Coventry City 0, Bradford City 0: Fireworks banged and crackled overhead, lighting up the night sky above Highfield Road. There was nothing remotely as sparkly on the pitch.

As a spectacle, it was as watchable as a catherine wheel that had been dunked in a bath for half an hour. It spluttered a bit but that was it.

Not that Nicky Law or his players will be bothered today. They came to do a job and stop the losing run - mission accomplished.

The pre-match rumours suggested that Law would have been on his way had City been beaten again. Sky's former Bantams boss Chris Kamara stirred it up when he reminded Law that Jim Jefferies had met his fate after a date at Highfield Road.

And Nicky got a rough ride from the crowd all evening. Only the target in question was Nicky Summerbee.

Summerbee was booed every time he came within five yards of the ball. Coventry fans have not forgotten or forgiven after his challenge in a Sunderland shirt effectively ended Steve Froggatt's career four seasons ago.

At least his pantomime villain status created a bit of atmosphere in a dour first half. Deployed as right wing-back as Law went with three centre halves, Summerbee was frequently involved, especially as City forced six first-half corners.

They threatened from the first after seven minutes as Dean Windass nodded on across goal but Mo Konjic headed away from under the bar. It proved to be their closest call.

City were happy to slow the pace whenever the chance arose and draw the sting out of the home side. Windass fell theatrically in the box before Stephen Warnock fired the first straight shot into Alan Combe's arms.

Summerbee, much to the crowd's annoyance, looked City's best source of inspiration. Midway through the half his cross from the left flicked off Gary McAllister's head, forcing flappy goalkeeper Pegguy Arphexad into a sharp save at his near post with Richard Shaw clearing up.

City's tendency to get caught short from their own corners reared its head again as twice Coventry broke quickly and Micky Doyle drilled narrowly wide after a speedy counter-attack from Graham Barrett.

Warnock was booked for a lunge on Summerbee who then further incensed the home fans with a tumbling fall under another challenge from the defender which referee Grant Hegley ignored.

But it was ordinary stuff, summed up by McAllister hitting a free-kick straight at Jason Gavin after Mark Bower had handled a yard outside the City penalty box.

Coventry tried to pick up the tempo before the break and Andrew Whing's determination to wrestle possession from Tom Kearney set up a half-chance for Doyle, who snatched at it from 18 yards.

The Sky Blues won four corners inside ten minutes after the re-start but City held firm and the home frustration grew as Cameroon striker Patrick Suffo stumbled over his own feet.

The biggest roar of the night was reserved, inevitably, for Summerbee. The winger, sent off here last season for Leicester, slid in on Youssef Safri right in front of the dug-outs and he was yellow-carded as the main stand howled.

City had everyone behind the ball, allowing Coventry to commit more men forward. Konjic waltzed into the box but crossed behind Suffo who then cleverly slipped past two tackles only to smack his shot straight into the face of Windass.

Safri caught the massed defence by surprise in the 70th minute with a quick free-kick which Konjic volleyed across the goalmouth and sub Dele Adebola tried to bulldoze his way through without success.

Adebola's added power was proving a handful and he held off Gavin to swivel and thump wide with 15 minutes left.

Safri robbed Paul Heckingbottom as blue shirts poured forward again and Adebola headed sideways from Doyle's cross when it would have been simpler to nod it goalwards. Despite their huge amount of possession, Coventry had still not troubled Combe.

City suddenly broke out with a rare attack of their own. Lewis Emanuel earned the yards before Michael Branch's cross found Windass who looped a header over - a more precise pass and the skipper may have scored.

It was kitchen sink time at the other end with every frantic shot from Coventry cannoning off a City defender. And when Doyle whipped an inviting ball into the danger zone, Adebola returned it sideways from six yards out.

Windass wellied wide in stoppage time before Coventry almost snatched it at the death. Warnock's rocket shot through a wall of bodies pinged off Windass and inches away from the far post.

Thankfully seconds later, the final whistle put everyone out of their misery. At least City have stopped the rot, although 11,000 bored fans must have wondered why they skipped the bonfires for this.