Youssef Chippo's 82nd-minute strike earned Coventry the points to move into the play-off zone when it seemed their local derby jinx was about to strike again.
Coventry had won only once in six midland derbies - at Walsall earlier this season - but they needed all their patience to complete the league double over the Saddlers.
David Thompson fired them in front after 21 minutes but Walsall needed only four minutes to level it through their skipper Dean Holdsworth.
Walsall defended in numbers and Coventry ran out of ideas at one stage but finally broke the deadlock with just nine minutes remaining.
Tim Flowers, signed on loan from Leicester, made his debut for Coventry and
had little to do as the City defence enjoyed a comfortable night.
However in the 12th minute Holdsworth shot through a crowded goal-mouth
following a corner kick, forcing the former England goalkeeper into a one handed
reflex save.
There was an element of good fortune about Coventry's opening goal.
Thompson chested down a centre from full-back Barry Quinn and struck a
right-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area. Walsall goalkeeper Jamie
Walker got his hand to the ball but could not stop it trickling into the net.
But four minutes later Walsall forced a corner and Holdsworth knocked in a
header at the near post from Pedro Matias' cross.
Coventry had strong penalty appeals turned down after 74 minutes when
substitute striker Gary McSheffrey, on the pitch in place of the injured Lee
Hughes, was sent sprawling by Martin O'Connor's challenge, but referee Alan Kaye
waved them aside.
It clearly was going to need something special to break the deadlock and it
arrived in the 82nd minute when Thompson laid the ball to his right for Chippo
to fire a scorcher into the net.
Teams:
Coventry: Flowers, Quinn, Konjic, Breen, Hall,
Delorge (McSheffrey 65), Safri, Healy, Thompson, Mills,
Hughes (Chippo 56).
Subs Not Used: Fowler, Montgomery, Betts.
Goals: Thompson 21, Chippo 82.
Walsall: Walker, Shields, Roper, Holdsworth, Aranalde, Corica, O'Connor, Biancalani, Matias (Garrocho 85), Leitao (Byfield 79), Marcelo.
Subs Not Used: Simpson, Harper, Gadsby.
Booked: O'Connor.
Goals: Holdsworth 25.
Att: 13,736
Ref: A Kaye (Wakefield).
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