Young Sky Blues unlukcy to be trailing after encouraging first display against the Gas at the Memorial Stadium
Coventry City head into the break a goal down to Bristol Rovers in their penultimate friendly of pre-season after Andy Monkhouse's opener four minutes before half time.
Sky Blues boss Steven Pressley took a relatively young side to the Memorial Stadium but what his starting line-up lacked in age they made up for in endeavour as they matched the Gas and created more of the chances in the first half.
The tie started in calm fashion and it was not until the 18th minute that a shot was registered on target when Adam Barton's free kick effort from 25 yards went straight into the hands of Steve Mildenhall.
The Rovers 'keeper was required again two minutes later when George Thomas intercepted a pass deep in the opposition half although his tame shot from the edge of the area went straight to the 'keeper.
City had a scare on 24 minutes though when a lofted cross from Ollie Clarke picked out Stuart Sinclair who generated some power with his head and fiorced Ryan Allsop to palm the ball onto his post.
It was the Sky Blues though who were enjoying the majority of the creative play, highlighted when a great piece of interplay between Danny Swanson and James Maddison allowed the former to fire just wide.
Billy Daniels went close after 30 minutes though when he bombed down the right to receive a ball on the overlap from Swanson, his shot saved by Mildenhall which nearly looped into the net only to be headed off the line by Mark McChrystal.
Rovers' Matt Taylor did look disappointed with himself three minutes after the half hour when he got down the left and drew Allsop off his line but could not steer home from a tight angle.
James Maddison responded at the the other end with an effort from the edge of the area which skimmed the foot of the post but it was Daniels again who went inches away from an opener when he burst through the midfield and fired from 20 yards, his effort rattling the crossbar.
It was the hosts that broke the deadlock though after 41 minutes through Monkhouse whose shot was parried by Allsop only for him to be quick on the follow up to stab home.
Teams
Coventry City: Allsop, Phillips, Haynes, Trialist, Finch, Lawton, Daniels, Barton, Swanson, G Thomas, Maddison
Subs: Richards (GK), De Kelly-Evans, Stevenson, Shipley
Bristol Rovers: Mildenhall, Leadbitter, Brown, Lockyer, McChrystal, Parkes, Sinclair, Clarke, Brunt, Taylor, Monkhouse
Subs: Preston (GK), Mansell, Gosling, White, Harrison, Mitchell