Gary McSheffrey scored the only goal of the game as 1987 winners Coventry advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup at the expense of Coca-Cola Championship rivals Brighton.

Coventry-born McSheffrey, just five years old the last time the Sky Blues lifted the famous trophy, settled a scrappy contest with an angled drive from close-range in the 50th minute.

Coventry started brightly and Stern John flashed a first-minute warning shot across Brighton's bow.

The Trinidad & Tobago-born striker, who spent two-months on loan at Championship rivals Derby earlier this season, unleashed a right-footed shot that whistled narrowly wide of Florent Chaigneau's post.

James Scowcroft would have been disappointed not to make Chaigneau work with his seventh-minute header as the former Ipswich and Leicester forward glanced Michael Doyle's cross wide of the target.

Coventry boss Micky Adams was dealt a major blow ahead of the game with the news that influential playmaker Isaac Osbourne will miss the rest of the season after suffering a lateral collateral ligament rupture against Wolves on Monday.

But his Sky Blues side had no problem creating chances in the early stages and leading goalscorer McSheffrey was next to threaten the Seagulls' goal.

McSheffrey was denied his 10th goal of the season for his home-town club when Chaigneau smothered his low drive from just inside the area.

Mark McGhee's side looked like they might struggle to worry Clayton Ince in the visitors' goal following the £125,000 sale of Leon Knight to League One high-flyers Swansea earlier this week, but French midfielder Alexandre Frutos went closest to opening the scoring.

His fierce left-footed drive was tipped round the post by Ince in the 20th minute following the Seagulls' first real assault on Coventry's goal.

Colin Kazim-Richards and Dean Hammond almost marked their returns from one-match bans by getting on the scoresheet, but both lacked accuracy in their shooting either side of the half-hour mark.

Chaigneau, on-loan from French side Rennes, kept John at bay by blocking the Sky Blues' striker's volley with his legs, before Ince denied Frutos once more in similar fashion on the stroke of half-time.

Frutos began the second half as he ended the first, by testing Ince, while Kerry Mayo and Sebastien Carole stung the palms of the Coventry goalkeeper from range inside the opening four minutes of the restart.

But Micky Adams' men made the home side pay for their lack of potency in front of goal when McSheffrey slotted home from inside the six-yard box to reach double figures for the season.

Long-range drives from Kazim-Richards threatened as Brighton went in search of a quick response.

Hammond spurned two opportunities to equalise before Paul McShane headed Richard Carpenter's corner past the near post in the 70th minute as McGhee's men laid siege to Coventry's goal.

Carole and defensive duo Kerry Mayo and Adam El-Abd tried their luck from range as Brighton desperately searched for an equaliser, but Coventry held on to claim a place in round four.

Teams:

Brighton Chaigneau, El-Abd (Reid 87), McShane, Butters, Mayo, Carole, Hammond, Carpenter, Frutos, Hart (Robinson 57), Kazim-Richards (McCammon 65).

Subs Not Used: Kuipers, Gary Elphick.

Booked: Kazim-Richards.

Coventry Ince, Duffy, Williams, Shaw, Hall, Scowcroft, Doyle, Hughes (Jorgensen 90), McSheffrey (Morrell 79), John (Whing 73), Adebola.

Subs Not Used: Heath, Tuffey.

Booked: Duffy, Hughes, Adebola.

Goals: McSheffrey 50.

Att: 6,734

Ref: L Probert (Gloucestershire).