Coventry City trail MK Dons by a goal to nil after Dele Alli's volleyed opener for the visitors at Sixfields
Coventry City trail MK Dons at the break at Sixfields after an impressive volley from Dele Alli gave them a narrow advantage.
The Dons youngster fired a volley past Joe Murphy with six minutes of the half to go the visitors a slender advantage from a relatively even half.
Boss Steven Pressley rang three changes to his side for the clash with the Dons, welcoming back centre half Dan Seaborne and League One top scorer Callum Wilson from injury along with midfielder John Fleck who had finished serving a two-match suspension.
The trio came into the side at the expense of Blair Adams, Anton Robinson and the injured Franck Moussa who all started in Tuesday night's 0-0 home draw with Bradford City.
The opening stages of the game were played out at a frantic pace although the encounter was nine minutes old before the first effort of the day was fashioned by the visitors.
A well weighted through ball was played directly into the path of Matthew Kennedy who burst into the area and fired a low shot but was denied by the legs of Joe Murphy.
It was the only real chance of the first half up until the 23rd minute when James Loveridge lifted a delicate shot at goal from 20 yards which required Murphy's outstretched fingertips to push it around the post.
The Sky Blues went just as close two minutes later though when Jordan Clarke raced the length of the pitch to get on the end over an overlapping ball from Wilson before getting around Dean Lewington and flashing a shot across the face of goal which went inches wide of the far post.
The skirmish up the pitch seemed to lift the Sky Blues and they forced a goalline clearance from the visitors after the half hour when Wilson was set free on the counter attack and tried to cut back a finish from near Dons' byline only to see Antony Kay scoop the ball out of the goalmouth.
MK Dons did take the lead in spectacular fashion six minutes before the break though through Alli. A headed clearance from a corner delivery only fell as far as the youngster whoput his foot through a volley from 20 yards which had Murphy beaten as it flew inside his far post.
Teams
Coventry City: Murphy, Webster, Seaborne, Willis, Clarke, Baker (c), Marshall, Prutton, Fleck, Eccleston, Wilson
Subs: Burge (GK), Christie, Adams, Thomas, Delfouneso, McGeouch, Robinson
MKDons: Martin, Lewington (c), Bowditch (Rasulo 12), Smith, Alli, Powell, Baldock, Spence, Kay, Loveridge, Kennedy
Subs: Burns (GK), McLeod, Randall, Galloway