Crewe substitute Luke Rodgers scored a late equaliser with his first touch of the game as the Railwaymen earned a draw at the Ricoh Arena where Coventry finished with nine men.

On-loan Don Hutchison netted his second goal in as many games for the Sky Blues before Micky Doyle was sent off and then Robert Page carried off after all City's substitutes had been used.

With referee Paul Mellin having added six minutes injury time, Rodgers then intervened to earn the visitors a share of the spoils.

But a quiet opening period meant the first shot of the game did not arrive until the 16th minute and even then, Gary McSheffrey's ambitious shot on the turn from 18 yards was screwed well wide of Ross Turnbull in the Alex goal.

Moments later David Vaughan chanced his arm but dragged his shot from left to right and well wide of the Coventry goal.

And Doyle's 25th-minute effort was already sailing wide before being diverted even further off target thanks to teammate Jorgensen's deflection.

Then, in the 30th minute, the assembled thousands in the stands were treated to their first shot on target although Coventry goalkeeper Marton Fulop dealt easily with Gary Roberts' effort fired from range.

The deadlock was then broken in the 32nd minute when Hutchison, on loan from Millwall, volleyed home a McSheffrey cross from the right.

Doyle fired wide moments before the break and then Dele Adebola's dipping effort fizzed only marginally over.

Into the second half and only emergency measures from Fulop and defender Richard Duffy prevented Steve Jones netting a 49th-minute leveller although the Welsh international full-back needed treatment following his collision with the striker and his own keeper.

Coventry's response came through Hutchison who initiated the hosts' first attack of the second period by setting Andy Whing clear on the right wing.

Over came the cross and as McSheffrey lunged into the six-yard box to divert the ball goalwards, Turnbull advanced from his line to pull off a courageous save.

Adebola headed over fgrom the resultant corner before Jorgensen met a McSheffrey free-kick with a glancing header directed a whisker wide of goal.

Vaughan was also wide with a shot at the other end before two yellow cards inside 10 seconds reduced Coventry to 10 men in the 69th minute.

After Doyle was booked for obstructing Steve Jones, Mellin carded the midfielder once more - this time for dissent.

The hosts then stepped up a gear as McSheffrey saw a shot deflected wide before Jamie Scowcroft, on as replacement for Adebola, saw his own effort cleared off the line and onto the post by Vaughan.

Page's enforced exit reduced City to nine players before Fulop saved Billy Jones' diving header and then denied Steve Jones before Rodgers, on as an injury-time substitute, netted with a looping header from Kenny Lunt's cross.

Teams

Coventry Fulop, Whing, Page, Shaw, Duffy, Jorgensen, Osbourne, Doyle, McSheffrey (John 76), Adebola (Scowcroft 61), Hutchison (Impey 72).

Subs Not Used: Ince, Heath.

Sent Off: Doyle (69).

Booked: Doyle, McSheffrey, Duffy, John.

Goals: Hutchison 32.

Crewe Turnbull, Moss, Foster, McCready, Tonkin (Rodgers 90), Gary Roberts, Lunt, Billy Jones, Vaughan (Varney 76), Steve Jones, Johnson.

Subs Not Used: Tomlinson, Moses, Rix.

Booked: Johnson.

Goals: Rodgers 90.

Att: 19,045

Ref: P Melin (Surrey).