The Sky Blues played out a closely contested 0-0 with Huddersfield Town at St. Andrew's to make it eight league games unbeaten.
City thought they had snatched all three points with ten minutes remaining as Max Biamou slid in for Fankaty Dabo’s low cross, only for the away side to somehow clear the ball off the line.
Mark Robins made two changes from the side that won away at Wycombe last weekend, as both Gus Hamer and Jamie Allen slotted into midfield, replacing injured skipper Liam Kelly and Jordan Shipley.
In the two sides’ first league meeting since 1972, the game got off to a slow start under the floodlights at St. Andrew’s. A match initially devoid of chances, it was Huddersfield who had the first real opportunity to open the scoring. Seizing on a loose pass across the Sky Blues defence, Isaac Mbenza’s measured side-foot finish was denied by an impressive save to Ben Wilson’s left.
However, the away side almost paid the price for not finding the net. City launched an immediate counterattack, with Gus Hamer playing a give and go with Jamie Allen, as the Sky Blues steamed towards goal. Allen squared the ball to Hamer across the penalty area, but his first-time strike whistled narrowly over Ryan Schofield’s crossbar.
With the game having sparked into life, it was Huddersfield’s turn to again go close on 19 minutes. Having given the ball away in a defensive area, it was Mbenza again who was presented with a gilt-edged chance. Running beyond City’s backline, the forward rounded Ben Wilson to go through on goal. However, he conspired to somehow find the side-netting from a wide angle, much to the Sky Blues’ relief.
Hamer, once more threatened to break the deadlock as the game approached the interval. Following a one-two with Callum O’Hare, the midfielder unleashed a trademark long-range effort which was collected by Schofield in goal.
Jamie Allen had a similar chance from distance, looking to catch out the inexperienced ‘keeper. Fizzing the ball towards goal from 25 yards, his shot bounced just in front of Schofield, making it potentially hazardous for the 21-year-old.
Though it was Huddersfield who enjoyed the most clear-cut chances of the first-half, City were a persistent threat from wide areas. Sam McCallum rounded his marker, Pipa, time and again, delivering teasing crosses which just evaded Tyler Walker, giving cause for optimism ahead of the second-half.
HALF-TIME: SKY BLUES 0-0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
It was a similarly slow start after the break, with neither side fashioning any obvious chances. Breaking from midfield, it was the typically dynamic Hamer who looked to push the Sky Blues forward. Earning numerous free-kicks, Hamer attempted a replica of his 25-yard header against Watford, as one of his set piece deliveries were returned to him but Schofield produced the save.
Huddersfield dominated the ball in the opening stages of the second-half without troubling Ben Wilson’s goal. The Terriers did produce testing crosses from wide areas, but Dom Hyam and his centre-back partners were equal to the challenge, providing the necessary blocks and clearances as Huddersfield went on the attack, just after the hour mark.
Replacing the injured Juninho Bacuna on 74 minutes, Alex Pritchard almost made an instant impact for the visitors. Following his introduction, the attacking midfielder floated in dangerous free-kicks and almost got on the end of a low cross from the right, before having his deflected snapshot from outside the box saved smartly by Wilson.
City were left to wonder just how the scores had stayed level on 82 minutes, as the ball rolled across Huddersfield’s goal-line. Capitalising on a momentary lapse from Harry Toffolo, Fankaty Dabo stole the ball on the byline, playing a low cross towards Max Biamou, just yards from goal. Agonisingly close, the striker slid in but couldn’t properly connect with the ball, allowing Huddersfield to scramble the ball off the line.
FULL-TIME: SKY BLUES 0-0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
Yellows: Pipa, Gus Hamer
Sky Blues XI: Ben Wilson (GK), Fankaty Dabo (Dacosta, 89’), Leo Ostigard, Kyle McFadzean, Dom Hyam, Sam McCallum, Gus Hamer, Ben Sheaf, Jamie Allen, Callum O’Hare (Giles, 89’), Tyler Walker (Biamou, 62’)
Unused Subs: Lee Camp (GK), Josh Pask, Jordan Shipley, Gervane Kastaneer, Will Bapaga, Amadou Bakayoko
Huddersfield Town XI: Ryan Schofield (GK), Harry Toffolo, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Naby Sarr, Pipa, Jonathan Hogg (C), Lewis O’Brien, Carel Eiting, Juninho Bacuna (Pritchard, 74’), Isaac Mbenza (Diakhaby, 86’), Fraizer Campbell
Unused Subs: Joel Pereira (GK), Jaden Brown, Demeaco Duhaney, Romoney Crichlow, Aaron Rowe, Ben Jackson, Alex Vallejo