COVENTRY City collected their first point against Crystal Palace at the Ricoh Arena after Leon Best's second half header cancelled out Darren Ambrose's first half opener.

The Sky Blues had an opportunity in the opening seconds, a loose ball in the penalty area dropping to David Bell by the six-yard area although desperate Palace defending allowed them to shepherd the midfielder away from the goalmouth.

Ambrose then began to calibrate his range after six minutes with a shot from 25 yards which began dipping just as it passed over Keiren Westwood's crossbar.

Bell whipped in a dangerous croass for the Sky Blues after 16 minutes which just passed over the head of Michael McIndoe at the far post.

And Westwood was called into action to make a fine save from Neil Danns' header on 19 minutes, palming away from goal with Alan Lee cutting back the loose ball and Aron Gunnarsson clearing behind.

Palace were on the scoresheet three minutes before the half hour though when Freddy Sears fired across goal with no-oner to meet it but club top scorer Ambrose at the back post to sweep home.

A dangerous delivery from McIndoe eight minutes before half time caused a second goalmouth scramble which almost saw the Sky Blues level.

And Gunnarsson went close to putting City on level terms in first half injury time with a glancing header from a corner which flew a whisker wide of the far post.

City got a dream start to the second half thopugh and looked an entirely different side in the second period.

McIndoe twisted and turned Dannny Butterfield inside out on the left flank just a minute after the restart and provided the inch-perfect delivery for Best to head home off the underside of the crossbar.

Five minutes later Bell lashed in a superb free kick from 30 yards out which caused panic in the Palace area, David forced to poke the bal behind for a corner.

Sears lashed a half volley at Westwood just before the hour which the City 'keeper parried comfortably and McIndoe provided another dangerous delivery at the other end on the breakaway just seconds later, Fonte forced to glance a header behind which narrowly avoided Julian Speroni's bottom corner.

Gunnarsson was unlucky with ten minutes to go, a corner headed away by Davis with the Icelandic international returning the ball with an oiverhead kick which was heading for the bottom corner but for Jose Fonte's clearance.

Butterfield then almost put the ball in his own net with just three minutes to go while trying to clear David Bell's cross.

And City ended the game by far the stronger side with consecutive corners in injury time which caused nervousness among the Palace backline who remained resolute enough to see the game out with a point.

Attendance: 18,499 (1,051 away)

Teams

Coventry City: Westwood, Wright, Wood, Barnett, van Anholt, Gunnarsson, Cork, McIndoe, Bell, Best, Morrison (Madine 90)
Subs: Konstantopoulos (GK), McPake, Eastwood, Cranie, Cain, Grandison

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Hill, Derry, Fonte, Ambrose, Danns (N'Diaye 89), Sears (John 69), Lee (Andrew 69), Butterfield, Ertl, Davis
Subs: Clyne, McCarthy, Carle, Moses