Coventry City 1 Ipswich Town 1

Coventry City may have just kept themselves outside of the Championship relegation zone - but there is still little to keep even the most hardened follower cheery.

The Sky Blues managed to claim a battling draw against Ipswich at the Ricoh Arena, thanks to a well-taken equaliser from Gary McSheffrey.

But even manager Micky Adams had to admit that his side are not only inconsistent from game to game, they struggle to maintain any kind of form during the same match.

On Saturday, Ipswich enjoyed long periods of possession as City found it difficult to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Home skipper Stephen Hughes looked closer to his best as he won a series of crunching tackles in the centre of midfield but it was the Tractor Boys who were winning the battle for supremacy in the middle of the park.

But, that said, it was Adams' team who created the better chances in the first half and with Dele Adebola and McSheffrey up-front they always look capable of getting a goal.

As a pair, they offer the Sky Blues two very different kind of outlets in attack and much of the burden for keeping Coventry in the division is on their shoulders.

A lot will also depend on centre-back Robert Page who was, once again, City's most reliable defender in the face of a tough test from Nicky Forster and Sam Parkin.

But Coventry have developed a horrible habit of gifting goals and this time it was Andy Whing who was in a giving mood. The young fullback had put in a more than able performance on his return to the side in place of Richard Duffy.

But in the 49th minute, Whing misplaced a header straight to Ipswich substitute Matt Richards. His cross teed up Gavin Williams who prodded home from eight yards with keeper Marton Fulop's touch only helping the ball into the net.

Coventry's response was good. On so many occasions, their heads have dropped when falling a goal behind but this time they showed strength of character to draw level.

Hughes harangued Jim Magilton on the edge of his own box to win the ball back for City. McSheffrey took it on, drifting past a defender before drilling home low into the bottom corner.

And from then on, the home side - for all their failings - could have gone on to win it. Adebola managed to get on the end of guided header from James Scowcroft but he glanced just wide of Lewis Price's upright.

Seconds later, he was lurking at the back post when Whing crossed after great work from substitute Kevin Thornton. The big striker got his toe to the ball but he could only turn it inches wide of the post.

Ipswich finished the stronger of the two sides as the Sky Blues failed to hang onto possession but more importantly, they did cling on for a point.

Skipper Hughes said: "We have home games on four successive Saturdays and we discussed after the match that we have to pick up wins here at the Ricoh.

"We have to keep our nerve and keep playing. It's difficult when you don't get the results and the pressure is on but you have to stay calm. We can move up the table as the division is very tight apart from the top two."