COVENTRY City earned their first point in five meetings against Bristol City after Leon Best's first-half opener was cancelled out by Nicky Maynard's 47th minute thunderbolt.
Best made the most of a sublime cross from Marcus Hall to put the Sky Blues ahead but Robins top scorer Maynard hammered home a 30-yard half volley almost straight after the interval to bring the visitors level.
Former Bristol City man Michael McIndoe had the first half-chance of the game after six minutes, Clinton Morrison teeing him up just inside the Bristol City area but the Scotsman hooking his foot around the ball and dragging it wide of the far post.
The Sky Blues were almost caught out four minutes later though, Keiren Westwood having to deal with a short pass back but managing to dribble past Robins' strike duo Nicky Maynard and Alvaro Saborio before clearing his lines.
Morrison very nearly got on the scoresheet a minute later, Isaac Osbourne chancing a shot from just outside the area which Dean Gerken saved but spilled, Morrison jumping in to snatch the rebound but Gerken recovering just in time to smother the ball.
The Sky Blues were ahead on 17 minutes though, an inch-perfect cross from Hall on the left flank finding Best on the edge of the six-yard box to steer a low header past Gerken and inside his far post.
Gerken was called upon again on 20 minutes, a McIndoe free-kick finding Ben Turner at the far post to glance a header at goal, forcing the Bristol City 'keeper to claw the ball around his post.
For this short period it appeared to be relentless for Gerken who was required yet again on 24 minutes, another brilliant cross from Hall again finding Best who directed a header downwards that Gerken parried into the path of Morrison who tapped into the net but was then ruled offside.
At the other end Westwood was called upon on the half-hour mark, a miskick from Stephen Wright finding its way to Nicky Maynard who tapped into the path of Saborio who could only fire straight at the onrushing Westwood who made a fantastic close range save.
It was a bad start to the second half for the Sky Blues though as the visitors levelled the game with the second period just two minutes old.
A long ball to Saborio was chested into the path of Maynard who fired a rocket half-volley from 30 yards into the net off the underside of the crossbar, giving Westwood no chance.
Westwood did well on the hour to deny Cole Skuse's looping header that was bound to drop into the top corner until the Coventry shotstopper picked it from inbetween the posts and out for a corner.
Robins substitute Bradley Orr then directed a close range header straight into the chest of Westwood with 20 minutes to go.
Best fired a 25-yard free-kick wide of the post with six minutes to go but he came within a whisker of snatching the winner four minutes later.
Coventry substitute Aron Gunnarsson floated a ball over the top for Best at the back post which the striker headed down at the inside of the near post, Gerken getting down low to palm it onto his woodwork and behind for a corner.
Three minutes of injury time then saw a disjointed end to the game with a number of minor free-kicks to see out the game and the Sky Blues' first point against Bristol City in five meetings between the two sides.
Attendance: 16,449 (2,022 away)
Teams
Coventry City: Westwood, Wright, Hall, Cranie, Turner, Osbourne (Eastwood 76), Clingan, Cork (Gunnarsson 76), McIndoe, Best, Morrison
Subs: Konstantopoulos (GK), Ward, Grandison, Clarke, Jeffers
Bristol City: Gerken, McAllister, Fontaine, McCombe, Carey, Elliott, Maynard, Hartley (Johnson 72), Skuse (Sno 72), Wilson (Orr 64), Saborio
Subs: Williams, Sproule, Nyatanga
