Coventry kept themselves in the Sky Bet Championship play-off places after a hard-fought 1-0 derby win away at fellow Midlands side Stoke.

Ellis Simms’ third goal in five league games secured all three points for Mark Robins’ team at the Bet365 Stadium, consolidating their sixth-place standing on goal difference on 51 points.

Defeat for Stoke means they have now lost five of their last six games, leaving them just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Both managers made six changes to the teams that started their midweek games and there was a real lack of fluidity to the first half for the most part.

Coventry did come agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock in the 12th minute though, with Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham forced to save well from Haji Wright’s header via a deflection off Ben Wilmot, before blocking Simms’ effort.

The rebound fell kindly to Callum O’Hare, who looked certain to score, but Wilmot – making his 100th appearance for Stoke – was on the line to divert the ball onto the post and away.

Stoke’s first shot on target came just after half-time as Lewis Baker’s tame effort was comfortably held by visiting goalkeeper Ben Wilson.

But they found themselves behind in the 51st minute when Wright caught Ki-Jana Hoever in possession and prodded the ball to O’Hare, who played in Simms to slot home from close range.

Stoke manager Steven Schumacher made a triple substitution just after the hour mark in an attempt to inject some life into the home side’s performance, and moments later Nathan Lowe’s left-footed shot on the turn went just over the crossbar to lift the crowd’s spirits somewhat.

There was further reason for encouragement in the 68th minute as Baker’s goalbound attempt deflected behind for a corner off Sky Blues defender Bobby Thomas.

Down at the other end, Wright had a glorious chance to double Coventry’s lead in the 81st minute but after a nice one-two with Josh Eccles, he blazed his shot over the crossbar.

Minutes later, Stoke substitute Million Manhoef took the ball down well and drove into the visitors’ box, but he could only find the side-netting.

That was the last real opportunity of a contest low on quality and boos rung around the stadium at the end.

Despite ending a four-match unbeaten run last time out with a 1-0 win over QPR, it’s now just three wins in 19 league matches for Stoke, who face a real battle to avoid the drop.

Swansea came from behind to claim a late point in a 1-1 draw at Stoke in the Championship.

Daniel Johnson’s second-half penalty looked to have given Stoke – who sacked Alex Neil over the weekend after the loss to Sheffield Wednesday – their first win in five games.

But Harry Darling, who conceded the earlier spot-kick, headed home as full-time neared to give the Swans a share of the spoils.

With both clubs currently under caretaker charge, the Potters entered the clash sitting 20th and two points from the drop zone, while Swansea sat six places ahead of their opponents with three more points.

Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham half cleared an awkward backpass and was fortunate Swansea’s Jerry Yates was unable to make the most of it in the opening five minutes.

Josh Tymon lashed wide from outside the box after 10 minutes for the Swans and Joshua Key cut inside from the right shortly after to cross for Yates, who almost made contact from close range as the visitors started brightly.

Stoke’s Ryan Mmaee squandered the chance to take aim on the quarter hour from close range, before Lyndon Gooch burst forward from left-back to test Swansea’s Carl Rushworth.

Mmaee forced Rushworth into action with a big one-on-one chance after 20 minutes and Junior Tchamadeu’s follow-up was blocked as the hosts began to threaten.

Swansea responded through Jay Fulton’s fierce drive which rose over the bar as the half-hour approached.

Luke McNally made a vital headed clearance ahead of the lurking Yates after Key’s excellent work down the right flank 10 minutes from the break.

Tchamadeu blasted wide after drifting infield from the right wing early in the second half, before Johnson forced Rushworth into action and tipped over his fierce strike after the hour.

At the other end, Key got in behind Stoke’s defence and found a free Jamie Paterson who took aim but Ki-Jana Hoever made a vital block before Bonham collected.

The Potters won a penalty when Darling brought down Mmaee in the box and Johnson coolly rolled home to give the hosts the advantage with 20 minutes left.

Tchamadeu sought Stoke’s second soon after but his effort flew off target and Michael Rose’s later header looped over.

Mmaee stabbed just wide after Tchamadeu headed across the face of goal in the closing stages as Stoke looked to have sealed the three points.

But following Swansea substitute Liam Walsh’s deflected free-kick, from the resulting Matt Grimes corner, Darling nodded home at the back post as full-time neared to remedy his earlier error.

Rose nearly netted a late Stoke winner, but his stoppage-time header from Bae Jun-ho’s corner bounced into the ground and over.

Erol Bulut praised the progress of his Cardiff side despite being held to a goalless draw by Stoke.

The visiting Bluebirds dropped out of the Championship play-off fray after a frustrating afternoon in the Potteries.

Callum Robinson came the closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half as his deflected cutback ricocheted off the post.

And Ryan Wintle, who scored in the same fixture last season, nearly notched a late winner but was denied by Jack Bonham.

However, Cardiff still extended their unbeaten run to three games thanks to a third successive clean sheet, much to the pleasure of Bulut.

“I’m really happy with my players, they’ve made big progress,” said the Cardiff boss.

“It’s not easy for many players here when we remember the last two years with what’s happened and how we started pre-season and the first games.

“It’s not easy to change everything in a positive way. Right now we’ve done it but we need to continue in that way and keep believing in our target.

“We knew that it was going to be a tight game because Stoke have had three great wins against great teams.

“In the first half, we weren’t like what I expect from my team. The second half was so much better and in the end I’m happy with a point.

“We have to look forward and it’ll be good for us to keep our run of clean sheets.

“We had more shots on the goal and we were closer to scoring a goal than Stoke. We had enough chances to score but, in the end, we didn’t.

“Second half, we were much better in our offensive shape but the last pass was not good enough.

“We pressed them higher and got more chances in the second half. If we started like that, maybe the result would have been different.”

Despite three successive wins prior to the tie, Stoke were limited to a solitary shot on target.

However, boss Alex Neil was still encouraged as his resurgent side kept a third consecutive clean sheet of their own.

“A point was probably a fair result but obviously we wanted to win it,” said Neil.

“We played extremely well in the past three games and all our chances today came in the first half.

“We had two or three really good chances to score but unfortunately didn’t take any.

“If we take a chance then it becomes a different game, but then in the second half we played ourselves into trouble when we were trying to play.

“We were wasteful with the ball more than what we’ve been, and that’s the biggest thing I’ll take from the game.

“I put five different players on the pitch to try and influence the game and give us the impetus in the match, but they’re not an easy team to play against.

“The lads are despondent and disappointed but I’m happy with that return [of 10 points from four games].

“That’s the type of game last year that we’d have lost, where we didn’t take our opportunities and then it turns and we end up losing the game.

“If you can’t win, don’t lose. They didn’t deserve to win based on our chances in the first half and we didn’t deserve to win based on our second half.”