Substitute Liam Lawrence scored the winning goal as Stoke ended their alarming recent slump with a 2-1 victory at Coventry to return to the top of the Coca-Cola Championship.

Lawrence, a 66th-minute replacement for Stephen Pearson, took just 13 minutes to make an impact as Tony Pulis' side won for only the second time in their last nine matches.

It had been a tale of two penalties at the Ricoh Arena as Ricardo Fuller cancelled out Elliott Ward's opening goal for Coventry from the spot.

Chris Coleman's first home defeat since becoming Coventry boss in February saw his side dragged further into the relegation battle.

Coventry threatened inside the opening minute when Leon Best latched on to Stephen Hughes' through ball.

Carlo Nash had anticipated the danger and rushed out of his 18-yard area to clear the danger but was beaten to the ball by Best, who in trying to knock the ball round the Stoke goalkeeper inadvertently put it out for a goal-kick.

Coventry were on the attack again two minutes later and almost opened the scoring through Kevin Thornton.

The diminutive midfielder's near-post glancing header from Jay Tabb's left-wing cross had Nash beaten but struck the crossbar.

Stoke failed to clear their lines and eventually the ball broke to Michael Doyle, whose angled shot from the edge of the box went narrowly wide.

Coventry continued to ask early questions of their visitors and good link up play between Thornton and Doyle created an opening for the latter, but the Irishman dragged his shot harmlessly across the face of Stoke's goal.

The same combination engineered another chance in the 13th minute following a neat one-two on the edge of the box.

Doyle connected better this time but once again his shot curled wide of the far post.

Stoke looked menacing for the first time midway through the first half when Fuller crept in behind the Coventry defence, but Scott Dann recovered well to muscle the chance away from the Jamaica international.

Ward then put the Sky Blues ahead. Referee Uriah Rennie pointed to the spot after a goalmouth scramble inside Stoke's six-yard box following Dan Fox's inswinging corner.

Carl Dickinson upended Thornton and Ward calmly side-footed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner, sending Nash the wrong way.

It was the defender's fourth goal of the season, all of them from the penalty spot.

Leon Cort could have equalised immediately. However, the defender steered his volley wide from 12 yards out.

Nash produced a solid save to palm Thornton's rising shot over the crossbar following Tabb's cut-back from the byline in the 39th minute.

The first half ended with Doyle stinging Nash's palms with a low shot from inside the area.

Coventry keeper Kasper Schmeichel was forced into action for the first time five minutes after the restart, pushing away Fuller's low shot on the turn.

Fuller levelled from the spot in the 55th minute. A weaving run from Stoke's top scorer was brought to an abrupt end when he was brought down inside the area by Hughes.

Fuller confidently blasted the penalty into the bottom left-hand corner, despite Schmeichel diving the right way.

Stoke were in the ascendancy. Pearson was inches away from getting a touch to Fuller's delightful cross with the outside of his foot as he slid in at the near post just after the hour mark, before Mamady Sidibe glanced a header wide midway through the second half.

Stoke's pressure was rewarded when Lawrence expertly steered home his 15th goal of the season.

Schmeichel had rushed from his line to thwart Richard Cresswell but the ball broke to Lawrence, who curled a first time shot with his left foot into the unguarded net.

Teams

Coventry Schmeichel, Osbourne, Ward, Dann, Fox, Tabb,Stephen Hughes, Doyle, Thornton, Mifsud (Hines 84),Best (Simpson 85).

Subs Not Used: Marshall, Hall, Gray.

Booked: Dann, Doyle.

Goals: Ward 31 pen.

Stoke Nash, Griffin (Shawcross 40), Riggott, Cort, Dickinson,Cresswell, Pugh, Delap, Pearson (Lawrence 67), Fuller,Ameobi (Sidibe 25).

Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Bothroyd.

Booked: Delap, Lawrence.

Goals: Fuller 55 pen, Lawrence 79.

Att: 20,249

Ref: Uriah Rennie (S Yorkshire).