COVENTRY CITY 1-1 BRADFORD CITY AFC
City: Burge, Stokes, Pennington, Martin, Phillips (Webster 48), Fleck, O'Brien (Proschwitz 60), Barton, Nouble, Odelusi (Samuel 56), Tudgay. Subs: Charles-Cook, Jackson, Turgott, Finch.
Bradford City: Williams, Darby, Meredith, Davies (Sheehan 46), Liddle, Zoko (Yeates 46), Morais (Knott 81), McArdle, Halliday, Hanson, Clarke. Subs: Urwin, Stead, Routis, Burke.
HT CCFC 1-0 BCAFC FT CCFC 1-1 BCAFC ATT 8566
Goals Frank Nouble 45, Mark Yeates 69
Referee G.Sutton
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Coventry City remain deep in trouble after only taking a point from their game in hand.
With the prospect of a Valentines Day Massacre not happening due to Bradford City's FA Cup commitments, the once Bantams took on the Bantams in a vital League One fixture at the Ricoh Arena.
It had been sunny in Coventry for the last two days and although the Ricoh Arena pitch was playable after City's game V Port Vale and a Wasps game which by all accounts was played in the rain, the pitch was in a shocking condition for what is a pitch that was newly laid before Christmas.
Against a Bradford City side whose pitch is also not in the best condition due to the weather and the amount of use, Tony Mowbray named a side which saw Samni Odelusi in for Dominic Samuel and Nick Proschwitz on the bench in place of Luke Williams.
City had offered both sets of fans a buy one get one free offer but the Ricoh Arena was pretty sparse as kick off time approached.
There were a few more inside by the time the game kicked off in front of former City boss Aidy Boothroyd, Neil Lennon and Mark Yeats along with referee Kevin Friend.
Bradford attacking the North Stand were the first to have a shot. That came in the third minute, when James Hanson fired over.
Three minutes later and Nouble, playing as a loan striker, wasted a great ball from Tudgay when he fired wide from close range.
In the 14th minute, Aaron Phillips won a corner but Mr Sutton soon had his whistle in his mouth for a bit of shoving.
Mr Sutton was quite whistle happy, blowing for a free kick seconds later
Arron Martin beat Ben Williams but headed for a City side who had Jim O'Brien barking at the City defence, who got in a tangle to concede a 20th minute corner.
The decision making of the City players has been highlighted by both Pressley and Mowbray and it was evident on a number of occasions inside the opening half an hour with Pennington, Burge and Fleck, all making the wrong call.
A 29th minute corner for the Sky Blues, to nothing as did one a minute later.
Phillips drove wide in a game which was bringing back memories of that 0-0 draw which was City's last Premier League game and the 0-0 snoozefest at Sixfields last season.
Nouble blasted wide, City won a corner and Odelusi header over the bar which Williams was pulling down.
Tudgay missed with a header but on the stroke of half-time, this game came to life when a Phillips cross was drilled in and Frank Nouble scored from close range.
Bradford boss Phil Parkinson who was less than happy with the referee, made two changes at the break taking off Davies and Zoko.
Three minutes in and City were making a change when Phillips, went down and had to be replaced by Andy Webster.
Bradford won a corner which saw Yeates firing at Lee Burge.
In the 55th minute, City won a corner that was sent wide by Martin.
Mowbray decided another change was in order and sent on Dominic Samuel for Odelusi who had not had the best of games.
Pennington was booked due to a bad ball from O'Brien who was replaced on the hour mark by Proschwitz who went up front in a 4-4-2 formation, in a decision which perplexed many City supporters, especially when you take into consideration in the adequacies of the German.
Yeates whipped in another shot at Burge before the referee missed a tackle on Nouble that a Rugby player might have been proud of.
In the 69th minute, Bradford were level and it was a free kick again which was City's undoing as Mark Yeates scored with a kick past a non-existent wall and in off the post.
City who had now lost 23 points from winning positions, conceded a corner with sixteen minutes to go. That was cleared but was soon back at the City end, having to be cleared again.
In the 77th minute, City had their first shot of the second half through Nouble but it was wide of Williams left hand post.
Nouble tried a cut back but Williams grabbed it before Proschwitz fired wide from a Stokes pass.
Burge saved late on after City had lost the ball in midfield yet again
The City support in a crowd of 8.566 tried to urge City on but it was a point from a game that many thought the Sky Blues would lose.