Roland Nilsson might have found his Saturday night dinner date a tad more uncomfortable than his time in the Highfield Road hot seat.

Nilsson and his predecessor Gordon Strachan, the man who brought him to the club four years ago, dined out and it is a fair bet that the subject of his job came up at sometime during the evening.

Strachan has already wished Nilsson well and will surely encourage him to take the full time post which is undoubtedly his for the taking.

There is no question that the standard and style of football has improved under the implacable Swede but this game allowed his side to show a different aspect of their character.

Nilsson was robbed of four players who had figured at Barnsley – David Thompson, Magnus Hedman, Jay Bothroyd and Lee Hughes – and gave three players their first start.

He also picked up an injury himself and saw Gary Breen and Mo Konjic limp off. Perversely that meant Paul Williams, transfer listed on Friday because the club has “adequate centre half cover” ended the game on the field and wearing the captain’s arm band.

But despite those odds Coventry deserved their win and could have had the game won well before Youssef Safri was dismissed with almost 30 minutes remaining.

Laurent Delorge came close to opening the scoring in the third minute when he outwitted and outpaced Barry Ashby only for Vince Bartram to save his cheeky chip.

The frustration was merely temporary. Nine minutes later Jairo Martinez pounced on a lose ball inside the area and swept it home before again embarking on an extravagant celebration.

Gillingham eventually managed to find their feet and had their best spell just after the half hour. Iffy Onoura hit the bar with a header in the 32nd minute after being set up by Ty Gooden.

Then just seconds later the towering striker set up Marcus Browning but he was denied by veteran Andy Goram who made an outstanding close range save.

It was not his only fine stop. He made two good interventions in the second half and generally controlled his area with impressive assurance.

Vitally Coventry stretched their lead in first half injury time when Keith O’Neill, on for the injured Nilsson, drilled a volley across the area and Chippo eventually put the ball in from close range.

Lee Carsley then hit a post with a fiercely struck volley after more good work from O’Neill. Had he scored the game would effectively been over.

The second half only came to life when Youssef Safi was dismissed for his second bookable offence, leaving City a man down for almost half an hour.

Until the final minutes, it made precious little difference. But then, as their desperation increased, Gillingham began to play a more direct brand of football and on several occasions it nearly paid off.

In the end they made the breakthrough too late to make a difference. City failed to deal with a high ball from Bartram and Paul Shaw was able to force a shot home.

GILLINGHAM  (4-4-2):
Bartram; Nosworthy (Shaw 70), Ashby, Hope, Edge; Hessenthaler, Smith, Browning (Ipoua, 81), Gooden (Perpetuini, 43); King, Onoura
Subs not used: Butters, Saunders

COVENTRY CITY (4-4-2):
Goram; Nilsson (O’Neill 34), Konjic (Quinn 77), Breen (Williams, 45), Shaw; Edworthy, Carsley, Safri, Chippo; Martinez, Delorge
Subs not used: Hedman, McSheffrey

GOALS:
Gillingham - Shaw (90)
Coventry - Martinez (14), Chippo (45)

REFEREE: Eddie Wolstenholme (Blackburn)

BOOKINGS:
Gillingham – Nosworthy (foul, 60), Browning (foul, 61)
Coventry – Safri (foul, 52)

SENDING OFF: Safri (foul - second bookable offence, 63)

ATTENDANCE: 9,435

COVENTRY MAN OF THE MATCH:
Youssef Chippo – always involved

COVENTRY LEAGUE POSITION: 9th with 17 points