COVENTRY City shared the friendly spoils with opponents West Bromwich Albion at the Ricoh Arena after a 1-1 draw which saw Gary McSheffrey net an opener on his homecoming to the Ricoh.

The winger gave the Sky Blues the lead after 14 minutes but the visitors' levelled the game through substitute Ishmael Miller on 73 minutes, the only goal the Sky Blues have conceded in more than ten hours of pre-season football.

The Sky Blues definitely enjoyed the better of the first half and could have had more goals going into the break as Eastwood and Lukas Jutkiewicz also went close.

City skipper Lee Carsley though was the first to register an effort at goal, his 20-yard shot curling away from Carson's goal.

Eastwood could have got the opener on 12 minutes though when David Bell, introduced in place of Aron Gunnarsson, got to the byline and floated in a cross for Eastwood who could not generate enough power on his header to guide the ball past Carson.

West Brom went close a minute later though when left winger Jerome Thomas delivered a fizzing cross into the box with the outside of his boot for striker Roman Bednar whose header went over Keiren Westwood's bar.

City were ahead a minute later though when McSheffrey, on his Ricoh homecoming debut ran onto a flick through from Eastwood which deceived the Baggies back line, McSheffrey keeping his head to slot past Carson.

Jutkiewicz was just a foot away from adding a second on 22 minutes when his effort from just outside the area whistled over the bar.

The striker went even closer two minutes before the half hour when McSheffrey broke down the left and cut inside before chipping a cross to Jutkiewicz who hit the side netting from eight yards with a first time effort on the volley.

Thomas could then only drag a shot wide with seven minutes of the half remaining when he tried to twist and turn Bell but got no joy, having then to shoot from 25 yards and pulling his effort wide.

West Brom second half substitute Ishmael Miller could have netted an equaliser for the Baggies eight minutes after the restart when he connected with a ball over the top but had his half volley effort blocked by James McPake.

City 'keeper Westwood was only really tested for the first time though a minute before the hour when Chris Brunt's low free kick curled around the wall, forced Westwood to go to ground to stop it.

Westwood was needed again after 63 minutes when a deceiving cross from Zuiverloon bounced infront of him, forcing him to dive and push it away from his six-yard area.

Westwood went to ground again three minutes later when Bednar managed to fire a first time effort from a loose ball in the City area, Westwood getting down quick enough to stop the shot which was heading for his far corner.

The Baggies were level on 63 minutes though when Miller became the first person to find a way past the Sky Blues throughout the whole of their pre-season preparations.

Zuiverloon floated a ball into the box which found Miller unmarked to direct a close range header past Westwood.

With the remaining first half hour of the game disrupted by substitutions there were not many more goalmouth incidents of note although substitute Gabriel Tamas tested Westwood's wrist with a powerful effort on the edge of the area and Jutkiewicz popped a header onto the roof of the Baggies net after good work and a cross from trialist Francis Laurent.

So the draw at the Ricoh Arena brings an end to the Sky Blues' pre-season friendly schedule.

We hope to see you all here for the big kick off against Portsmouth at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday, August 7.

Teams

Coventry City: Westwood, Keogh, Cranie, Wood, McPake (Cameron 78), Gunnarsson (Bell 11, Laurent 57), Carsley (c), Doyle, McSheffrey (Platt 45) Eastwood (Baker 70), Jutkiewicz (Clingan 83)
Subs: Thomas (GK), Quirke (GK), Turner, Grandison, Clarke, Jeffers

West Bromwich Albion: Carson (c) (Myhill 45), S Reid (Zuiverloon 63), Cech (Mattock 45), Mulumbu, Ibanez (Tamas 63), Olsson, Morrison (R Reid 83), Brunt, Bednar, Dorrans, Thomas (Miller 45)
Subs: Barnett, Meite