The Sky Blues let a two-goal lead slip as they draw 2-2 with Norwich.
Gary McSheffrey and Dele Adebola put City two up within the opening ten minutes but Calum Davenport's header and a late effort from Craig Fleming earned the Canaries a point.
Andy Morrell was awarded a place in the side for the tie against Norwich as Richard Shaw dropped to the bench, where new loan signing Don Hutchison started the match.
Two former Sky Blues men lined up for the Canaries - Calum Davenport who is currently on loan at Carrow Road from Tottenham and Darren Huckerby although injury prevented Youssef Safri from a return to his old club.
And the game got off to an electric start for City when Gary McSheffrey notched the opener in spectacular style. The striker went on a marauding run across from right to left, took the ball past Adam Drury and produced lofted effort into the far corner which appeared to take a deflection and left England hopeful Robert Green helpless in the Norwich goal.
Coventry had the visitors rattled and were looking threatening with every attack and on ten minutes Dele Adebola made it 2-0 with a typical strike, controlling the ball on his chest, powering past the final defender and slotting his shot underneath the onrushing Green.
Norwich came close to pulling one back when Peter Thorne headed inches over the bar from close range and Huckerby also sent a curler just wide but Richard Duffy had evidently been given strict instructions not to give the pacy forward an inch and the Welshman was doing an excellent job of shackling him.
After two early setbacks Norwich found their rhythm and began to put City on the back foot, but the Sky Blues remained organised and were looking solid at the back. Richard Duffy was the first player to be booked for a crunching challenge on Huckerby which left him writhing in agony but he soon got to his feet and a temporary scuffle calmed down. Doyle was shown the second yellow shortly afterwards for a far tamer challenge on Huckerby who had to go off injured at the end of the half.
City had coped with everything Norwich had thrown their way but five minutes from the interval Calum Davenport pulled one back with a far post header to make it 2-1 at half time. The centre back had been caught cold during Coventry's blistering start to the match but made amends with a cracking header to pull his side right back into the game.
The next goal was going to be the all important one and Robert Page had a great chance to make it 3-1 at the start of the second half, but his header from a Jorgensen corner went just over the crossbar.
In the 60th minute there was a heart-stopping moment for City fans when Peter Thorne's header was somehow stopped on the line by Marton Fulop who did well to get down to it, let alone keep it out after a goalmouth scramble. The Austrian shot stopper then produced a good parry from Ian Henderson's curling effort to maintain Coventry's lead.
Twenty minutes from time Andy Morrell, who had played well on the right, came off for Don Hutchison to make his Coventry debut and he made an immediate impact, providing a great cross for Adebola whose glancing header fell agonisingly wide of the upright.
City looked to have done the hard work but in the 84th minute it was all square when Fleming notched Norwich's second. The substitute finished after Fulop opted to punch a high cross but unfortunately he did not get enough on his clearance, and Fleming made no mistake.
It was a bitter blow for the Sky Blues but again they only had themselves to blame having missed numerous good opportunities to increase their lead before Norwich's late equaliser.
Coventry: Fulop; Hall; Page: Duffy; Doyle; Adebola; McSheffrey; Scowcroft; Morrell (Hutchison 70); Jorgensen (Thornton 90); Heath. Subs: Ince; Whing; Shaw
Booked: Duffy (34); Doyle (38); Scowcroft (41); Hall (54)
Norwich: Green; Drury; Huckerby (Brennan 43); Thorne; Ashton; Hughes (McVeigh 49); Wright (Fleming 46); Henderson; Davenport; Doherty; Robinson. Subs: Gallacher; Jarvis
Booked: Fleming (57)
Referee: Mr Rob Styles
Attendance: 20,433
