Jay Tabb's second goal of pre-season ensured City earned an entertaining draw against Spanish side Espanyol.

The industrious midfielder put City back on level terms just before the break to cancel out Marc Torrejon's 28th minute header.

But the key moment of the match arrived on the hour when captain Michael Doyle and Espanyol's Rufete were red-carded for an off-the-ball incident.

The Sky Blues, who remain unbeaten in pre-season, had the best of the early action with new signing Julian Gray firing in a powerful drive from 10-yards which Espanyol goalkeeper Francisco Casilla punched away.

Leon McKenzie was next-up to try his luck, but a looping header from Chris Birchall's right-wing cross flashed narrowly wide of the target.

City 'keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos was tested for the first time on 12 minutes as he dived to his right to thwart Valdo, while a last ditch challenge from Elliott Ward denied skipper Albert Riera.

The Sky Blues suffered a worrying moment on the half-hour as right-back David McNamee limped off with an injury - and things got much worse moments later as the visitors went ahead.

Slack marking in the home defence allowed Espanyol defender Torrejon to rise unchallenged to send a looping header beyond a hapless Konstantopoulos.

McKenzie forced Casilla into another good save as City looked for a quick reply, which arrived on the stroke of half time when Tabb, the unfortunate McNamee's replacement, nipped in behind a hesitant defence and coolly slotted home.

The second-half began quietly, until an off-the-ball fracas saw both teams reduced to ten-men. Sky Blues skipper Doyle tangled with Rufete and referee Mike Riley deemed both players' actions worthy of a dismissal.

Apart from a glaring goal-line miss from Espanyol substitute Luis Garcia,  neither side threatened to score from then on as the game threatened to boil over with a number of niggly challenges punished by the Premiership official.

MATCH FACTS

Coventry City 1 Tabb (44)
Espanyol 1 Torrejon (28)

Coventry City: Konstantopoulos; McNamee (Tabb, 28), Ward (Page, 78), Hall, Borrowdale; Birchall, Doyle (c) (sent-off, 60), Osbourne, Gray (Best, 66); Kyle (Hughes, 66), McKenzie (Mifsud, 78).

Subs (Not Used): Adebola, Marshall (GK), Hawkins, S Hughes,Thornton.

Espanyol: Casilla, Chica, Sanchez, Clemente, Torrejon, Valdo, Serran, Riera (c), Rufete (sent-off, 60), Lola, Jonatas.

Subs: Iraizoz (GK), D Garcia, Lacruz, Zabaleta, L Garcia, Angel, Moha, Coro, Jarque, Moises, Jonathan.

Attendance: 7,545