Coventry City 1-1 Sunderland
City: Burge, Willis, Hyam, Sterling, Brown, (Davies 16) Doyle, Bayliss, Shipley, Thomas (Jones 75),, Clarke-Harris , Chaplin. Subs: O'Brien , Kelly, Ogogo, Bakayoko, Andreu
Sunderland: McLaughlin, Flanagan, Hume (Oviedo 36), Loovens (Matthews 4), Catermole, Baldwin, McGeough (Power 66), Gooch, Honeyman, McGuire, Maja. Subs: Ruiter, Ozturk, McCready, Sinclair.
Att 16,407 (4,897 Sunderland)
Goals Lee Cattermole 49, Jonson Clarke-Harris 66
Coventry City came back to earn a creditable 1-1 draw with Sunderland at the Ricoh Arena.
The clash of two of the biggest teams in League One and despite the game being live on Sky, plenty got up early to get to this game.
Mark Robins kept faith with Dujon Sterling and had Tom Bayliss back against an unchanged Mackems side on a very sunny day.
With the Memorial Gardens and statue well protected from those wanting to cause harm to the memory of Jimmy Hill, the game saw City come out brightly.
The Sky Blues, attacking the end where the 4,900 away supporters were, had a bit of luck when a eighth minute Sunderland free kick from former City loanee Chris McGuire stuck Burge's left hand post.
Play was held up when Junior Brown went down in a collision and had to be replaced by Tom Davies adding to the amount being on after Loovens picked up a second minute injury and had to be replaced.
Jonson Clarke-Harris fired at the visiting keeper and Sunderland had three corners.
The Mackems players were going down like nine pins. Oviedo limped off as a number of players needed treatment or sat holding up proceedings.
This of course was breaking up the play and the good work that Doyle, Bayliss, Shipley, Thomas and Chaplin were doing.
McLaughlin caught a 40th minute corner in a half where eight minutes were added on.
Four minutes into the second half and City were a goal down when Lee Cattermole was left totally unmarked and smashed home from a ball from the left hand side.
The goal brought the game to life. Luke Thomas had a header saved and Chaplin scuffed a good chance after some neat work by Clarke-Harris wide.
Burge saved from Gooch and Clarke-Harris battled to have a shot spilled and win a corner that was hacked away.
McLaughlin dived to push away a 63rd minute shot from Clarke-Harris and then came out to block the advancing Thomas, who needed treatment.
Sunderland went for Max Power, who replaced former City loanee Dylan McGeough who looked no better than when he was on loan for City.
Then in the 68th minute, the City support was on its feet and the little firm of Sunderland fans in the hospitality areas, under the watchful eye of the stewards, in their seats as Chaplin played in Jonson Clarke-Harris who smashed the ball into the net to get City deservedly level.
Burge made two more good saves as "Jimmy Hill's Sky Blue Army" chants rang out.
Chaplin had a twenty yarder in the 74th minute beaten away for a City side which was more than a match for Sunderland who were in the Premier League not so long ago
The City support Rose to their feet and welcomed Jodi Jones back from injury and onto the pitch.
Burge again earned his crust with a cracking 86th minute save, before Chaplin got clear and scuffed another shot allowing a defender to clear.
Tom Davies header over from a stoppage time corner but a point a piece was a fair result.