Graeme Shinnie scored a 78th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw for Derby as Coventry dropped their first points of the Championship season at their home ground.
The hosts led for almost an hour through Matt Godden’s 20th-minute penalty before Shinnie’s smart finish meant that the Rams secured their fourth draw in a row.
The Sky Blues came into the game as one of just three sides in the Football League with a 100 per cent home record but finished Saturday without a win in three after defeat to Preston followed a draw at Blackburn.
For Derby, who were without manager Wayne Rooney in the dugout due to illness, the stalemate preserved their unbeaten record since their 12-point deduction was announced and rooted them to the foot of the Championship.
Coventry marksman Godden had only just returned from a two-match ban for winning a penalty against Fulham in Coventry’s previous home outing, but earned a second penalty in as many appearances when he was tripped by Lee Buchanan in the first half.
The forward, who signed a three-year contract during the week, celebrated his new deal by stepping up to dispatch the spot-kick.
Godden’s penalty was all there was to split the teams in what was a tight first half at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
But the action was all to come in the second half.
Referee Dean Whitestone waved away strong appeals for a second Sky Blues penalty when Viktor Gyokeres felt he had been bundled over after 55 minutes, while both sides hit the woodwork minutes before Shinnie’s equaliser 12 minutes from time.
The Rams were first to be denied by the post as substitute Colin Kazim-Richards controlled a long ball from Phil Jagielka but his attempt to level things came agonisingly back off the upright.
Five minutes later it was Mark Robins’ side who were denied when Gustavo Hamer’s free-kick cannoned back off the crossbar before the flag denied Godden a second of the afternoon.
Derby had refused to be dominated like many have been by Robins’ men this season and deservedly earned their point through Shinnie’s first goal of the season.
The former Aberdeen midfielder took down Nathan Byrne’s deflected cross on his chest before firing his half volley past Simon Moore in the Coventry goal to level the scores in front of the travelling Rams support.
Coventry once again went close as the clock struck 90 as Ian Maatsen blasted his volley over, forcing the hosts to settle for a point.
