Coventry City

Coventry City had to settle for a point against Brentford at the Ricoh Arena after Carl Baker's first half penalty was cancelled out by Harry Forrester's second half leveller.

Baker gave the Sky Blues the advantage with a cool penalty on the stroke of half time but Forrester was just as calm a minute after half time to level up for the visitors.

City boss Steven Pressley rang four changes to the side that lost 4-0 at Walsall on Easter Monday, bringing back Richard Wood after his recovery from a though injury along with Steven Jennings while also handing full league debuts to Callum Wilson and 17-year-old Ryan Haynes.

Although there was plenty of pace and commitment in the opening stages of the game, it took until the 17th minute before a genuine opportunity was carved out and it came for the visitors as Adam Forshaw got to the byline with a bouncing ball that he firing into the ground, looping the ball up over Joe Murphy who could only palm into the path of the waiting Harry Forrester who completely missed the ball with his diving header from ten yards.

Baker fashioned City's first effort at goal after 21 minutes when he collected a short ball in the box from James Bailey and tried to beat his defender before pulling his effort over the bar from 15 yards.

The game burst into life for the Sky Blues two minutes later though when they had three efforts cleared off the line in a matter of seconds, first when a flicked effort from Wilson was stabbed off the line Tony Craig.

Franck Moussa volleyed the loose ball back over the six-yard box where Wilson's header beat 'keeper Simon Moore but not Harlee Dean who scooped the ball away and then Craig was the hero for the Bess again when Steven Jennings' follow-up volley was headed out of the goalmouth.

Brentford then gave the City back four a scare after 33 minutes when a ball over the top down the left from Forrester found Clayton Donaldson who got round Aaron Martin and lifted a ball over Joe Murphy only to see it drift inches wide.

No sooner had the danger passed, the visitors went close again when lofted cross from Forshaw found Jonathan Douglas who headed wide from six yards.

Four minutes later the momentum swung again as the Sky Blues enjoyed a lengthy skirmish into Brentford's half, topped off with a 20-yard effort from Moussa which alerted, although didn't really trouble, Moore.

That momentum continued for City to the point where they took the lead a minutes before the break courtesy of Baker's spot-kick.

A lofted freekick from the right from Cyrus Christie searched out Richard Wood who was hauled down in the area by Harlee Dean, the referee pointing to the spot to allow Baker to step up and notch his 15th goal of the season.

The lead did not last long after the break though as Brentford were level just a minute after the restart.

Donaldson muscled Wood off the ball down the right flank and cut a ball across the City area for the waiting Forrester who applied a calm finish past Murphy to level the score.

The Sky Blues almost got themselves back in front after 51 minutes though when an ambitious 25-yard effort from John Fleck seemed to make for a routine save for Moore only for him to misjudged the bounce of the ball as it bounced off his face and almost into the path of Wilson as it was poked behind.

Moore was required again eight minutes after the hour, this time to stop Baker's free-kick effort from just outside the corner of the Bees' area, Baker curling a low one aimed inside the foot of the near post only for Moore to be equal to it, the last notable effort of a comparatively quiet second half.

Attendance: 10,642 (1,649 away)

Teams

Coventry City: Murphy (GK), Christie, Wood, Martin, Haynes, Baker (c), Moussa (McDonald 73), Jennings, Fleck, Bailey (Bell 64), Wilson.
Subs: Dunn (GK), J. Clarke, Thomas, Ball, Edjenguele.

Brentford: Moore (GK), Forshaw, Craig, Dean, Douglas (c), Donaldson, Adeyemi, Hodson (Wright-Phillips 71), Logan, Forrester (Saunders 78), Bidwell.
Subs: Gounet (GK), O'Connor, Trotta, Diagouraga, Reeves.