City missed the chance to go third in the league - but must thank Hedman for at least earning them a point with a number of fine saves.

Coventry fell away disappointingly in the second half of a lively game at Millmoor.

After dominating the first period and playing some impressively constructed football City were left having to defend as the home side went all out for a victory.

As in recent encounters, Coventry soon discovered that the lower opposition were not going to let them dictate the play.

Lee Hughes, partnering the recalled Jay Bothroyd, posed a danger through the inside right channel in the fourth minute but failed to win a corner when his shot bounced back off his shins.

The finest moment of the early exchanges came in the seventh minute when Mo Konjic brought a clearance under control 10 yards outside the Rotherham area, dummied a defender and then played the ball through to Hughes whose finish was again poor.

The former Albion man was involved again in the 10th minute when he worked some space down the left flank and forced a corner off Chris Swailes.

Rotherham posed a threat in the 14th minute when Andy Monkhouse cut in off the left flank and fed Alan Lee whose cross was held at the second attempt by Magnus Hedman.

The diminutive Paul Hurst then tested the City keeper again with a curling free kick over a four man wall but Hedman flung himself to his left and just managed to tip the ball round the post.

Mike Pollitt in the Rotherham goal was not so sure. Youssef Safri tested him seven minutes from the interval with a low shot which slipped from his grasp and crept over the line – but just wide of the post.

Rotherham started the second half strongly and Lee, a constant thorn in the Coventry side, headed just wide from a Nick Daws cross in the 49th minute.

Richard Shaw was then lucky the referee missed his push on Lee as they waited for a throw to come in. Both players were given a talking to but Shaw could well have walked.

Roland Nilsson then took off Chippo for speed merchant Laurent Delorge, moving David Thompson out to the left.

There were a few anxious moments in the 69th minute when Chris Sedgwick went down under a challenge from Safri just inside the area but all he won was a booking for diving.

The home side were dominating possession and territory and only a thwarted run into the box from Lee Hughes broke the pattern.

But the game soon reverted to type and City were left not exactly hanging on but certainly the more grateful to hear the whistle.

ROTHERHAM:
Michael Pollitt, Paul Hurst, Rob Scott, Martin McIntosh,
Chris Swailes, Stewart Talbot (John Mullin, 80), Christopher Sedgwick, Nick Daws, Andy Monkhouse, Mark Robins, Alan Lee
Subs not used: Ian Gray, Kevin Watson, Richie Barker, Chris Beech

COVENTRY CITY:
Magnus Hedman; Richard Shaw, Muhamed Konjic, Gary Breen, Marcus Hall, David Thompson, Lee Carsley, Youssef Safri, Youssef Chippo (Laurent Delorge, 66), Lee Hughes, Jay Bothroyd
Subs not used: Andy Goram, Barry Quinn, Marc Edworthy, Jairo Martinez

GOALS:
Rotherham - none
Coventry - none

REFEREE: M Dean (The Wirral)

BOOKINGS:
Rotherham - McIntosh (62, foul), Sedgwick (69, unsporting behaviour), Talbot (76, foul)
Coventry - Breen (30, dissent)

ATTENDANCE: 6,582

COVENTRY LEAGUE POSITION: 6th with 21 points