City rounded off 2007 with their first win at the Ricoh Arena since October against travel-sick Ipswich.
Dele Adebola grabbed the winner in the second-half, slotting home after good work from substitute Liam Davis.
Winger Julian Gray had put the Sky Blues ahead early on following good work from Adebola but Ipswich, without an away win all season, deservedly levelled just before half-time through winger Danny Haynes.
The visitors also ended the game with ten-men after midfielder Tommy Miller was sent-off for a second booking five minutes from time.
The inclusions of Gray and Adebola in place of the injured David McNamee and suspended Leon Best were the only changes to the side beaten 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace on Boxing Day.
The Sky Blues began brightly with Michael Mifsud squandering an excellent chance to open the scoring within the opening two minutes.
The Maltese star raced onto a loose back-pass from Ipswich skipper Jason De Vos but rifled over with only keeper Neil Alexander to beat.
However, the opening goal arrived in the eleventh minute when Adebola capitalised on a slip from De Vos and unselfishly squared the ball for Mifsud, who forced an instinctive save from Alexander, but Gray was on hand to sweep home the rebound at the back-post.
Ipswich could have levelled shortly after Haynes found space in the area, but Andy Marshall was alert to snatch the ball off the nippy winger.
The visitors then felt they should have had a penalty when Alan Lee tumbled under the challenge of Ben Turner but referee Iain Williamson waved away their claims before Lee saw a shot from the resultant move comfortably saved by Marshall.
City were indebted to an excellent save from Marshall on the half hour as the keeper pushed Pablo Counago's header from a Haynes cross over the crossbar from point-blank range.
But the equaliser did arrive four minutes before the break when a fierce long-range effort drive from defender David Wright was brilliantly pushed onto the crossbar by Marshall only for Haynes to head the follow up into the unguarded net.
A header from Jon Walters was then deflected off target before the home side's response saw Mifsud send a powerful shot dipping narrowly over from 25-yards on the stroke of half-time.
Injuries to Gray at half-time and Tabb just after the interval forced manager Iain Dowie into a double change, with youngsters Liam Davis and Kevin Thornton appearing from the substitutes' bench.
And Davis was heavily involved as the Sky Blues got themselves back in front in the 64th minute.
The young winger drifted inside from the left and played a precise for Adebola in the area, who shrugged off his marker and kept his nerve to slot the ball past Alexander.
De Zeeuw then saw a header hacked off line before Mifsud was centimetres away from turning home a dangerous left-wing cross from the influential Thornton.
Ipswich struggled to test City after that and their task was made all the harder with four minutes left to play as Miller was given a second yellow card for a challenge on Michael Doyle.
Coventry City: Marshall, Osbourne, De Zeeuw, Turner, Borrowdale, Tabb (Thornton, 50), S Hughes (Ward, 88), Doyle (c), Gray (Davis, 46), Mifsud, Adebola. Subs (not used): Simmonds, Hildreth.
Goals: Gray (11), Adebola (64)
Booked: de Zeeuw
Ipswich Town: Alexander, Wilnis, Wright, De Vos (c), Casement (Trotter, 88), Walters, Garvan, Miller, Haynes, Lee (Rhodes, 81), Counago (Williams, 72). Subs (not used): Supple (GK), Richards.
Goals: Haynes (41)
Booked: Miller, Haynes
Sent-off: Miller (86)
Attendance: 18,346 (1,177)
