Town's run of away games without a win moved on to 17 after Coventry ran out 2-1 winners at the Ricoh Arena. Julian Gray put the home side in front, but Danny Haynes equalised before the break. However, in a dismal second half, in which Tommy Miller was sent off, Dele Adebola netted the winner.

Chris Casement made a rare start on the right of the Town defence with David Wright moving to the left for Dan Harding, who suffered a thigh problem at Leicester. Danny Haynes returned on the right of midfield with Gavin Williams dropping to the bench. Matt Richards returned to the Town 16 having ended his loan spell at Brighton last week.

The Blues almost found themselves behind in the first minute after a series of errors by skipper Jason De Vos. First the Canadian misread the bounce of a long ball, then his backpass played in Coventry striker Michael Mifsud. Fortunately for the Blues, the Maltese frontman fired well over.

Pablo Couñago crossed into the sidenetting in the fifth minute but that was as near as Town would get to a goal prior to the Sky Blues going in front.

Jason De Vos slipped as he followed Dele Adebola to a ball played forward into feet, the defender's fall allowing the Nigerian to take the ball into the area and lay a ball back for Mifsud. Neil Alexander made an impressive save from the striker but could only push the ball into the path of Julian Gray, who tapped home. Once again a very preventable goal had seen the Blues go behind early on away from home.

On 15 Jay Tabb was lucky not to see a card of any variety for a late, two-footed lunge on Fabian Wilnis which left the Dutchman needing treatment for several minutes before continuing.

Despite going behind, the Blues had dominated possession, but without creating much of note. However, in the 17th minute a Jon Walters cross from the left reached Danny Haynes, but the England U19 international's touch let him down and the ball bounced harmlessly into former Blue Andy Marshall's hands.

A minute later, Walters struck a shot from the edge of the box which curled wide, then Pablo Couñago played in Alan Lee on the edge of the area, only for the Irishman to be felled by an Arjan De Zeueew challenge with the Dutchman appearing to make little contact with the ball. There was little time for a penalty appeal with the ball running to Couñago on the edge of the box and the Spanish striker sent in a low cross which Lee diverted straight at Marshall.

Couñago went down in the area on 22, but again, and probably rightly, referee Iain Williamson was unimpressed.

Just before the half hour, Town almost made their pressure tell. Haynes crossed from the right and found Couñago, but the Spanish frontman's header was too close to Marshall and the keeper pushed the ball over the bar.

The Blues continued to press and in the 35th minute Couñago had the ball taken off his foot six yards out as he prepared to shoot. Two minutes later, a 20-yard Owen Garvan strike deflected through to Marshall.

On 41 the Blues finally scored. David Wright belted a 35-yarder which Marshall did well to push onto the bar, however, Danny Haynes reacted quicker than anyone else to nod in his third goal of the season.

Town continued to dominate and a minute later Jon Walters headed a Tommy Miller corner goalwards, but the ball struck a defender and flew over.

As the half drew to a close, Arjan De Zeeuw was yellow-carded for a Nat Lofthouse-style challenge on Neil Alexander, then Mifsud shot well over.

The home side were booed off at the break, Town having had the better of the first half and looking likely to go on to claim an extremely rare away victory. The Blues had passed the ball around slickly and had had enough chances to put themselves in the lead, despite the early defensive howlers.

The second half started scrappily, but with Coventry closing down Town much more quickly than in the first half. Neither keeper was troubled for the first quarter of an hour with Owen Garvan's blocked volley in the 60th minute the nearest thing to goalmouth action.

Coventry went ahead with their first serious attack of the second half. Tommy Miller made a tackle on halfway, but Chris Casement surrendered possession to Sky Blues sub Liam Davis, who was allowed to bring the ball forward before playing a fine pass into the path of Dele Adebola, who slipped in ahead of Jon Walters before beating Alexander.

Again it was a poor goal to concede and there was no way back for confidence-bereft Town. The Blues meandered their way through the final 26 minutes without ever regaining the form of the first half.

Casement cleared an Adebola header off the line in the 67th minute, then Kevin Thornton shot across the face of goal.

Jon Walters shot over from the edge of the area, but Town never looked like getting back on terms despite the home side's narrow lead. On 71 Tommy Miller was yellow-carded for a foul, prior to Gavin Williams taking over from Pablo Couñago with Jon Walters joining Alan Lee up front.

Alexander cleared the ball straight to Thornton in the 72nd minute, but the half-time sub shot well wide. As the game moved into its final 10 minutes, Jordan Rhodes replaced the once again quiet Alan Lee.

Danny Haynes picked up his second booking of the season for a foul, before Tommy Miller picked up his second of the game. The former Sunderland man appeared to have done little other than attempt to block a clearance from Michael Doyle and referee Williamson appeared to react to a frantically waved flag from his assistant rather than the incident itself, before showing his yellow and then red cards in swift succession.

Liam Trotter replaced Casement for the final couple of minutes, but Town continued to look like a side well beaten by a Coventry team which appeared to have done nothing more than turn up for the second half.

At the whistle it was the Blues at whom the boos were directed with shouts of “What a load of rubbish” ringing around the away end.

Town, who had looked the more likely to win at half-time, had failed to reappear after the break and once the second poor goal of the afternoon had been conceded, the side's fragile confidence completely collapsed.

The inconsistent nature of the Championship means that the Blues are still in eighth place and in contention for the play-offs as 2007 turns into 2008, but if they want to be anywhere near the business end of the division come May, the shocking away form must be vastly improved within a couple of games.

Town: Alexander, Casement (Trotter 89), Wright, De Vos, Wilnis, Garvan, Miller, Walters, Haynes, Lee (Rhodes 81), Couñago (Williams 72). Unused: Supple, Richards. Att: 18,346.

Photo: Action Images

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