Frank Lampard’s first game as Coventry head coach ended in a 2-2 draw against fellow Championship strugglers Cardiff thanks to Victor Torp’s late penalty.
The Sky Blues trailed twice and Alex Robertson’s superb strike early in the second half looked set to earn the Bluebirds their first away victory since April.
But Torp’s 89th-minute spot-kick meant both teams’ winless runs were extended to five games as Coventry edged three points clear of the relegation zone, with Cardiff remaining only one point further back.
The Lampard era got off to an inauspicious start as Cardiff took the lead in the fourth minute when poor marking allowed Yakou Meite to head in Robertson’s corner and score his first goal of the season.
Coventry’s response was swift. Their first goal under new management came three minutes later when Tatsuhiro Sakamoto chipped a lovely pass into the area that was volleyed in stylishly by Ephron Mason-Clark.
It was the winger’s first goal in his 17th appearance since signing from Peterborough and was the last moment of quality the game saw for a while.
Cardiff’s David Turnbull re-energised proceedings when his long-range strike in the 25th minute was just about dealt with by Coventry goalkeeper Bradley Collins.
The Bluebirds then had their best spell of the game, with Meite missing a chance to score his second when he stabbed wide after a mis-hit clearance from Callum Robinson’s cross fell his way.
The visitors’ inability to clear a Coventry free-kick then led to a good chance for the hosts as Mason-Clark nodded across for Norman Bassette, whose header was smothered by goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.
The two teams went into half-time locked at 1-1, but Cardiff were back ahead three minutes after the restart when Robertson smashed a superb low strike past Collins from outside the area.
That made it five games in a row that the Sky Blues have conceded twice, but they almost found a quick response again when Jack Rudoni’s free-kick needed to be pushed behind by Alnwick at his near post.
Meite then missed another opportunity to double his tally in the 70th minute when he bent a free-kick from the edge of the area high and wide.
Bluebirds defender Dimitrios Goutas almost handed Coventry a second equaliser after 77 minutes when he got his head to Brandon Thomas-Asante’s cross and the ball flew narrowly over his own goal.
But the hosts were gifted the chance to level with a minute of normal time left when Ellis Simms’ cross was deemed to have been fouled in the box by Calum Chambers and Torp sent Alnwick the wrong way from the spot to earn Lampard his first point.
The managers
Coventry’s Frank Lampard:
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Cardiff interim boss Omer Riza:
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