Coventry City looked a formidable force as they beat Ballymena United 6-0 in the final game of their pre-season tour of Northern Ireland.

Goals from Michael Mifsud and Michael Doyle put the visitors 2-0 up at the break, before a double from Julian Gray and further strikes from Dele Adebola and Robbie Simpson made it a convincing win.

City got off to the best possible start when on 13 minutes they went ahead through Mifsud. Kevin Kyle's perfectly weighted throughball found the Maltese international, who rounded the keeper and finished with aplomb from a tight angle.

The Sky Blues were completely dominant in the opening half - Kyle going close on two occasions while Ballymena's only chance fell to Darren Fitzgerald who was denied by Andy Marshall who saved well at his feet.

Coventry deservedly extended their lead on the stroke of half-time when Michael Doyle headed in Julian Gray's pinpoint cross from the left.

Iain Dowie's men took just five minutes of the second half to go three clear. On 50 minutes Gray played a one-two with Mifsud and fired a low shot across the keeper.

The former Birmingham man was enjoying a fine game and grabbed his second of the game on 55. Michael Hughes pushed the ball to his former Crystal Palace teammate and he finished off the inside of the post from just inside the area.

Seven minutes later, the rampant Sky Blues made it 5-0 when Thornton's clever ball into the box found substitute Adebola who turned his man inside out before producing a top class finish.

And the afternoon was complete four minutes from time when another substitute, Robbie Simpson, saw his speculative shot deflect off a defender and fly over the keeper's head.

All in all an excellent workout for City with some solid defending and extremely pleasing forward play.

Coventry: Marshall; Birchall (McNamee 77); Ward; Hall; Borrowdale (Davis 58); M Hughes (Hildreth 69); Thornton (Cairo 69); Doyle; Gray (Simmonds 71), Mifsud (Adebola 58); Kyle (Simpson 64).

Ballymena: Murphy; Wray; McClean; Callaghan; Albert Watson; Kelly; Melaugh; Aidan Watson; Fitzgerald; Kelby; Lowrie.

Referee: A Black