COVENTRY City surrendered their pre-season undefeated run with a 1-0 defeat away to Dunfermline Athletic.

Andy Kirk netted a 39th minute winner for the Pars which proved enough to see off a makeshift Sky Blues side.

Kirk applied a calm finish after latching onto Greg Ross' pass, sliding a first-touch shot past City 'keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos.

The Sky Blues, suffering injuries to Elliott Ward and Marcus Hall and the withdrawal of Ben Turner and David Bell through illness, deployed James McPake and captain Stephen Wright in the heart of defence, flanked by Jordan Clarke and Jermaine Grandison.

And new signing Sammy Clingan made his first appearance for the club since his move from League One outfit Norwich City alongside Aron Gunnarsson with Michael Doyle out wide left.

It was Doyle who managed to fashion the first chance of the game though, completing a three-man move but firing wide of the far post.

Clingan was next to get involved with a pass tha sent Freddy Eastwood bounding into the box only to be stranded without a passing option.

But while the Sky Blues enjoyed much of the attacking play, the Pars very nearly took the lead in the 37th minute when David Graham beat Grandison and cut the ball back to Nick Phinn who did the hard work by dummying his marker only to see his effort strike the post.

Kirk made no mistake two minutes later though when he collected a through pass from Greg and, with his first touch, slid the ball past the oncoming Konstantopoulos to give the hosts a half-time lead.

Half-time substitute Leon Best, replacing Clinton Morrison got the Sky Blues off to a promising second-half start, rattling the crossbar with a header from Ashley Cain.

And he then tried a cheeky lob a minute later but saw it fall short.

Clingan managed to rack up his first effort in a City shirt 15 minutes from time, firing a shot over the bar before being replaced by young striker Shaun Jeffers.

And proceedings ended on a our note for the Sky Blues when defender McPake was carried off just before full time after being felled by a heavy challenge.

Team

Coventry City: Konstantopolous, Wright (c), Grandison (Osbourne 57), Clingan (Jeffers 75), Clarke (Walker 57), McPake, Cain, Doyle, Eastwood, Morrison (Best 45), Gunnarsson
Subs: Westwood (GK)

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