Sky Blues cap off home league campaign with slender defeat to Leyton Orient
Coventry City saw out the home half of their 2012/13 league campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Leyton Orient at the Ricoh Arena.
Dean Cox netted the only goal of the game on the stroke of half time to hand Orient all the points.
The game looked to be heading into half time with the deadlock still unbroken until a counter attack for the visitors saw a square ball from Kevin Lisbie find Cox to sweep a finish under the body of City 'keeper Joe Murphy.
City boss Steven Pressley decided to go with a changed side from the one that lost 2-0 away to Crawley Town the previous weekend, making four changes to re-introduce Steven Jennings and Cyrus Christie as well as hand first starts of the campaign to David Bell and first team debutant Danny Philliskirk.
The Sky Blues' early dominance gave no indication that they were planning to take their foot off the pedal in the penultimate game of the season, infact it was the hosts that pressed for the opener against an Orient side still trying to keep their play-off hopes alive.
Bell was quick out of the blocks as he burst down the left side to cut a ball back for Philliskirk who could not stretch enough to get a toe to the ball.
John Fleck then tested Orient 'keeper Jamie Jones after five minutes with a 20-yard strike the 'keeper did well to hold on to.
Jones was left exposed after in the 13th minute though when Carl Baker lofted a cross beyond the reach of the 'keeper's fingertips and was heading for Philliskirk to finish only for Leon McSweeney to jump infront a head the ball over the bar.
City had another chance from the resulting corner when the delivery was cleared only as far as Jordan Stewart whose ambitious 35-yard half volley was plucked out of the air by Jones to stop it heading into the top corner.
Philliskirk then came a whisker away from putting City infront after 26 minutes when he latched onto a through ball from Jennings and stumbled past the oncoming Jones only for his attempted hooked finish to be blocked by the outstretched boot of McSweeney.
Orient went just as close three minutes later when a floated free kick from Lee Cook picked out the unmarked Jimmy Smith whose glancing header was only enough to guide the ball inches wide of the far post.
The visitors got the opening goal on the stroke of half time though when a quick counter attack got the ball up to Kevin Lisbie who squared a ball across the penalty area for Cox to sweep a finish under Murphy.
It was nearly two a minute after the break when Lisbie won a free kick off half time substitute Jordan Clarke, Martin Rowlands taking the set piece with a low drive that fizzed just wide of Murphy's post.
City went just as close on the hour when a superb through ball from Fleck picked out Bell to cut inside and pull an effort from 15 yards just wide of Jones' near post.
Bell did the same again three minutes later, this time it all being down to his own hard work as he tussled McSweeney off the ball, turned Nathan Clarke and then fired into the side netting from just inside the area.
Moussa went close on the opposite side six minutes from time when he picked the ball up in midfield, drove forward and sent a 20-yard effort just wide.
It was the last notable effort of the afternoon from the Sky Blues though as they could not find an equaliser to make it a happier home send off.
Teams
Coventry City: Murphy, Christie, Martin, Wood, Stewart (J Clarke 45), Moussa, Jennings (Wilson 76), Baker (c), Bell, Fleck, Philliskirk (McDonald 70)
Subs: Dunn (GK), Thomas, McSheffrey, Edjenguele
Leyton Orient: Jones, McSweeney, Sawyer, Vincelot, Cox, Lisbie, Smith, N Clarke (c), Odubajo, Cook (James 85), Rowlands
Subs: Butcher (GK), Lee, Vanderhyde
Attendance: 11,234 (893 away)
Referee: E Ilderton
Assistants: M Astley, M Buonassisi
Fourth Official: J Clark