A game of few chances ends goalless but it was the Sky Blues who came closest to victory with Dele Adebola denied by the woodwork in the first half.
Micky Adams kept faith with the same players who had earned the Sky Blues four points from two tough away games against QPR and Preston.
Darren Currie was making his home debut and had an early opportunity to show the Sky Blue Army what his set piece deliveries are like with a free-kick in an attacking position but he failed to clear the first man.
Some uncharacteristically weak defending from Elliott Ward then allowed Mamady Sidibe to get the first shot on target in the fourth minute but his low shot from outside the box was easily gathered by Andy Marshall.
The game did not really get going for the first 15 as these two defensively strong outfits sounded each other out but in the 18th minute, City carved out a fine move which nearly brought about the opener. Leon McKenzie escaped down the left and pulled back a beautiful cross for the in-form Dele Adebola to run on to but he planted his firm header just wide of the post.
Stoke's top scorer Ricardo Fuller proved what a threat he is in the 27th minute with a weaving run from his own half which resulted in a low shot and superb stop from Marshall.
Currie's set piece deliveries improved dramatically after that first poor effort and with ten to go in the first half he sent in a perfect corner which McKenzie headed on target only to be denied by a fine point blank save by Potters keeper Steve Simonsen.
And right at the death another beautifully flighted cross from the on-loan winger found Adebola at the far post but his header back across goal rebounded off the inside of the opposite upright and out to safety.
City went into the interval knowing that they could well be at least one goal clear and with no dramatic action in the opening stages of the second period the fans were calling for the introduction of Stern John to add some fresh impetus to the Sky Blues' attack.
They got their wish in the 65th minute when the Trinidad and Tobago international replaced Colin Cameron. John joined Adebola in attack while McKenzie dropped to the left hand side of midfield with Currie switching to the right.
The new introduction was nearly played through on goal not long after entering the fray but Simonsen was quick to come out his box and clear. At the other end it took a superb last ditch challenge from Ward to deny Fuller as it became increasingly apparent that this was a game likely to be settled by a solitary goal.
Towards the end Tony Pulis introduced Vincent Pericard who scored a hat-trick against City for Plymouth last season.
Coventry: Marshall; Hall; Page; Ward; Doyle; Adebola; McKenzie (Birchall 90); Cameron (John 65); Duffy; Clarke; Currie. Subs (not used): Gonzalez; Bischoff; Virgo
Stoke: Simonsen, Hoefkens; Duberry; Sidibe; Fuller (Pericard 88); Higginbotham; Hendrie; Russell; Diao; Griffin; Berger (Brammer 90). Subs (not used): Hill; Sweeney; Buxton
Booked: Russell (71)
Referee: Mr N Miller
Attendance: 19,073 (1,871)
