Wycombe Wanderers suffered a second home defeat in three days with a late 1-0 defeat to Coventry City at a freezing Adams Park.

It was a penalty that proved the difference between the sides in a cagey affair with neither side showing much attacking ambition.

The goal came on 81 minutes when Tom Bayliss was tripped by Adam El-Abd and Marc McNulty duly converted.

It was a quiet start with both sides feeling each other out, with Wycombe just about shading affairs.

Luke O’Nien had the first shot in anger on 16 minutes when he turned on the edge of the box and fired in a daisycutter which was comfortably held by Lee Burge in the Coventry goal.

The Sky Blues had a sniff of their own a minute later when Bayliss wriggled free and smashed an effort a few yards wide of the upright.

The game was opening up a bit and Adebayo Akinfenwa met Dan Scarr’s raking pass on 19 minutes with a firm header which dropped just wide with Burge struggling.

Coventry were proving a threat on the break and on 26 minutes Jonson Clarke-Harris burst away down the left and his cross found McNulty, who saw his shot brilliantly blocked by Scarr.

It was a very tight affair overall and Marcus Bean was next to have a crack from distance on 31 minutes but he shot well over.

Akinfenwa came close to giving the home side the lead on 41 minutes when he thundered a header towards goal from Tafari Moore’s terrific cross but Burge just about plucked it out of the air.

Wanderers came out the traps quickly after the break and Nathan Tyson tested Burge with a rasping drive which he held onto at the second attempt after Akinfenwa caused problems for the Coventry defence.

Neither side was able to assert their dominance and McNulty saw his shot from 12 yards deflected wide by Joe Jacobson on the hour.

Nick Freeman was introduced after his excellent cameo on Saturday and he crossed beautifully for Akinfenwa on 75 minutes but the big striker headed just over.

McNulty then scored fron the spot, rattling Wanderers, who didn't really test the organised Coventry backline after that.

A bad week for Wycombe who remain third in League Two as the promotion race hots up.

WYCOMBE WANDERERS: Brown, Moore, El-Abd, Scarr, Jacobson, Bean (sub: Mackail-Smith, 87), Gape (sub: Bloomfield, 87), O’Nien, Tyson, Akinfenwa, Cowan-Hall (sub: Freeman, 64). Subs: Ma-Kalambay, Jombati, Thompson.

COVENTRY CITY: Burge, Grimmer, McDonald, Kelly, Doyle, McNulty, Hyam, Clarke-Harris (sub: Biamou, 70), Haynes, Shipley (sub: Reid, 54), Bayliss. Subs: O’Brien, Stokes, Vincenti, Ponticelli, Thompson.

REFEREE: Brendan Malone

ATTENDANCE: 4,087