The new Pontin's Holiday League season began in defeat for the Sky Blues as Stoke City triumphed at the Britannia Stadium.

Steve Ogrizovic's men turned in a spirited performance, but goals in each half from Marc Grocott and former City midfielder John Eustace sealed the win for the Potters.

Full-back David McNamee's return from injury lasted just 15 minutes as the Scottish international pulled up lame and was substituted after what looked like a re-occurence of a troublesome calf problem.

However, better news for watching first-team boss Iain Dowie will be that new signing Ellery Cairo and defender Ben Turner came through ninety minutes unscathed after returning from injury.

The Sky Blues could have found themselves on the back-foot as early as the fourth minute, but goalkeeper Danny Ireland - fresh from signing a one-year professional contract at the club, pulled off an instinctive save to deny Andy Wilkinson from 10-yards.

The Australian custodian was then on hand to deny winger Jimmy Phillips before City's first real effort at goal saw Chris Birchall drag a shot wide after latching onto a through-ball from Lee Hildreth.

But the opening goal arrived on the half hour mark when Wilkinson's long throw found its way through to Grocott, who sent a powerful effort into the top-corner to leave Ireland helpless.

Simpson almost drew City level moments later when he forced Stoke 'keeper Russell Hoult to turn a 25-yard shot around for a corner, while Hoult also denied Birchall two minutes after the break with a brave block.

However, City paid the price for not taking their chances in the 53rd minute when Jon Parkin dispossesed substitute Liam Robinson and squared for Eustace to tap home from close-range.

Chances were few and far between at both ends after that, although defender Turner headed over from a Cairo corner.

Parkin almost added a third goal late on when he fired Jimmy Phillips' cut-back at goal, but Ireland reacted instinctively to beat the ball away from danger.

MATCH STATS

Stoke City 2 (Marc Grocott 29, John Eustace 53)

Coventry City 0

Stoke: Hoult, Wilkinson (Smith 64), Broomes, Hill, Bulut, Phillips, Shotton, Eustace (c), Sweeney, Brunt (Grocott, 24), Parkin. Subs: Wedderburn, Parsons, St Louis-Hamilton.

Coventry: Ireland, McNamee (Robinson, 15), Turner, Burgess, Francis, Cairo, Burtoft (Fitzharris 46), Hildreth, Davis, Birchall, Simpson. Subs: Collet, Ashraf, Wynter.

Bookings: None