Coventry had to settle for their eighth home draw of the season as Ian
Westlake's second-half equaliser rescued a point for promotion hopefuls
Ipswich.
Stephen Warnock had given Coventry the lead in first-half injury time but the
Sky Blues could not add to their advantage and they eventually paid the price.
The visitors lost three players to injury but still managed to earn a share of
the spoils thanks to a neat finish by first-half substitute Westlake.
Coventry had made a bright start and were almost ahead after just 12 seconds
when Kelvin Davis was forced to produce a fingertip save to turn Warnock's shot
over the crossbar.
Davis was called into action again less than a minute later when Michael Doyle
hit a fierce left-foot shot from 25 yards which the goalkeeper could only
parry.
Coventry's promising start continued as Doyle threatened in the seventh minute
when he got on the end of a Bjarni Gudjonsson cross but failed to keep his
header on target.
Jermaine Wright and Tommy Miller were both off target with weak shots as
Ipswich began to get into the game following a slow start before Martijn Reuser
headed wide from Jim Magilton's cross.
Miller's involvement ended due to injury in the 26th minute and he was
replaced by Westlake, while Warnock received the first booking of the match for
a foul on Fabian Wilnis.
Coventry 'keeper Gavin Ward produced his first save of the match to keep out
Magilton's 37th-minute shot from the edge of the area.
The deadlock was finally broken in the second minute of first-half stoppage
time when Julian Joachim's shot was blocked by Drissa Diallo and Warnock reacted
quickest to fire home only his second goal of the season.
Things went from bad to worse for Ipswich as Wilnis and Georges Santos failed
to reappear after the break and were replaced by Darren Bent and Chris
Bart-Williams, meaning Joe Royle could make no more substitutions during the
second half.
Gudjonsson could have doubled Coventry's advantage but drilled his shot
straight at Davis and the substitutions proved to be a blessing in disguise for
Ipswich as two of them combined for the equaliser.
Bart-Williams' cross was knocked down by Shefki Kuqi and Westlake spun to fire
past Ward with a right-foot shot after 58 minutes.
Coventry, who had Calum Davenport and Doyle booked in the space of six
minutes, looked the more likely to grab a winner but Joachim's close-range
effort was kept out by Davis and Matthew Richards blocked Gudjonsson's effort.
Davis then did well to tip Graham Barrett's header round the post as Ipswich
held on.
Teams
Coventry: Ward, Shaw, Konjic, Davenport, Staunton, Gudjonsson, Deloumeaux, Doyle, Warnock (Gordon 81), Joachim, McSheffrey (Barrett 64).
Subs Not Used: Shearer, Whing, Suffo.
Booked: Warnock, Davenport, Doyle.
Goals: Warnock 45.
Ipswich: Davis, Wilnis (Bent 45), Diallo, Santos (Bart-Williams 45), Richards, Wright, Magilton, Miller (Westlake 26), Reuser, Naylor, Kuqi.
Subs Not Used: Price, Counago.
Booked: Naylor.
Goals: Westlake 58.
Att: 14,441
Ref: T Kettle (Maidenhead).
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