It wasn't to be the win Geraint Williams was after at the Ricoh as a deflected shot beat Aidan Davison to give the Sky Blues the 1-0 win.

Mifsud did the damage and to rub salt into the wounds, Teddy Sheringham was dismissed in injury time.

Aside from a couple of scares for the U's, the first half went by reasonably comfortably for Geraint's defence and he would have been pleased with the amount of chances his side had given the home side.

The second half provided much of the same until Mifsud's goal separated the sides.

There was only one change in the U's starting line-up, with skipper Karl Duguid replacing Bela Balogh at right back.

The Hungarian international broke his nose in the closing stages at Ipswich and was still in a lot of pain and was unavailable for the game at the Ricoh Arena.

The home side came into the game on the back of three successive defeats but were placed one point and one position ahead of the U's in the Championship table.

Manager Iain Dowie made three changes to his side after the defeat against Watford, with Hall, De Zeeuw and Best replacing Ward, Borrowdale and Hughes.

The U's fans who had travelled up to the Midlands were looking for a tighter defensive display while maintaining the goal scoring record that has seen the U's score twenty three goals in their twelve league games to date.

Only West Brom have scored more in the Championship but only Southampton have conceded less than the U's.

The game started with the home side having most of the possession but in the second minute, it was the U's who had the first shot, Kem Izzet blazing high over the bar.

The play then switched to the U's half and de Zeeuw should have done better with a free header from a Coventry corner.

Aidan Davison was called into action for the first time on seventeen minutes when he had to be off his line quickly to smother a Best shot.

George Elokobi had given the ball away to Mifsud and the Egyptian's reverse ball put Best in on goal.

The best U's chance of the half came a minute later as good work on the left by danny Granville resulted in an excellent ball into the area.

Clive Platt got on the end of the cross and guided his header goalwards, only to see Marshall save at the foot of his left hand post.

On the half hour mark, it was Granville causing further problems with a left footed cross into the Coventry box. It was mishit but would have dropped in the far corner of the net had Marshall not tipped it away.

Ten minutes before half time, Kyle had a gilt edged chance to put the home side ahead but missed the ball completely with only defender Matt Connolly on the line to beat.

This proved to be the last goalmouth action of the first period and it would have been Geraint Williams who was the happier of the two managers with the score goalless.

The second half started like the first, with the U's having the first shot as Kevin Lisbie's shot flew wide.

Mark Yeates then also shot wide before Aidan Davison punched clear under pressure.

A similar pattern to the first half was developing in the second period as both teams were playing some good football without really threatening the opposition keeper too often.
One effort that did work Marshall came in the seventy sixth minute as Lisbie's effort was blocked by the body of Marshall.

With that chance gone, it looked like the game was going to end goalless but Mifsud had other ideas.

He turned brilliantly to give himself a couple of yards and his deflected shot then hit the posy before crossing the line for the opening, and only goal of the game.

It wasn't the end of the action though as sub Teddy Sheringham was red carded for an elbow on Jay Tabb as the game went into injury time.

It wasn't the cleansheet or result Geraint Williams would have hoped for but once again, the U's held out for long periods before being hit by a late goal.

U's: Davison, Duguid, Connolly, Baldwin (Virgo), Elokobi, Yeates, Izzet, Jackson, Granville (McLeod), Lisbie, Platt (Sheringham)