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Ten man City hold on Aug 13 2002
Brighton 0 Coventry City 0
A Coventry City side reduced to 10 men in the first half held on for a goalless draw against Brighton at the Withdean Stadium.
Coventry went a man down when Calum Davenport was sent off in the 39th minute after a confrontation with Brighton's Robbie Pethick.
But Martin Hinselwood's side were unable to carve out openings to ake the visitors pay.
In fact, although both sides put in committed performances, the sending-off was one of few incidents worthy of note in a game where defences dominated.
Coventry had looked the more likely to score before the red card, with Julian Joachim and Jay Bothroyd looking threatening.
Joachim shot from 20 yards in the 12th minute and forced a great save out of Michel Kuipers in the Brighton goal.
That was the cue for Brighton to threaten at the other end.
Richard Carpenter's brilliant effort was fumbled by Morten Hydlgaard in the Sky Blues goal, but the keeper got away with it.
Then John Eustace had a chance to put Coventry ahead in the 29th minute but drilled his effort wide.
David Thompson followed up for City by trying to catch Kuipers out with a lob from the edge of the box a couple of minutes later, but the Seagulls keeper was alert to the danger and gathered it in.
That was it in terms of first half goalmouth action before tempers became frayed and Davenport departed.
Barry Quinn replaced Bothroyd at half-time as the visitors tried to deal with their reduced numbers.
They were able to frustrate the home side by getting their 10 men behind the ball quickly.
And the loss of striker Bothroyd did not nullify their attacking threat.
David Thompson and Eustace tried their luck with a couple of long-range efforts each early in the second period.
Then, in the 62nd minute, Barry Quinn nodded wide from six yards out after player-manager Gary McAllister found him with a free-kick.
As the game wore on, Brighton began to apply the pressure, forcing several corners.
But Coventry always looked likely to withstand the threat and Youssef Safri went down the other end in the 72nd minute and forced Kuipers into action.
Four minutes later Joachim managed to volley over the bar from six yards out.
Brighton almost nicked the points in injury time with a tremendous effort from 20 yards from substitute Shaun Wilkinson that went just wide, but it would have been cruel on Coventry if they had.
Brighton: Kuipers, Watson, Mayo, Cullip, Pethick, Brooker, Oatway, Carpenter, Rogers, Hart, Zamora. Subs: Wilkinson, Marney, Hammond, Hinshelwood, Petterson.
Coventry: Hydlgaard, Gordon, Konjic, Shaw, Davenport, Eustace, McAllister, Safri, Thompson, Joachim, Bothroyd. Subs: Hughes, Chippo, Quinn, McSheffrey, Montgomery.
Referee: P Taylor (Hertfordshire)
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