v Charlton Athletic

Cardiff City v Burton Albion

Northampton Town v Brighton & Hove Albion

Swansea City v Barnet

Plymouth Argyle v Notts County

Wycombe Wanderers v Millwall

Oxford United v Bristol Rovers

Milton Keynes Dons v Dagenham & Redbridge

Hereford United v Colchester United

Yeovil Town v Crystal Palace

Aldershot Town v Watford

Swindon Town v Leyton Orient