COVENTRY City battled to a point against ten-man Blackpool after a highly charged second half at the Ricoh Arena.
Both sides had good opportunities to open the scoring but a combination of good shotstopping and the goals being just a little too narrow ensured the game stayed goalless at the break.
But the second period saw a red card in the opening five minutes after the restart, a spectatcular 30-yard opener from the visitors and a Sky Blues equaliser created by two of the club's January signings.
Michael McIndoe could have opened the scoring for the Sky Blues in the opening few seconds after making an intelligent run picked out with a through ball by Baker, the Scotsman's effort at goal forcing a good save from Blackpool 'keeper Paul Rachubka.
Both sides appeared keen to play the opening moments of the game at pace, but for all the interplay, dummy runs and frantic action in the centre of the park neither side fashioned another opportunity on goal until the 21st minute when a blocked City free kick fell to Aron Gunnarsson who
dragged a shot wide.
Seasiders skipper Charlie Adam tried his luck from range on 26 minutes with an effort from 30 yards, the ball cutting the grass but never troubling Keiren Westwood's goalmouth.
But the visitors were almost ahead two minutes later when a first-touch back pass from Martin Cranie to Westwood fell short and into the path of Keith Southern only for the midfielder to touch his effort wide of the far post under attention from Richard Wood.
The Sky Blues went equally as close just after the half hour mark when a clever move allowed Leon Best to beat the offside trap hut steer his shot wide of goal with Rachubka to beat and Evatt on his heels.
Pint-sized Blackpool wideman Barry Bannan should have done better with a half volleyed effort from 12 yards out on 36 minutes after a slick exchange of passes by the visitors in City's final third.
Brett Ormerod then slid a shot at goal from the edge of the area seven minutes before half time after dispossessing Sammy Clingan on the touchline.
The Tangerines striker forced Westwood off his line to make a good save two minutes later, Bannan's through ball allowing him to get behind the City defence which quickly closed him down to limit the quality of his effort.
Baker went close for City with just moments of the first half to go though, getting on the end of McIndoe's cross from the left only to glance his header across goal and inches wide of the far post.
Gary Taylor-Fletcher registered the first effort of the second half, collecting a long diagional ball from Alex Baptiste and forcing a good save out of Westwood for a corner.
The resulting corner was then tipped over the bar by the City 'keeper and a second set piece saw Charlie Adam head wide from ten yards out.
The pressure from the away continued when Taylor-Fletcher was felled 20 yards out for a free kick.
Adam's initial effort was blocked by the City wall but Bannan followed up with a sweet drive which hit the underside of the bar, bounced down onto the line and away from goal.
The activities of the opening five minutes of the second half then intensified when Ormerod saw a straight red card after a clash with City midfielder Aron Gunnarsson
Referee Dean Whitestone handed the striker his marching orders after an exchange between the pair ended with Gunnarsson floored and holding face, eventually prompting his withdrawal for Gary Deegan.
It was the visitors who broke the deadlock though on 68 minutes through Bannan with a spectactular strike from 30 yards, picking up a loose ball central to the goal with his strike beating Westwood underneath his crossbar, bouncing down and back up into the roof of the net, almost a carbon copy of his strike at the start of the second half.
Coventry substitute Freddy Eastwood took just three minutes to register his first effort at goal after replacing Leon Best in the 75th minute, a shot from the corner of the Blackpool area with the outside of his boot which only narrowly overshot Rachubka's top corner.
The Sky Blues were level though with eight minutes tomgo although duscussion of who got the final touch to guide the ball into the net will gho into debate.
There was no question of the quality produced by Baker to carve open the opportunity though, the Merseysider twice getting off the ground tob eat two defenders and cut inside from the right and lay the ball onto Deegan whose shot, through a pair of deflections, eventually beat Rachubka at his near post.
The Sky Blues could also have snatched it in the second of seven added minutes, Morrison showing good awareness with his back to goal to release to McIndoe on the overlap only for his low cross for the onrushing Deegan to meet the Blackpool 'keeper and ensure the two sides shared the spoils.
Attendance: 16,019 (1,077 away)
Teams
Coventry City: Westwood, Cranie, Wright (c), McPake, Wood, Gunnarsson (Deegan 56), Clingan, Bell (Morrison 69), McIndoe, Best (Eastwood 74), Baker
Subs: Konstantopoulos (GK), Hussey, Barnett, Grandison
Blackpool: Rachubka, Crainey, Southern, Evatt, Ormerod, Vaughan, Taylor-Fletcher, Baptiste, Edwards, Adam (c) (Demontagnac 85), Bannan (Burgess 80)
Subs: Gilks (GK), Martin, Euell, Nardiello, Butler
