Sam Ricketts scored a crucial late equaliser to help Coventry City come from behind to earn a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Southend United.
Reda Johnson opened the scoring before goals from Noel Hunt and David Mooney before the break turned the tide. Jim O'Brien missed a second-half penalty but skipper Ricketts nodded in with just over 15 minutes to play to maintain City's unbeaten home record so far this season.
The Sky Blues started brightly and had a penalty appeal turned down in the first ten minutes when Ruben Lameiras slotted in Jacob Murphy and the winger went over under a challenge but the referee was unmoved.
Johnson then almost headed the Sky Blues into the lead, as he met Lameiras' corner from six-yards but planted a firm header inches wide of the right post.
But the Benin international had his goal just after the half hour mark, when Lameiras whipped in a corner, which fell to Armstrong and his header was cleared off the line. After a melee in the box, Johnson slammed the ball in a pile of bodies into the corner from six-yards.
The game turned on it's head almost instantly though when the Shrimpers had the equaliser, they worked a short corner and Ben Coker whipped it in and Hunt nodded in at the far post.
They then had a penalty when Aaron Phillips dived into a tackle and the referee instantly pointed to the spot. Mooney smashed an effort which Lee Burge got a hand to it but the power of the shot took it in for the visitors' second.
At the half-time break, Marcus Tudgay came on for Lameiras and City had a penalty just six minutes into the half. Ricketts got a great ball from O'Brien after a corner and he was brought down by Coker. O'Brien stepped up and went for the bottom right corner but his kick was well saved by Daniel Bentley.
But the Sky Blues broke through and equalised thanks to another set play with just over 15 minutes to play, when O'Brien's corner from the left was glanced in by Ricketts from five-yards with just under 15 minutes to play.
That lifted the mood in the Ricoh Arena and Murphy then went inches away from a winner, as he hit a swerving curling left-footed drive from 25-yards which Bentley did extremely well to tip over his bar.
City were well on top and Bentley was the hero with the last action of the game, as Tudgay hit a left-footed shot in the area but the keeper did sensationally to get to the bottom left hand corner.
But it wasn't to be for City who face Burton Albion at the weekend away from home.
Teams
Coventry City: Burge (GK), Phillips, Ricketts (C), Johnson, Stokes, Vincelot, Fleck, O'Brien, Lameiras (Tudgay 45), Armstrong, Murphy.
Subs: Charles-Cook (GK), Haynes, Martin, Morris, C. Thomas, G. Thomas.
Southend United: Bentley, White, Coker, Worrall (McLaughlin 75), Timlin, Mooney (Weston 63), Atkinson (Wordsworth 80), Hunt, Leonard, Rea, Barrett.
Subs: Prosser, Payne, Smith, Pigott.
Attendance: 12,967
Referee: D Handley
Yellow cards: Fleck, O'Brien, Mooney, White, Atkinson, Hunt.