Lee Hughes grabbed the limelight as Coventry kept up their unblemished holiday record with a convincing win at struggling Grimsby.

The £5million striker grabbed the only goal of the game in the first half before blazing a penalty high over the bar just after the restart.

The striker had already picked up a yellow card when he appeared to elbow Grimsby defender Alan Neilson late on and referee Paul Danson dished out the red.

Coventry had made three changes to the side that downed Bradford 4-0 on Sunday and they were soon into their stride as Hughes forced a low block from Danny Coyne, only for Lee Mills to send the rebound well wide.

The Blundell Park pitch had passed an inspection two hours before kick-off but was clearly hard under foot as both sides struggled to stay on their feet.

But it was the Sky Blues who coped with the conditions best as Youssef Safri and Hughes both came close.

Grimsby should have broken the deadlock and they finally came into the game but Magnus Hedman puled off a brilliant block to deny Danny Butterfield.

Mick Boulding then had a great chance but was slow to react as a corner flashed across the face of goal.

But it was former West Brom front man Hughes who eventually gave Coventry the lead five minutes before the break.

Latching onto a Lee Mills flick-on he nipped in between keeper Coyne and Tony Gallimore and sent a neat lob into the unguarded net.

Thirty seconds after the break David Thompson could have wrapped the game up for the visitors only to be denied by a block from Coyne.

The Sky Blues let another glorious chance slip when Menno Willems brought down Thompson in the box for a clear penalty - but Hughes, so clinical in the first half, ballooned his spot-kick over the bar.

Hughes' agony continued when he fired into the crowd after a mistake by Grimsby skipper Paul Groves, as Coventry began to keep possession against a poor home side.

Five minutes from time Hughes' mixed afternoon was completed when he was red-carded after an off-the-ball incident which left Grimsby defender Neilson with a bloody nose.

Teams:

Grimsby: Coyne, Ford (Jeffrey 80), Gallimore, Neilson, Chapman, Groves, Butterfield, Burnett, Willems (Coldicott 77), Jevons (Christopher Thompson 69), Boulding.

Subs Not Used: Croudson, David Smith.

Booked: Chapman, Gallimore.

Coventry: Hedman, Antonelius, Quinn, Fowler (Normann 72), Shaw, Konjic, Thompson, Safri, Hughes, Mills, Chippo.

Subs Not Used: Joachim, Goram, Martinez, Davenport.

Sent Off: Hughes (86).

Booked: Hughes.

Goals: Hughes 40.

Att: 7,568

Ref: P Danson (Leicester).