COVENTRY City saw a two-goal lead slip through their fingers as visitors Watford netted three second-half goals to close out the Sky Blues' home campaign with a defeat.
Freddy Eastwood scored his fourth goal of the season to give the Sky Blues a ninth minute lead and Robie Simpson made it 2-0 eight minutes into the second half with a superb set piece.
But Tommy Smith had two bites of the cherry with a 56th minute penalty, poking home a rebound after City 'keeper Keiren Westwood saved his initial spot kick.
And Greg Rasiak and Tamos Priskin completed the comeback with strikes in the 61st and 73rd minutes.
Watford's Lloyd Doyley registered the games first effort at goal albeit well off target, bringing the ball across the pitch to the D on the edge of Keiren Westwood's penalty area only to drag the shot well wide of goal.
Eastwood opened the scoring for the Sky Blues after nine minutes though, involved in a great bit of interplay with Clinton Morrison before sweeping home past Hornets 'keeper Scott Loach for his fourth strike of the season, much to the delight of the Sky Blue Army.
Robbie Simpson then did well to fashion a chance on 17 minutes, latching onto a great through ball from Morrison before firing at goal from an acute angle, forcing Loach to palm the ball around his post for a corner.
Doyley could have got the Hornets on level terms four minutes later, pouncing on Tamos Priskin's shot which was parried by Westwood but launching his follow-up effort well high and well wide.
Priskin was then unfortunate ten minutes before the break with a well-struck half-volley on the edge of the area which only got as far as careering off Ben Turner.
And Jobi McAnuff gave the City back four a minor scare on 39 minjutes, getting in between Isaac Osbourne and Eastwood to get into the area and curl an acute shot just around the outside of Westwood's far post.
Coventry got their second half off to a great start though when Simpson hammered home his fifth goal of the season with a superb set piece from almost halfway inside the Watford half.
Regular set piece taker Fox lined up the free kick but Simpson stepped up to fire from 30 yards and curl a shot over the wall and inside Loach's post.
Tommy Smith almost got a goal back two minutes later , crashing a header off Westwood's crossbar.
But he had a chance to make amends on 56 minutes, Turner giving away a penalty and Smith stepping up to take the spot kick although he needed to convert the rebound after Westwood saved his initially penalty.
Westwood was also called upon to make a great save two minutes later from Rasiak who clipped a header at goal from McAnuff's cross the City 'keeper showing great reflexes to tip the header over the bar.
He could do nothing about Rasiak's next effort just after the hour mark though, the Hornet's going level when McAnuff provided a deep cross from the resulting corner for the striker who rose to head back across the goalmouth and into the top corner.
It got worse on 73 minutes when Tamos Priskin prodded home a third for Watford, Rasiak heading down McAnuff's cross, leaving the striker to prod home through Westwood and Turner.
Fox was then handed a straight red card by referee Russell Booth following an altercation with Watford winger Smith with ten minutes to go after he had been awarded a free-kick, leaving the Sky Blues to see out the remaining minutes of their home campaign a man short.
Attendance - 17,915 (1,380 away)
Teams
Coventry City: Westwood, Turner, Ward (McPake 45), Hall, Osbourne (Grandison 89), Gunnarsson, Doyle, Simpson (Cain 76), Fox, Eastwood, Morrison
Subs: Ireland (GK), Thornton
Watford: Loach, Cork, Demerit, Priskin (Cauna 89), Rasiak, McAnuff, Doyley, Smith, Mariappa, Williamson, Jenkins (Rose 65)
Subs: Lee (GK), Harley, Stepanov
