A scrappy local derby between the Sky Blues and Leicester ended goalless.
Micky Adams shuffled his pack for the tie as Colin Cameron made his first competitive start for the Club since joining from Wolves during the summer.
With David McNamee and Adam Virgo both suffering injuries against Cardiff at Ninian Park last Saturday Andy Whing reclaimed his place at right back, while Don Hutchison was named alongside Stern John upfront in place of Dele Adebola.
Robert Page was fit enough to make the bench having recovered from a back injury and joining the Welsh international among the substitutes was Adebola, Isaac Osbourne, Kevin Thornton and the Moroccan Faysal El-Idrissi.
The opening exchanges were scrappy, with neither team able to take a stranglehold on proceedings as the ball went from one end to the other with nobody really putting their foot on it.
Leicester were making it very tricky for their hosts to maintain possession, harrying a Coventry player every time he received possession, and it was the Foxes who had the first shot on target in the 12th minute, although Andy Marshall was able to make a routine save from Matty Fryatt's low drive.
A far better opportunity came Josh Low's way just three minutes later after Fryatt's effort was blocked, but thankfully the Foxes winger pulled his shot well wide of the target.
Sky Blues fans had to wait until the 26th minute for their side's first shot on goal, as Don Hutchison's low free-kick forced Foxes keeper Paul Henderson into action.
City were coming back into the match as the first half progressed and Hutchison's second free-kick had far more zip on it, but this time flew inches wide of the post.
Great work from Cameron - who chased a lost cause to block a Henderson clearance - led to Birchall trying his luck from 25 yards but his on-target effort was blocked by a Leicester defender.
But it was the visitors who ended the first interval more positively, pinning the Sky Blues into their own penalty area as they peppered the goal with shots, but all credit to City for some stout defending.
The Foxes picked up where they had left off at the start of the second period as the Sky Blues again failed to stamp their authority on the tie, and but for some woeful finishing, Coventry could well have found themselves behind.
Matt Heath then had City's best chance of the game so far as he found space in the area to connect with Stephen Hughes' corner with a crisp header, which went just high and wide.
Just ten minutes after the interval Micky Adams made his first switch, introducing Faysal El-Idrissi for his Sky Blues debut in place of Birchall, after which Rob Kelly brought on striker Iain Hume for Elvis Hammond.
With no noticeable shift in play, Adams acted again by swapping Hutchison for Adebola as it became increasingly clear that this was a tie likely to be settled by a solitary goal. City had not shown a great deal of invention during the match and with just over 20 to play, Kev Thornton replaced the out of sorts Doyle in Adams' final throw of the dice.
The lively youngster certainly added an extra dimension to City's game, causing havoc in the Leicester defence at times, as did El-Idrissi who looked to have excellent touch and a burst of pace. However, he did show naivety by playing a needless crossfield ball which led to Iain Hume forcing a good save from Marshall.
The Sky Blues were getting closer to taking the lead and with ten left on the clock Whing released Cameron with an excellent ball down the right wing. The former Scottish international pulled the ball back into the six-yard box but no City man could connect as Leicester scrambled the ball clear.
After a poor first half performance, City improved considerably after the break but will need to show more as an attacking unit throughout the 90 minutes as the season progresses.
Coventry: Marshall; Whing; Hall; Ward; Hughes; Doyle (Thornton 68); Birchall (El-Idrissi 55); John; Heath; Hutchison (Adebola 65); Cameron. Subs (not used): Page; Osbourne
Booked: Doyle (37); Whing (75)
Leicester: Henderson; Kisnorbo; Kenton (Stearman 75); McCarthy; Hughes; Johnson; Fryatt; Johansson; Low; Hammond (Hume 58); Porter (Wesolowski 70). Subs (not used): Logan; Maybury
Booked: Porter (32); McCarthy (85)
Referee: Mr A Hall
Attendance: 20,261 (1,728)
