The home team took the lead through on-loan midfielder Lilian Nalis but Gerry Taggart drew the teams level before half-time with a low drive.
And then Paul Gallagher produced a moment of class just after the break as he curled in the winner from the edge of the box.
The game started at a snail's pace and was devoid of any real quality as both sides gifted possession to one another time and again.
Dave Brammer tried his luck from range in the fourth minute but was well off target before Michael Doyle volleyed wide at the other end.
Former Stoke full-back Marcus Hall blasted a shot from 30 yards but Steve Simonsen was equal to it. The match as a spectacle was slowly coming to life.
The home team were starting to impose themselves and took the lead in the 12th minute. Richard Duffy swung in a cross from the right which Dele Adebola headed back across goal. Stoke's defence appeared to freeze allowing Nalis to prod goalwards. Simonsen appeared to have made the save but his momentum pushed the ball over the line.
Adebola almost made it two within seconds but his shot was well stopped by the Stoke goalkeeper after the big striker broke free in the box.
Gallagher hit a low shot wide of the post on 14 minutes but Coventry were very much in the ascendancy.
James Scowcroft came close to doubling the lead when he got his head to Stephen Hughes' corner but it rebounded back off the post into the path of Robert Page. The defender fired a shot goalwards but again Simonsen saved.
Mamady Sidibe found space at the other end but his shot from 15 yards was bravely blocked by Wales international Page.
In the 28th minute Coventry put together a neat passing move with Nalis at the heart, but the end product from Duffy was a low shot wide from the edge of the box.
Stoke raised their game a little as half-time approached. Sidibe saw a header saved by Marton Fulop in the 33rd minute but within four minutes they were back on level terms.
Coventry cleared a cross from Hannes Sigurdsson only as far as Taggart, who fired a low shot through a crowded box and into the bottom corner of the net.
Hughes crashed a shot from the edge of the area just before the break but Simonsen made another important stop for the visitors.
The second half began in the same abysmal fashion as the first with both sides struggling to keep possession.
Andy Impey saw his cross in the 52nd minute tipped over the bar by Simonsen as Coventry struggled to muster a genuine chance.
Stoke grabbed the lead with the first moment of genuine quality in the match. Sam Bangoura caught the home team on the break and picked out Gallagher on the edge of the box.
The on-loan Blackburn striker curled his shot home from 18 yards, leaving Fulop rooted to his spot.
Coventry almost drew level immediately as Scowcroft met Impey's cross but he headed into the side netting.
Sky Blues manager Micky Adams introduced young subs Kevin Thornton and Liam Davis on the hour mark.
Davis was largely anonymous but Thornton certainly made a name for himself. He did it, however, by coming closer to getting sent off than he did to forcing an equaliser.
Adebola came close with four minutes to go as he met Hall's cross with a powerful header that was well saved by Simonsen.