A good pre-season test for Tony Mowbray's side ended in defeat to the League Two favourites...
Coventry City were beaten 2-1 by League Two favourites Portsmouth at Westleigh Park in a good pre-season test for Tony Mowbray's men.
Pompey were 2-0 before half-time but City looked much the better side in the second-half, with George Thomas scoring a sensational effort, but it wasn't enough to give City a draw.
The Sky Blues got off to a poor start when they fell behind after four minutes. Conor Chaplin was the first to react to a wonderful save from Lee Burge in the box and Conor Chaplin tapped in from eight-yards.
It was a half of few chances but City had a good one to equalise when Thomas' cross from the left was flicked on by Marcus Tudgay and Romain Vincelot steamed in but was a toe away from netting from six-yards.
But Pompey caught City on the break right on the stroke of half-time, as Gareth Evans raced through unopposed to comfortably slot past Burge.
Ruben Lamieras came on at half-time for Marcus Tudgay and made an instant impact, threading a great ball through to Thomas who beat a defender and hit a shot in the area which forced Paul Jones into a wonderful save.
City started the second-half the better side and had a tremendous goal as their reward on 53 minutes. Reda Johnson smashed a long ball forward and Thoams brought it down expertly in the area. He then had the finesse to chip a sensational effort over Paul Jones to reduce the defecit.
The game quietened down after Thomas' sensational strike but Burge had to be on his toes at the other end, when he clawed Evans' effort from the right side of the area away from the top corner.
City almost had the equaliser with 13 minutes to go when two substitutes combined, Danny Swanson's corner from the right was met by Aaron Martin at the back-post but his header from six-yards rattled the bar.
But that was the last real action of the game which, despite the result, was an extremely good pre-season test for the Sky Blues.
TEAMS
Coventry City: Burge, Willis (Dev Kelly-Evans 73), Johnson (Martin 55), Ricketts (Harries 79), Di Kelly-Evans, O'Brien (Lawton 68), Fleck (C) (Finch 79), Vincelot (Stevenson 68), G. Thomas, Maddison (Swanson 55), Tudgay (Lamerias 45).
Subs: Charles-Cook (GK), Shipley, Sambou.
Portsmouth: Jones (Poke 75), Stevens, Robinson (Webster 56), Naismith, Chaplin (Bennett 68), Atangana (Close 45), Hollands, Evans (Nilsen 80), Robinson (Stockley 63), Clarke (Burgess 45), Van Der Ruijk.
Subs: Haunstrup, Field.