Purkiss calls for fast start

The defender is hoping the Saddlers can seize the initiative at the Ricoh in order to secure a win which would likely fire them into the top half and help rectify their poor record against League One's bottom half sides.

So far this season Dean Smith's men have reeled off impressive performances against the division's most in-form teams but consistently struggled to master those either around or below themselves.

They have picked up just eight points from a possible 27 against sides in the bottom half and suffered defeats to Yeovil, Scunthorpe and Crewe – the current bottom three.

Purkiss feels this is because they struggle to take the game to teams who set out to frustrate and thinks that could be key against the Sky Blues, who are 18th in the table.

"We must learn how to take games to teams who are not coming at us, that play at a lesser tempo," he said.

"Against Peterborough the other week, I thought we dominated from start to finish.

"Saturday at Fleetwood was similar to the Crawley game, I know they are a bottom half side so we have shown we can do it.

"It's about making sure we are on our mettle and we know how to beat the lesser teams."

He added: "For me Shrewsbury in the FA Cup was an interesting one, because we expected them to come flying out of the traps. But they didn't and we didn't manage to raise our game, instead it almost felt like we went down to their level."

Purkiss expects the Saddlers will be facing a Coventry team eager to build on their own big win at Colchester last weekend – their first on the road this season.

"It is a derby and I'm sure they will be up for it.

"Over the past couple of years they have been a good side."