Coventry came from behind to earn a share of the points after a bad-tempered encounter at the Ricoh Arena where Leicester's Patrick Kisnorbo was sent off.

Richard Stearman opened the scoring for the Foxes, only for Stern John to level before half-time with Kisnorbo later dismissed for a high and two-footed challenge on Sky Blues defender Andy Whing.

The rivalry between these neighbouring Midlands clubs had threatened to boil over in the early stages as former Foxes midfielder Dennis Wise - sacked by the Walkers Stadium club in 2002 - was involved with robust challenges involving Joey Gudjonsson and then Iain Hume.

But once referee Keith Hill had spoken to the Leicester pair, the visitors went on the attack and took the lead in spectacular style.

Hume crossed from the left and Richard Stearman, who had advanced from his right-back berth, hit a falling volley from 18 yards out to give the Foxes a ninth-minute lead.

Coventry were level two minutes later after Jamie Scowcroft - another former Leicester player now on Coventry's books - picked out John with a long-range pass which the Trinidad and Tobago international needed no second invitation to thump home.

On the quarter-hour, Wise was booked after clashing with Gudjonsson.

Cheers caught in Coventry throats in the 26th minute when a Wise free-kick was met by a glancing header from John, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Wise then chanced a long-range effort but scuffed his right-foot shot well wide, much to the delight of travelling fans who, late in the half, saw a fierce shot from Danny Tiatto palmed over by Marton Fulop after Gareth Williams had produced a canny pass over the Coventry defence.

Both sides ran out unchanged for the start of the second half which opened with Matty Fryatt joining Leicester team-mates Kisnorbo and Nils-Eric Johansson in the referee's notebook following a late challenge on defender Richard Duffy.

Duffy then needed treatment for a head injury following a touchline clash with Johansson and was eventually stretchered away to be replaced by Whing.

Despite their enforced reshuffle, the momentum was with Coventry who spent the opening 15 minutes of the second period knocking on the Foxes' door but without creating a promising goalscoring opportunity.

The game then exploded in the 67th minute when Kisnorbo was shown a straight red card following his challenge on Whing and there were angry scenes on the touchline as furious Leicester manager Micky Adams confronted the miscreant.

The 10-men had Stearman, who was operating at left-back following Kisnorbo's exit, to thank for a superb header off the line which kept John's blast out of the net in the 78th minute.

And Wise hit the crossbar with an overhead kick four minutes before the end.

Teams

Coventry: Fulop, Duffy (Whing 58), Shaw, Williams, Hall,Scowcroft, Doyle, Wise, McSheffrey (Thornton 72),Adebola (Hutchison 72), John.

Subs Not Used: Morrell, Heath.

Booked: Wise.

Goals: John 11.

Leicester: Henderson, Stearman, Gerrbrand, Kisnorbo, Johansson,Maybury, Williams, Gudjonsson, Tiatto (Welsh 65),Fryatt (Hughes 71), Hume (Hammond 71).

Subs Not Used: Douglas, Brevett.

Sent Off: Kisnorbo (69).

Booked: Kisnorbo, Johansson, Fryatt.

Goals: Stearman 9.

Att: 26,672

Ref: K Hill (Hertfordshire).