Mark Robins was left frustrated after seeing his Coventry side beaten 1-0 despite an impressive display at Bristol City.
The Sky Blues fell to a sucker punch in first-half stoppage time, allowing centre-back Rob Dickie to rise and head his first Bristol City goal from a Taylor Gardner-Hickman free kick.
Coventry had dominated to that point without finding a finish, clipping the crossbar twice through Ben Sheaf and Matt Godden, as well as missing several chances.
Boss Robins said: “I should be talking about a brilliant away performance because that’s what it was.
“Instead, we are reflecting on a defeat because we lacked that finishing touch and have lost to set-piece goal we should have defended better.
“We could have played until midnight and not scored. It wasn’t our day, but you make your own luck and some of our decision-making on the ball was lacking.
“We have to be better in that respect. When you don’t take your chances, you are always vulnerable.
“I am disappointed with the goal because Rob Dickie has just moved Kyle McFadzean out of the way. Ben Wilson has done well even to get a hand on the header because there was pace on it.
“They changed shape to cope with us and offered more what we expected.
“I’m so frustrated because we should be looking back on a brilliant three points against a good side.
“They had injuries, but still boasted a lot of experience in the likes of Andy King and Matty James.
“We remain a work in progress, but we still created enough chances to have won. That’s the disappointment, but we will take the positives out of the game and move on.”
The hosts improved after manager Nigel Pearson made a 37th-minute substitution, replacing youngster Haydon Roberts with the more experienced Jason Knight and switching from a back-three to a four-man defence.
Pearson is still struggling with a back problem so assistant Curtis Fleming met the written press after the game.
“Nigel has partly a neurological problem, which will not require surgery,” he said. “It is just a case of coming up with a treatment plan.”
Of the game, Fleming added: “We lost a couple of players to injury in the build-up to the game and it was a great win in the circumstances.
“Coventry were really good, but sometimes you have to win horribly and the change of shape made a big difference.
“It was tough on young Haydon coming off in the first half, but the change needed making.
“We didn’t start with Jason Knight because he had run 12k in two games on international duty with Ireland and picked up a 24-hour bug on his return.
“He has gone on and done a great job for us. But the team as a collective responded so well in the second half. I thought Andy King was superb at the back
“We can’t shy away from the fact that Coventry were better in the first half. But we showed a real character with several players operating out of position and put bodies on the line.
“Rob Dickie has shown his worth at both ends, with a big challenge at the end. He lost his place through being sent off against Birmingham and he has come back strong.”
