Akinbiyi rewards gamble by Francis

Crystal Palace 1 Coventry City 1

Two sides battling for the play-offs produced an eventful game at Selhurst Park, but were forced to share the spoils.

Gary McSheffrey put Coventry ahead midway through the second half, but Ade Akinbiyi levelled for Palace three minutes later – the first goal Coventry had conceded in five games.

Both sides attacked from the start and the goalkeepers, Alex Kolinko for Palace and Morten Hyldgaard for Coventry, were forced into early saves. Palace's Tommy Black was particularly threatening.

The home side continued to press and Julian Gray had a good chance from the centre of the penalty area, but his weak shot went wide.

Coventry replied with a spell of pressure which brought two corners, both taken by Gary McAllister, but Kolinko responded to the threat, first punching clear and then catching cleanly with Coventry players ready to strike.

McAllister continued to harry the Palace defence and Kit Symons cleared a dangerous free-kick, while Kolinko had to deal with another corner from the Coventry player-manager. Coventry had their best chance when Dean Gordon hit a fierce 20-yard drive, but the ball flew wide of the left upright. The first half ended with another corner from McAllister being scrambled clear by Aki Riihilahti.

Palace almost took the lead soon after the restart when Black lifted a curling 25-yard shot over Hyldgaard's head, but agonisingly also clear of the bar. Black threatened again with a tricky, inswinging corner, but this time Hyldgaard was up to the task and snatched the ball out of the air.

The Palace manager, Trevor Francis, gambled on a double substitution in the 58th minute, bringing on the strikers Wayne Routledge and Akinbiyi for Dele Adebola and Gray, but it was Coventry who almost scored. Craig Pead unleashed a powerful shot which was well saved by Kolinko.

Yet the impressive Kolinko was at fault when Coventry finally broke the deadlock in the 69th minute. He looked to have Gary Caldwell's cross safely covered, but dropped the ball and the Coventry substitute, McSheffrey, who had only been on the field for four minutes, stabbed the ball home.

Three minutes later Palace were level when a well-flighted cross from the impressive Black was neatly headed home by Akinbiyi.

Palace had a couple of late chances to clinch the result, but Riihilahti's 25-yard shot flew over the crossbar and Wayne Routledge shot across the goal from a good position out on the right.

Crystal Palace: Kolinko, Granville, Symons, Popovic, Mullins, Butterfield, Derry, Gray (Routledge 59), Riihilahti, Adebola (Akinbiyi 59), Black. Substitutes Not Used: Antwi, Berthelin, Borrowdale.

Coventry City: Hyldgaard, Caldwell, Konjic, Shaw, Gordon, Bothroyd (McSheffrey, 65), Pead, McAllister, Partridge, Holdsworth, Mills. Substitutes Not Used: Montgomery, Eustace, Betts, Davenport.

Referee: C Wilkes (Gloucester).