The Sky Blues saw their eight-game unbeaten run at home come to an end after being edged out by Nottingham Forest at St Andrew’s on Tuesday night.
Max Biamou fired City ahead with a low curling effort into the bottom corner only for Lewis Grabban to equalise within minutes.
Substitute Michael Rose put through his own net early in the second-half and despite City’s efforts to find a leveller they couldn’t find a way past Brice Samba in the Forest goal.
Mark Robins was forced to make one change from the side that drew with Birmingham City at the weekend with Marko Marosi returning in goal in place of Ben Wilson.
The Sky Blues started on the front foot when Callum O’Hare showed good strength to hold off his marker before teeing up Gus Hamer whose effort was well held by Forest keeper Samba.
City took the lead on 17 minutes when O’Hare drove at the Forest defence before finding Biamou on the left-hand edge of the penalty area with the striker cutting inside of his man before curling a superb effort into the bottom right corner.
The visitors equalised just four minutes later when Sammy Ameobi cut the ball back for Grabban to finish from 10-yards out.
Chris Hughton’s side came close to taking the lead when Grabban headed just over the crossbar from Anthony Knockaert’s corner from the right.
Forest came forward again just past the half hour mark when Knockaert cut inside of his man and fired an effort into the side netting from 15-yards out.
HALF-TIME: SKY BLUES 1-1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST
City made a double change at half-time with defenders Julien Dacosta and Rose coming on in place of Josh Pask and Ben Sheaf as the Sky Blues changed shape for the second period.
The Sky Blues looked to get back in front when Dacosta made good ground down the right before playing a ball inside to Hamer who saw his effort well-saved by Samba low down to his right from 20-yards out.
Forest completed the turnaround on 53 minutes when Rose turned Cyrus Christie’s dangerous cross from the right into his own net from close range.
City almost found a quickfire response when Hamer’s corner from the right was met by the head of Leo Ostigard and cleared off the line by Grabban.
The pressure continued from the Sky Blues when O’Hare broke away down the right before crossing for Matty James whose attempted flick was held by Samba.
The Sky Blues found more joy down the right-hand side when Dacosta’s venomous cross was turned past the post by Biamou from close range.
Dacosta continued to cause the visitors problems down the right when his cross was cleared to the edge of the penalty area and fired over the crossbar by Hamer.
There was a late injury to substitute Amadou Bakayoko who was carried off on a stretcher after receiving several minutes of treatment having taken a heavy blow to the head.
FULL-TIME: SKY BLUES 1-2 NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Goals: Biamou (17’), Grabban (22’), Rose (og 53’)
Yellows: O’Hare (53’), Knockaert (54’), Krovinovic (74’), Figueiredo (90’+2), Bong (90'+13)
Sky Blues XI: Marko Marosi (GK), Josh Pask (Dacosta 46’), Leo Ostigard, Dom Hyam (C), Sam McCallum, Ben Sheaf (Rose 46’), Matty James, Gustavo Hamer, Callum O’Hare, Viktor Gyokeres (Bakayoko 71’, Jobello 90’+10), Max Biamou
Unused Subs: Tom Billson (GK), Jordan Shipley, Jamie Allen, Josh Eccles, Will Bapaga
Nottingham Forest XI: Brice Samba (GK), Cyrus Christie, Tobias Figueiredo, Joe Worrall, Gaetan Bong, James Garner, Cafu (Colback 71’), Anthony Knockaert, Filip Krovinovic (Blackett 84’), Sammy Ameobi (Freeman 46’), Lewis Grabban (C) (Murray 76’)
Unused Subs: Jordan Smith (GK), Carl Jenkinson, Loic Mbe Soh, Joe Lolley, Lyle Taylor