The Sky Blues lost by two goals to one against Cardiff at Ninian Park.

Jay Bothroyd opened the scoring in the first half and after Freddy Eastwood had a goal controversially disallowed, Cardiff doubled their advantage late on through a Ross McCormack penalty.

Scott Dann pulled one back for the Sky Blues in the last minute but it served only as a consolation as the hosts held on for all three points.

Chris Coleman kept faith with the personnel who had drawn at Blackpool at the weekend, naming the exact same 16 players in his squad.

The opening stages of the game were somewhat uneventful but it was City who got into their stride the quickest and in the eighth minute a long punt downfield from Keiren Westwood reached Clinton Morrison, who pulled the ball back from the byline to Michael Doyle who shot straight at Cardiff keeper Tom Heaton.

The best chance so far came in the 16th minute for the Sky Blues when Jay Tabb headed a deep Clinton Morrison cross back across goal to Freddy Eastwood whose header was also straight down the throat of Heaton.

The game had become stretched and Cardiff broke straight downfield, where McCormack forced Westwood into a fine block before Morrison got a sight of goal at the other end, only to pull his 18-yard effort wide of the upright.

The Sky Blues were made to pay for their earlier missed opportunities in the 31st minute when Cardiff took the lead through former City striker Jay Bothroyd. The pacy forward sprinted past Danny Fox, cut in from the right and fired a clinical low shot past Westwood into the far corner to fire the Bluebirds ahead.

City were very fortunate not to go two goals behind in the 36th minute when Joe Ledley headed over from six yards with the goal at his mercy.

Coleman made one change at the interval, introducing Marcus Hall for Elliott Ward and City had to endure some shaky moments at the start of the second period. First, Westwood made a superb block, tipping over a fierce half volley from Darren Purse before he was on hand to make a relatively routine save from the lively Ross McCormack.

These were worrying times for Sky Blues as their hosts looked intent on extending their lead but, having weathered the storm, they looked to have got back on level terms through Freddy Eastwood.

The City striker finished with aplomb after being played through on goal but the referee brought play back approximately 70 yards for a lengthy discussion with his assistant, who informed him of a previous handball by Scott Dann and a free-kick was awarded to Cardiff.

The Sky Blues were on the rocks once more and Westwood showed great agility to save a powerful downward header by Bothroyd to prevent the Bluebirds doubling their advantage.

With 20 minutes left on the clock, Michael Mifsud replaced Jay Tabb and shortly afterwards Coleman made his last switch, introducing Leon Best for Morrison.

Best got a glimpse of goal with seven minutes left on the clock but his header went wide of the target and when the Bluebirds broke, they were awarded an 85th minute penalty for a foul on Joe Ledley.

McCormack stepped up and smashed his penalty low and hard past Westwood to seemingly seal the points for the home team with his seventh goal of the campaign.

But in the 90th minute Scott Dann pulled one back for the Sky Blues, heading home a Marcus Hall cross from six yards out and with five minutes stoppage time signalled by the fourth official, City most definitely had hope of salvaging something from the tie.

But Cardiff stood firm to the City onslaught to take all three points.

Coventry City: Westwood, Fox, Dann, Ward (Hall 46), Osbourne, McKenzie, Gunnarsson, Doyle, Tabb (Mifsud 70), Eastwood, Morrison (Best 73)

Subs (not used): Marshall (GK), Beuzelin

Booked: Gunnarsson, Morrison

Cardiff: Heaton, McNaughton, Rae, Purse, Whittingham, Bothroyd, McPhail, Johnson, Ledley, Kennedy, McCormack.

Subs (not used): Enckelman, Gyepes, Johnson, Parry, Comminges

Referee: R East

Attendance: 16,312