COVENTRY City take a 1 - 0 victory at Liberty Way in the second of City's pre-season friendlies.
Chris Coleman named a strong starting line-up to take on Nuneaton Town with Clinton Morrison and Leon Best partnering up front and Keiren Westwood featuring in goal. A start was also handed to the young pacey winger Ashley Cain.
Nuneaton took the opportunity to look at three recently signed players, Simon Forsdick, Stuart Pierpoint and Chris Dillion, as well as handing a start to the imposing Spanish trialist Mikel Suarez.
City got off to a strong start, with plenty of possession in the final third. Michael Doyle was the first to pull the trigger after 10 minutes but his shot sailed over Darren Actons crossbar.
Best came close just four minutes later, after controlling a searching ball from Clinton Morrison. He turned and shot with his left but it was well saved by Town's Acton.
The breakthrough for City came in the 33rd minute when Ashley Cain found Marcus Hall on the left. Hall's cross was blocked - going out for a City corner. David Bell whipped the ball in from the left for Morrison to calmly head home.
Nuneaton Town tried to respond almost instantly but their attempts could only force comfortable saves from Keiren Westwood. Despite Nuneaton becoming more involved in the match - they couldn't break City down and so the home side went in a goal down at the break.
The second half saw a number of changes for both sides - and a change in tempo to the match.
Former Sky Blues Academy 'keeper Neil Collett made an appearence for The 'Boro and Justin Marsden and Fabian Brown came on for Paul Spacey and David Blenkinsopp.
City's line up was completely overhauled with six changes. Dimi Konstantopolous, Stephen Wright, Jermaine Grandison, Isaac Osbourne, Aron Gunnarsson and Freddy Eastwood all started the second half for the Sky Blues.
Nuneaton were having more possession than in the first 45 but neither team looked likely to score. The 'Boro came close in the 52nd minute when Chris Dillon found himself one-on-one with Konstantopolous but Dillon went for goal despite his team mates call from the middle of the area.
Nuneaton made a number of second half substitutions bringing trialist Suarez off for Robert Foster, quickly followed by the departure of Kyle Storer, replaced by Ed Matthews after a coming together with Aron Gunnarsson.
Town's new signing Forsdick soon followed with Scott Marshall making an appearance in the final 20 minutes.
74 minutes in, City striker Best made way for Sean Jeffers - a product of the Sky Blues Academy. Yet despite the changes the game remained very evenly matched with both sides battling with very little reward.
Nuneaton were gifted the best opportunity to add to the scoreline when a high challenge from Stephen Wright gave The 'Boro a free kick on the edge of the area. Dillon stepped up again but the anticipation was met with disapointment as the ball drifted wide.
A determined Aron Gunnarsson seemed to take matters into his own hands in the 86th minute, making a surging run through the middle of the field only for the move to be thwarted by Nuneatons defence.
Minutes later and it was Gunnarsson again whose quick reactions in front of goal could have doubled City's lead but the ball rose over Colletts head and the bar.
The game almost fizzled out but in the dying moments a Nuneaton free kick, taken by captain Mark Noon, had to be dealt with by Konstantopolous who punched clear before collected the resulting effort.
City came away from Liberty Way with a win but Coleman will be pleased with another test of fitness for his squad as preparations continue ahead of the Championship campaign.
TEAMS
Nuneaton Town: Acton, Oddy, Forsdick, Noon, Pierpoint, Armson, Spacey, Storer, Dillon, Suarez, Blenkinsopp (Subs) Moore, Matthews, Marsden, Foster, Murphy, Nisevic, Goodhall, Brown, Marshall
Coventry City: Westwood, Clarke, Turner, Ward, Hall,Bell, Walker, Doyle, Cain, Best, Morrison (Subs) Konstantopolous, Grandison, Wright, Osbourne, Eastwood, Gunnarsson, Jeffers.
Att: 1754
