COVENTRY City picked up a point at the Ricoh Arena after Freddy Eastwood's opener was cancelled out from the spot by Preston's Callum Davidson.

The Sky Blues striker finished off a fine counter-attacking move from the Sky Blues to sweep the opening goal past Andy Lonergan after 17 minutes.

But Lilywhites skipper Callum Davidson levelled for his side just after the half hour, slotting a penalty past Keiren Westwood.

Martin Cranie had to be at full stretch to poke Ross Wallace's low cross behind for a corner and away from the feet of Paul Coutts after two minutes.

But the Sky Blues broke away on the counter attack after the delivery, Eastwood playing a crossfield ball for Michael McIndoe who turned Billy Jones before forcing Andy Lonergan to palm his shot wide.

Keith Treacy went close for the hosts after 15 minutes when he turned Martin Cranie in the City area only for Keiren Westwood to make a solid low save.

And City were a goal up on their very next attack when David Bell broke down the right and cut a low cross back which reached McIndoe on the opposite flank, the Scot waiting for Eastwood to come onside before tapping it to the striker who curled a low shot around Lonergan from a tight angle.

Westwood had to be alert on 22 minutes when a quickly taken free kick on the right from Treacy almost found Jon Parkin sneaking in at the near post, the City 'keeper getting their first to touch the ball behind.

Preston put in another dangerous delivery five minutes later when Danny Mayor nutmegged Martin Cranie and whipped a ball into the box, Richard Wood poking it behind.

The away side carved another chance to level the scores two minutes after the half hour when Parkin skipped past McIndoe and Wood, the latter bringing him down with a trailing leg and conceding a spot kick.

This time the Lilywhites made the most of the opportunity as captain Callum Davidson stepped up to slot the spot kick underneath Westwood's body for the equaliser.

Morrison then forced a low save out of Lonergan with seven minutes of the first half to go, chesting a chip from Stephen Wright before turning a firing a volley at goal which the Preston 'keeper was equal to, a chance which turned out to be the last of the opening 45 minutes.

Davidson came close to a second for the hosts two minutes after the break, his ambitious effort from 30 yards whistling past Westwood's post.

Parkin then nodded just over the bar on 52 minutes off Coutts' cross from the right.

The Preston striker went close again with ten minutes to go when he did well to chest down a deep cross from Wallace before firing a half volley Westwood did well to stop with his legs.

But it was to no avail for either side who mainly limited each other to skirmishes in the middle of the park with an occasional, but fruitless, visit into each others box to see the game out.

Attendance: 15,822 (829 away)

Teams

Coventry City: Westwood, Wright (c), Clingan, Bell, Eastwood (Jeffers 90), Morrison, Cranie, Gunnarsson, McIndoe (Baker 74), Barnett, Wood
Subs: Konstantopoulos (GK), Hall, Hussey, Clarke, Wilson

Preston: Lonergan, Davidson, St Ledger, Chilvers, Coutts, Treacy (Williams 87), Jones, James, Wallace, Parkin, Mayor
Subs: Henderson (GK), Hart, Brown, Mellor, Miller, Wright