Coventry crept closer to promotion to the Premier League despite an off-colour display in a goalless draw at Hull.

Setbacks for promotion rivals Millwall and Middlesbrough earlier mean Coventry need four more points to guarantee a return to the top flight for the first time in 25 years.

The Sky Blues were second best for large spells at the MKM Stadium and fortunate to avoid defeat. They retain their 12-point lead atop the Sky Bet Championship table with five matches remaining.

Having the best goal difference in the league means a win at home over already-relegated Sheffield Wednesday should be enough to go up, having drawn a blank for the first time in 10 matches.

Coventry are the leading scorers in the division but they rarely threatened to make a breakthrough on Easter Monday against fifth-placed Hull, whose hopes of automatic promotion look to be receding.

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The Tigers, who have won just two of their last seven fixtures, had the best chance as John Egan was denied early on by Liam Kitching after the usually reliable Carl Rushworth fumbled in the area.

The hosts, though, lacked a cutting edge against Frank Lampard's side as they slipped four points off the top four although they are five clear of seventh-placed Southampton, who have two games in hand.

Hull made a bright start and Liam Millar, one of five changes to their starting line-up from Good Friday's 1-1 draw at Oxford, tormented Milan van Ewijk down the left flank, while Cody Drameh twice missed the target.

Joe Gelhardt was given time and space to choose his spot from 25 yards but curled over and Rushworth spilled another cross from the left, with Kitching's desperate block stopping Egan from scoring.

Coventry had endured a torrid opening quarter of an hour but they gradually gained a foothold, using their physicality to disrupt Hull's momentum, and a couple of quick counters showed their threat.

Victor Torp, one of four changes to Lampard's XI from a 3-2 win over Derby last time out, got in behind the Hull defence but dragged harmlessly wide while he then forced a low save from Ivor Pandur.

Headers from Gelhardt and Oli McBurnie lacked the power to properly test Rushworth as Hull again got on the front foot after the break, without being able to create anything clear cut.

Matt Grimes was booked for a cynical foul on Amir Hadziahmetovic as Hull tried to pour forwards, while at the other end Tatsuhiro Sakamoto got in ahead of Coyle but his pull-back was intercepted by Egan.

Jack Rudoni, who bagged a brace for Coventry against Derby, and Mohamed Belloumi, who scored for Hull against Oxford, were introduced as Lampard and Sergej Jakirovic tried to find a late winner.

But it made little difference to proceedings and while McBurnie headed wide late on, the sides emulated their result at the Coventry Building Society Arena on the opening day of the season.

The managers

Hull's Sergej Jakirovic:

"I feel really good. We played the best team in the league and we didn't allow anything. They had one shot on target. From the beginning we were very aggressive. Very compact on the front foot. We created some chances but lacked the last pass and didn't have good enough shots.

"I am happy with this point. The last five or six games, every point counts. It's very important to have a clean sheet, the second against Coventry.

"Of course [it's frustrating not to score]. I remember the John Egan chance. The goal was empty and somebody blocked his shot. But it is very important we didn't allow anything.

"I tell the guys well done because it was a very nice performance and a good tactical gameplan in and out of possession. We just need to be more calm in the box to make better decisions and punish them."

Coventry's Frank Lampard:

"I'm satisfied and I loved it. On that pitch it is really hard to play and they play on it every other week. We rode it out in the early stages against a really good team. The determination of the team to do what we needed to do, to get more control as the second half went on, was first class to get a clean sheet in that game.

"It's just one of those games, you come to Hull away and they bombard you a bit. We make a couple of little errors but we defend the box really well. We just need to relax in the sense of being a bit more confident on the ball.

"It was a penalty that's been missed [with the handball]. It's a very clear handball. Sometimes there's a margin for error we can all debate, but when the arm comes out there's no debate.

"We just need to do our job. Try and win the game that is in front of us and don't take anything for granted. I know we are getting closer but we have to do our job."

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