Sky Blues beaten by Glovers by the narrowest of margins at the Ricoh Arena
Yeovil Town withstood a second half battering from the Sky Blues to record a sixth straight league win.
Paddy Madden scored the only goal of the game in the final minute of the first half at the end of a swift breakaway.
City fired in shot after shot after the break but just couldn’t find a way through – Stephen Elliott going closest when he rattled the crossbar.
Mark Robins made just one change to the side that lost to Crewe on Tuesday with James Bailey coming in for Elliott.
And the restored midfield line-up linked well inside the first minute to tee up Franck Moussa but Yeovil keeper Marek Stech dived at the Belgian’s feet bravely to stop him.
City’s bright start continued and Carl Baker had the ball in the net after ten minutes when he reacted first to a rebound in the six-yard box – but it was ruled out for offside.
Stech was almost caught out in the 19th minute when Leon Clarke pounced on some hesitation in the Glovers’ defence to poke a half volley at goal. The ball sailed over the Czech keeper but just wide of the post.
The keeper was in the right place four minutes later however, as he smothered James Bailey’s low shot after he latched on to a through ball from Moussa.
The visitors came straight back at City and Joe Murphy did well to deny Sam Foley when he was played in one-on-one before producing a fine one-handed stop, high to his right to thwart Joe Edwards.
James Hayter then had a chance to give the visitors the lead from an accurate right wing cross, only to steer his header wide from 10 yards
Leon Clarke wasted an equally inviting headed chance in the 33rd minute when he directed his back post effort straight at the back of a defender.
In the final minute of the half Baker played Leon Clarke through on goal and although the striker beat Stech to the ball, his stabbed effort did not have the power to cross the line.
The Glovers then broke at pace with Madden being played in before slotting past Murphy for his eighth goal in the last five matches.
Jordan Clarke was introduced in place of Blair Adams at the break an almost leveled in the 52nd minute but his low shot was blocked and Bailey fired just inches over from 18 yards on the follow up.
Leon Clarke emerged with added purpose after the break and when he crossed from the byline after a dynamic run down the right, the ball was almost turned in by a Yeovil defender.
City were getting closer and another substitute, Elliott, beat Stech in the 56th minute only to see his shot come back off the bar following a neat one-two with Moussa.
Madden went close to adding a second in the 67th minute but Murphy got down quickly to his right to get a strong hand to the shot.
Elliott was then denied at the other end when attempting to a curl into the top corner from 18 yards after good place from Jordan Clarke.
City continued to push forward and in the 75th minute the ball reached Baker on the right hand side of the box after good play from the left. But the skipper’s powerful shot went just over.
Elliott went close again ten minutes from time, driving low across the face of goal after doing well to collect Cyrus Christie’s right wing cross.
Baker was next to try his luck, stinging the palms of Stech from distance but again it just wouldn’t go in.
Teams
Coventry City (4-5-1): Murphy, Christie, Wood, Edjenguele, Adams (J Clarke 46), Baker, Jennings (Fleck 72), Bailey, Moussa, McSheffrey (Elliott 52), L Clarke.
Subs: Dunn, Cameron, Thomas, Barton.
Yeovil Town (4-4-2): Stech, Ayling, Webster, Burn, McAllister, Dawson, Edwards, Upson, Foley (Blizzard 72), Madden, Hayter.
Subs: Stewart, Hinds, Appiah, Williams, Young, Ralph.
Referee: Gary Sutton (Lincolnshire)
Attendance: 11,277