A huge piece of good fortune edged Stoke towards First Division safety.
Substitute Chris Iwelumo fired a penalty against the Coventry post early in the second half only to see it rebound into the net off Coventry goalkeeper Gary Montgomery.
Neither side made much of an impression in the opening period, with both teams struggling to create a genuine chance on goal.
Stoke's main threat came from midfielder Clive Clarke who made Coventry's young goalkeeper Montgomery work on three occasions.
Clarke's first effort was a neat volley from Peter Hoekstra's left-wing cross but Montgomery did well to parry it away.
Coventry's best opportunity of the first half came from Mo Konjic's floated free-kick which John Eustace stretched to reach, but his header was off target.
Clarke forced another save out of Montgomery from distance but this time it was easy for the Coventry keeper.
Spanish midfielder Vicente Engonga shot wide from long range just before the break as Coventry started to press as half time approached.
Meanwhile, Clarke continued his personal battle with Montgomery as the Sky Blues keeper made another good stop from the Stoke midfielder.
Stoke upped their game in the second half thanks to a bizarre own goal by Montgomery after Iwelumo fired a penalty against the post.
Gary Caldwell was adjudged to have pushed Brynjar Gunnarsson and referee Paul Robinson awarded the dubious spot-kick.
Iwelumo, who had only been on the field for two minutes, sent Montgomery the wrong way, but the ball rebounded off the post and struck the Coventry keeper on the back and went into the net.
The Sky Blues threw Konjic up front in a bid to pull a goal back and the Bosnian defender's strength caused the visitors problems.
Coventry almost forced an equaliser when Dean Gordon hit a swerving shot from 25 yards which Mark Crossley did well to save, before Konjic got on the end of Eustace's cross which he diverted on to the post with a first-time shot.