The Sky Blues were beaten right at the death by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Wednesday night.
City were dominant in the second half and deservedly equalised through Callum O’Hare’s header after Scott McKenna had put Forest ahead on the half hour mark.
However, Lyle Taylor scored from the penalty spot with the last kick of the game to snatch the points for Forest after Kyle McFadzean brought down the striker.
Mark Robins made three changes to the side that beat Reading last time out with Sam McCallum, McFadzean and O’Hare returning to the team in place of Fankaty Dabo, Dom Hyam and Jordan Shipley.
The hosts created the first chance of the game when Anthony Knockaert found some space before testing Marko Marosi with a powerful effort from distance that the City keeper was equal to.
From the resulting corner Tobias Figueiredo nodded a header wide of the post from close range.
City slowly built their way into the game and had their first meaningful effort when Gus Hamer sliced an effort over the bar after the ball fell kindly to him on the edge of the penalty area.
Forest took the lead on the half hour mark when City failed to clear Knockaert’s free-kick from the right with the ball ricocheting into the path of McKenna who finished past Marosi from close range.
The Sky Blues responded when O’Hare dribbled his way towards goal, running from just inside the Forest half, before forcing Brice Samba into a save low down to his right.
HALF-TIME: NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1-0 SKY BLUES
City made a blistering start to the second half and came within the width of the post of scoring an equaliser when a superb team move ended with Hamer slipping Max Biamou through on goal only for the striker’s effort to come back off the inside of the post.
Hamer’s resulting corner from the left was well met by the leaping Ostigard who guided his header just wide of the left-hand post.
The pressure eventually told when McCallum delivered a wicked early cross from the right that was carefully steered into the net by the head of O’Hare as the midfielder burst into the penalty area.
Chris Hughton’s side continued to look dangerous from set-pieces when Knockaert delivered a dangerous ball into the are from the left that was flicked goalwards by the head of Taylor and well-saved by Marosi.
However, City came straight back at their opponents with O’Hare again causing the hosts problem when he worked some space on the edge of the area before firing a low effort wide of the post.
City then tried a repeat of the goal that brought them level when McCallum crossed for substitute Tyler Walker who flicked a header wide of the left-hand post.
The Sky Blues searched for a second goal and almost found it after a good move saw Ryan Giles find Hamer who set the ball back for Ben Sheaf who saw his effort held by Samba.
City came even closer to taking the lead when Hamer produced a magnificent cross from the right that found the head of Biamou who could only head straight at Samba from six yards out.
Biamou had another chance minutes later when he controlled a dropping ball on his chest before volleying wide of the target.
The Sky Blues were then denied by an excellent save from Samba after some great close control from O’Hare saw him skip past some Forest defenders inside the penalty area before being thwarted by the Forest goalkeeper from close range.
Substitute Walker then managed to get in behind the Forest defence and appeared to be taken out by goalkeeper Samba in a race to the ball, but no foul was given by referee Geoff Eltringham.
Forest tried to snatch a late winner when City failed to clear a corner from the left which led to a scramble inside the penalty area with Ryan Yates scooping an effort wide.
A long ball up field then caused problems for the hosts and fell to Ostigard at the back post whose diving header was once again kept out by the diving Samba.
McFadzean brought down Taylor inside the penalty area in the final minute of added time which the striker converted to steal the points for Forest right at the death.
FULL-TIME: NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2-1 SKY BLUES
Goals: McKenna (30’), O’Hare (57’), Taylor (90’+7 pen)
Yellows: Sow (18’), Ostigard (85’), McFadzean (90’+6)
Nottingham Forest XI: Brice Samba (GK), Cyrus Christie, Tobias Figueiredo, Scott McKenna, Yuri Ribeiro, Samba Sow (Yates 67’), Jack Colback (C), Joe Lolley, Anthony Knockaert (Guerrero 79’), Luke Freeman (Ameobi 67’), Lyle Taylor
Unused Subs: Jordan Smith (GK), Loic Mbe Soh, Carl Jenkinson, Harry Arter
Sky Blues XI: Marko Marosi (GK), Sam McCallum, Michael Rose, Kyle McFadzean, Leo Ostigard, Ryan Giles (Dacosta 90’+2), Gustavo Hamer, Ben Sheaf, Callum O’Hare, Max Biamou, Matty Godden (C) (Walker 56‘)
Unused Subs: Ben Wilson (GK), Jordon Thompson, Liam Kelly, Jamie Allen, Will Bapaga