COVENTRY City fell to their first defeat in six games in controversial fashion as a late handball decision gifted Cardiff City a late winner from the spot.

Morrison nodded the Sky Blues ahead a minute after the hour but  Chris Burke levelled the scored with five minutes of the first half to go.

Nuneaton-born Peter Whittingham then cooly slotted the penalty for the Bluebirds in front of the visiting fans with two minutes to go to hand Dave Jones' side all the points.

The Sky Blues managed to fashion the first chance of note after 18 minutes, Martin Cranie floating in a cross from the left for Morrison who steered his header just wide of David Marshall's far post.

Just two minutes later Michael McIndoe and Jonathan Stead linked up to provide Gary Deegan with a clear crack at a long range effort which he sliced wide from 25 yards.

Carl Baker then went agonisingly close on 26 minutes when McIndoe whipped in a free kick he fellow wideman glanced just past the far post with his head.

It was Morrison who opened the scoring a minutes after the half hour though with help from a long Aron Gunnarsson throw which was pumped in from the right, Richard Wood flicking the ball on for Morrison waiting at the back post to nod home.

The visitors were back on level terms nine minutes later when Chris Burke jostled his through a bunch of bodies in the box to prod a loose ball past Coventry 'keeper Keiren Westwood.

A long ball was allowed to bounce in the final third before it took a nod into the area where Burke fought through to toe the ball into the net.

Whittingham whipped in a low free kick aimed at the City near corner at the end of the first half although Westwood has his post well covered.

And the Sky Blues earned a late corner through Baker which gave the City supporters an extra lift prior to the end of the half.

Cardiff went dangerously close to getting a second eight minutes after the break.

Jay Bothroyd got down the left flank and whipped in a low cross which found Peter Whiitingham unmarked in the six-yard area only for him to tap his shot over the bar.

Ross McCormack then forced a solid save out of Westwood on the hour with a 25-yard free kick blasted straight at goal which Westwood had to parry, leaving Wood to head clear.

Westwood was forced into another stop three minutes later when goalscorer Burke sparked a counter-attack, plying through Bothroyd whose stabbed shot was parried away.

Baker carved an opportunity for the Sky Blues on 75 minutes, bringing the ball in from the left flank into the area and firing just inside the area only to have his shot blocked.

Darcy Blake was then foiled at the other end with eight minutes to go, his stabbed effort from eight yards out catching Westwood at full stretch to gather the ball.

The Sky Blues were undone in controversial late fashion though when the assistant referee flagged for handball in the Coventry area with two minutes to go.

Cardiff midfielder Whittingham duly stepped up and dispatched the spot kick to Westwood's left.

More controversy then unsued deep into injury time when substitute David Bell's header from Baker's cross bounced off the crossbar with the Sky Blues then appealing for handball against Bluebirds defender Kennedy as he cleared the ball away from the far post.

The appeals went unheard though by referee Steve Hooper who waved away the protests and blowing the whistle on the Sky Blues' first defeat in six games.

Attendance: 16,038 (674 away)

Teams

Coventry City: Westwood, Cranie, Wright (c), McPake, Wood, Gunnarssson, Deegan, McIndoe, Baker, Morrison (Sears 83), Stead (Eastwood 70)
Subs: Konstantopoulos (GK), Hall, Barnett, Grandison

Cardiff City: Marshall, McNaughton (Rae 45), Kennedy, Whiitingham, Bothroyd (c), McPhail, Burke, Gerrard, Blake, Matthews (Quinn 81), McCormack
Subs: Enckleman (GK), Capaldi, Taiwo, Feeney, Wildig