COVENTRY City ended a four-game run of successive defeats with a one-goal victory over travelling Doncaster Rovers thanks to a superb first-half strike from David Bell.

The Irish midfielder produced a flash of combined brilliance and opportunism to catch Doncaster 'keeper Neil Sullivan off his line from around 45 yards to give City the lead after 20 minutes.

And it could have been more had it not been for Rovers' woodwork in the first half.

Freddy Eastwood skimmed the crossbar from 12 yards just two minutes in, connecting with Jordan Henderson's cutback on the counter but unable to keep his shot down enough.

Rovers defender Matt Mills came close to giving the visitors the lead, his header from a corner going over Keiren Westwood's bar after 18 minutes.

But two minutes later, Bell took his cue from City fans urging him to shoot, then producing an effort reminiscent of David Beckham's famous halfway-line goal, from which Sullivan was also the victim.

Six minutes later Stephen Wright nearly made it 2-0 to City, a headed clearance finding it's way to the full-back who fired a volley at goal from 20 yards which hit Sullivan's post and shook the framework of the goal.

Keiren Westwood was needed to tip two efforts around his post from John Spicer and Richie Wellens with ten minutes of the half to go.

And, bar a breakway between Henderson and Wright which resulted in Henderson's shot going straight at Sullivan, Doncaster enjoyed most of the possession in the closing stages of the first half.

They never really threatened the goal though as the Sky Blues saw out the two added minutes without incident.

The second half in comparison passed without much incident although there was tension aplenty among City fans who grew gradually closer to a valuable Championship three points.

Westwood stayed alert three minutes into the second period, getting a strong palm to a close-range flick from James Chambers.

And he was called upon again after 56 minutes, coming off his line to block the effort of oncoming Sheils who took the rebound with the ball going out for a goal kick.

Dann had a close range header flicked just over the bar three minutes after the hour which could all but have sealed the points for the Sky Blues.

And while Doncaster continued to pepper the City area with long deliveries in search of an equalizer, they by far came out on top in terms of possession in the final 15 minutes but did little to suggest they would be getting a goal back.

The win for the Sky Blues, while ending their recent poor run, extends Rovers' run of league defeats to three on the bounce, something City know all too well but for know do not have to worry about.

Attendance: 18,498 (1,465 away)

Teams

Coventry City: Westwood, Wright, Dann, Turner, Hall, Gunnarsson, Beuzelin (Osbourne 79), Henderson (Simpson 84), Bell, Morrison, Eastwood (Best 61)
Subs: Marshall (GK), Ward, Simpson

Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan, Roberts (Hird 89), Mills, Chambers, Lockwood, Heffernan (Hayter 74), Wilson (Fairhurst 83), Sheils, Woods, Wellens, Spicer
Subs: O'Connor, Van Nieuwstadt