David Burrows was sent off midway through the second half as Coventry slid to their second defeat in the opening two games, a penalty by Muzzy Izzet separating the teams.

Left back Burrows was red carded by Scunthorpe referee Neil Barry for elbowing Leicester’s Robbie Savage in the face as they ran after the ball in the 69^th minute.

Burrows will now automatically be suspended and Coventry’s season already begins to bear that familiar look.

They did not look like scoring against Southampton on Saturday, they sold striker Darren Huckerby and looked even less like scoring against Leicester.

They have no goals and no points from two matches and the season is stacking up as a tough proposition even at this early stage.

Manager Gordon Strachan fielded an unusual line up after Huckerby’s sudden departure to Leeds United in a £5.5 million deal.

Noel Whelan found himself leading the line on his own facing the aggressive intentions of Scotland international centre back Matt Elliott with Moustapha Hadji trying to work off him from a slightly deep position.

But though Coventry produced some promising football they lacked the cutting edge up front and Kenilworth born Tim Flowers, making his home debut for the Foxes after his signing from Blackburn Rovers, looked at ease and assured.

Up to the 20^th minute Coventry gained some measure of control however and Paul Telfer was prominent in three moves.

In the 9^th minute referee Neil Barry sensibly waved play on when Whelan was fouled and Steve Froggatt swung over a centre for Telfer to get in a header at the far post but the ball skidded wide.

After 15 minutes Telfer crossed deep into the penalty area but Whelan was pulled back for a foul on Flowers.

Four minutes later Telfer tried a shot from thirty yards which hugged the ground but flew past the far post.

Then came the aberration of the sort which has led to the team’s downfall in a number of matches over the last year.

Leicester had looked out of sorts but from an innocuous attack the ball dropped to Muzzy Izzet in the penalty area and he had oceans of room to power in a shot which Magnus Hedman did exceptionally well to block with a mid air save with his legs. The rebound shot struck a defender and suddenly Coventry looked rattled.

Within sixty seconds they had fallen behind. It was the 24^th minute when Neil Lennon, who had continually slipped his marker to pick up passes from Impey near the left corner of the penalty area did it again.

This time as he scooted into the area Coventry’s right back Marc Edworthy stuck out a foot and the penalty award was inevitable. Izzet stepped up to rifle a low shot into Hedman’s right corner.

After Burrows was sent off ten man Coventry tried desperately to prise an opening and it fell to Paul Williams following a corner kick, but the big centreback spooned his effort over the bar.

At the other end Hedman produced a superb fingertip save to deflect Tony Cottee’s flick header past the post and then he dived to push Izzet’s shot around the post when Leicester broke away swiftly from a corner kick at their own end.

The final chance fell to Leicester in stoppage time when Flowers’ quick throw sent Savage away. His crossfield pass opened up the way for Izzet to screw his shot past Hedman, but Edworthy at full stretch scooped the ball off the goalline.

LEICESTER:
Flowers: Sinclair, Taggart (Gilchrist 68 mins), Elliott, Savage, Impey, Lennon, Izzet, Guppy, Cottee, Marshall (Campbell 64 mins)
Subs: Arpexhad, Oakes, Zagorakis

COVENTRY:
Hedman, Edworthy, Shaw, Williams, Burrows, Telfer, McAllister, Chippo, Froggatt (Aloisi 76 mins), Whelan, Hadji
Subs: Nuzzo (gk), Gavin Strachan, Konjic, Breen

GOAL: Izzett (24 mins, penalty)

REFEREE: Neil Barry (Scunthorpe)

BOOKINGS:
Leicester – Lennon (42 mins, dissent), Marshall (52 mins, foul)
Coventry – Chippo (31 mins, foul), Froggatt (56 mins, foul)

SENDING OFF: Burrows (69 mins)

ATTENDANCE: 19,196