Ipswich Town 2 Coventry City 2
Coventry City, a team supposedly devoid of courage and confidence, produced a spirited fightback to earn a draw in East Anglia.
The Sky Blues took a hammering from Crystal Palace at the weekend and they looked destined for more misery as they slipped two goals behind at Portman Road.
But goals from Gary McSheffrey and on-loan midfielder Lilian Nalis won a point - more importantly, the draw restored some pride.
The morale and togetherness inside City's dressing room had been called into question following the weekend result, especially as skipper Stephen Hughes was substituted at half-time without an injury.
Perhaps that was the reason behind the "huddle" before kick-off as a message to the small band of travelling fans that they meant business.
They certainly started like a team with a point to prove. For the opening 25 minutes, Coventry passed the ball as well as they have all season and although they didn't create a handful of chances, the Sky Blues posed much more of a threat with McSheffrey alongside Dele Adebola in attack.
The Coventry-born striker is one player who has come in for personal criticism of late but he almost opened the scoring with a sensational 30-yard shot on the turn which just cleared the crossbar.
All the visitors' good work came undone just before the half-hour mark, however, when Ipswich winger Darren Currie curled in a free-kick from the flank which eluded everyone and nestled in the corner of the net.
It completely took the wind out of City's sails and, for a while, it looked like Ipswich would go on to score a glut of goals.
Nicky Forster spurned a series of chances before the home team's substitute, Jimmy Juan, made it two with eight minutes to go before the break.
Again, it was a set-piece that Coventry should have defended but Marcus Hall chose to lead with his leg instead of his head and that allowed the Ipswich midfielder to get there first and he finished with ease.
Coventry were on the point of capitulation as some more shocking defending allowed Forster to ease through a crowd of players, but the ex-Birmingham striker shot wide of the post.
The Sky Blues gave themselves a massive boost going into half-time as they clawed a goal back from a Hughes corner. Adebola flicked on the near post for McSheffrey to finish brilliantly from a tight angle.
Coventry came out with all guns blazing in the second period and looked to take advantage of the home team's rocky defence.
McSheffrey found space within a minute of the restart, but he blasted into the side netting when he should have taken his time and grabbed his second goal.
Hughes was looking much closer to the man voted City's player of the season last year and it was his hard work that forced a mistake in the 48th minute. That allowed Adebola to set up McSheffrey but this time he hammered a cross into a defender.
Coventry thought they had been hard done-by when an Adebola header was ruled out for offside in the 56th minute but they put together the best move of the match to draw themselves level within seconds.
McSheffrey produced a delightful back- heel for Michael Doyle to swing in a cross to the back post. Adebola guided a header into the path of Nalis who stooped to glance Coventry level.
