A deflected Jamie Scowcroft strike and a Joleon Lescott own goal gave Coventry a 2-0 victory over Wolves at the Ricoh Arena.

The Sky Blues were first on the offensive as Gary McSheffrey fired over within seconds of the kick-off but City soon found themselves under pressure as Kenny Miller weaved past Ady Williams in the penalty area only to be denied at close range by a well-timed Richard Duffy tackle.

But in the eighth minute Coventry took the lead after Wolves failed to clear a Gary McSheffrey corner from the right.

As chaos reigned in the visitors' box Scowcroft fed Dele Adebola, whose effort rebounded off the legs of Stefan Postma before Scowcroft himself fired a shot - deflected at least once - which went in off Rob Edwards who was stationed on the line.

Wolves went close to an equaliser in the 20th minute but Colin Cameron could only hook his effort.

Ten minutes before half-time another McSheffrey corner picked out Marcus Hall who headed back into the danger area and Lescott sliced his attempted clearance past his own goalkeeper.

Mark Kennedy had the ball in the City net before the break only for the goal was disallowed for offside and Miller forced a diving save from Marton Fulop.

At the start of the second half Wolves defender Gabor Gyepes raced forward only to lash his left-foot shot wide.

Tom Huddlestone, the on-loan Tottenham midfielder, was next to go close for the visitors, although his curling effort from the left channel drifted a whisker wide of Fulop's woodwork.

As had been the case for much of the first half, Wanderers were dominating possession but proving unable to make any headway against a Sky Blues rearguard which was well marshalled by 37-year-old Richard Shaw.

However, Coventry went close to adding a third just short of the hour when McSheffrey out-manoeuvred Lescott and then threatened Postma with a drive which was only marginally too high.

In the 61st minute Wolves boss Glenn Hoddle made a tactical switch as he abandoned the wing-back formation in favour of 4-4-2 with South Korean winger Ki-Hyeon Seol replacing central defender Jody Craddock.

Moments later and Miller burst into the box only to be dispossessed by a robust Williams challenge before Leon Clarke ended another spell of extended Wolves pressure by lifting Darren Anderton's left-wing cross over the crossbar.

Hoddle then opted to give Hungarian Denes Rosa his debut as replacement for Anderton, the midfielder having signed from Ferencvaros during December.

Fulop saved spectacularly from Gyepes in the 70th minute but despite the best efforts of the visitors, particularly the industrious Miller, the City goalkeeper was barely troubled again until saving from Kennedy in the 90th minute.

Teams

Coventry Fulop, Duffy, Williams, Shaw, Hall, Scowcroft, Osbourne, Doyle (Jorgensen 90), McSheffrey (Whing 75), Adebola, John (Morrell 90).

Subs Not Used: Ince, Heath.

Goals: Scowcroft 8, Lescott 35 og.

Wolverhampton Postma, Lescott, Craddock (Seol 61), Gyepes, Edwards, Anderton (Rosa 67), Huddlestone, Cameron (Ganea 77), Kennedy, Miller, Clarke.

Subs Not Used: Oakes, Ince.

Booked: Cameron, Huddlestone, Miller, Gyepes.

Att: 26,851

Ref: E Ilderton (Tyne & Wear).