Liverpool had Bruce Grobbelaar to thank for a series of fine saves which prevented their fifth league defeat of the season before missing late chances of their own to snatch an unlikely victory.
Grobbelaar twice denied Coventry striker Kevin Gallacher by diving to push away a blazing drive and then a crafty header for corners. He also kept out a ferocious 35-yard free-kick from Peter Billing but his best effort was in the first half when he blocked a point-blank range shot by David Smith after Robert Rosario's header came back off the bar.
Coventry keeper Steve Ogrizovic matched that effort by flinging himself to stop Mark Walters after Steve McManaman and Dean Saunders ripped open the home defence and they also needed a goal-line clearance by defender Lloyd McGrath from a deflected Saunders shot.
McManaman shot wide from another late opportunity but defeat would have been an injustice for Coventry who were largely on top in a game that could easily have produced a glut of goals.
Scots striker Gallacher, who has just signed a new three-year contract, was the pick of the Coventry players, but was also booked along with three other players; Stewart Robson and Liverpool full-backs Rob Jones and David Burrows.
Liverpool manager Graeme Souness admitted: "It would have been unfair if we had won."
Souness said: "It was a much better performance from us than last week when we went out against Chelsea with big heads on. This time we competed for 90 minutes instead of 60 despite the fact that we had five players out who could get in any side in the world."
Coventry manager Don Howe said: "You can talk about injured players but Liverpool are always able to produce a damn good team." Howe revealed that Gallacher had been on the treatment table all week after a "crazy" tackle on him at Crystal Palace. "For a little fellow he can stand the pain very well. He takes a lot of stick and there was some more today."
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