Stop start as Wolves reach a ton - match analysis and highlights

On a day when the League One champions reached 100 points, the Sky Blues proved stubborn opponents.

Their defiance meant Coventry and final-day opponents Carlisle are the only teams in the division yet to be beaten by Kenny Jackett's rampant side this season.

Wolves must now win on Saturday in front of an expectant full house at Molineux to become the most successful team ever at this level.

That target – beating Charlton's 101-point marker set in 2011-12 – is what sustains boss Kenny Jackett and his men after meeting all the challenges so far in this hugely restorative and rewarding campaign of redemption.

It will mean there is no compromise in the effort, commitment and focus in the days ahead, before they can finally hit the beaches after parading the trophy again at Jody Craddock's testimonial a week today.

• Coventry 1 Wolves 1 - match report and pictures

It is partly the thought of putting on a show for up to 30,000 fans on Saturday and partly signing off on a high to give everyone hope that this really is the start of a journey which is behind Jackett's commendable 'no let-up' policy.

And amid the Santa Clauses, Supermen and various inflatables that were tossed around the visiting enclosures at Northampton, they were given another reminder of their importance in the fabric of the Molineux masses – and, indeed, the importance of football clubs to their communities in general.

Wolves had some really dark days in the 1980s, slipping from the First to Fourth Division in successive seasons and going into liquidation twice.

But despite the turmoil and crippling lack of investment which strangled the life out of the club, they never left Molineux or Wolverhampton.

So it's difficult not to feel sympathy for Coventry supporters forced to watch their team 34 miles away from home.

Sixfields wasn't the first ground to be turned into a mini-Molineux this season.

Yet there was more than a feeling of this being a 'home' game for Wolves given the 2,170-strong away contingent in a crowd of 4,585 and the Sky Blues fans' continued boycotting of matches at Northampton.

But there was also a recognition of their sad plight from Wolves fans which showed empathy and a touch of class as a group paraded a banner 'Keep CCFC in Cov' which won applause all round.

And after such a memorable campaign on the road, the travelling gold and black army rejoiced with the players at the end in a mutual show of applause.

Such a platform deserved a better game and Jackett rang the changes after their exhausting Easter exertions to try to ensure a freshness about the team, dropping among them his captain Sam Ricketts and two top scorers in Bakary Sako and Nouha Dicko.

That the changes didn't include Leon Clarke – removed by a groin injury in training on Friday – was a source of frustration to many.

But hopes of playing their passing football on a surprisingly grassy pitch – Coventry and hosts Northampton both play on it – was tempered by its bumpiness and a strong wind. All these elements proved as stubborn and difficult opponents as the Sky Blues themselves with Wolves struggling to get their fluid game going.

They will hope for a literally smoother ride on Saturday when they return to Molineux for their curtain call this weekend.

Wolves fans who didn't make the trip may think it was a case of 'after the Lord Mayor's show' and the players going through the motions, but that wasn't the case.

With both teams' attempts to get the ball down hampered, the game became stodgy and locked between the two midfields.

Coventry had the first opening with a fiercely-struck low drive from former Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso which whistled inches wide from 25 yards.

Wolves returned fire with the recalled Liam McAlinden heading straight at keeper Joe Murphy from Lee Evans' cross.

McAlinden also had a half-chance when he turned and fired a few feet wide before the best effort of the first half, Michael Jacobs' curling effort from 25 yards which was parried by Murphy and hooked away by Jordan Clarke before Dave Edwards could pounce.

The thin entertainment value rose slightly after the break as the game opened up.

Evans should have done better than finish weakly on his left foot after wriggling into a good position before Danny Batth's header from a James Henry corner had Murphy stretching to keep the ball out.

That corner was forced by Sako, who arrived as part of a double substitution on the hour with Dicko for Jacobs and McAlinden.

But both defences stood firm until six minutes from time when the goals arrived in the space of 60 seconds.

On his 26th birthday and at the ground where he made a scoring debut for Wolves, Sako was the architect with a superb cross for Edwards to bundle home his ninth goal of the season.

But almost immediately, Coventry were level when Batth headed home Marshall's free-kick ahead of Delfouneso as they showed some rare charity at the back.

The celebrations to greet the equaliser and the final whistle suggested the Sky Blues had won as Wolves had to settle for stalemate, closing their best ever away campaign with 14 wins, six draws and just three defeats.

But any frustration was shortlived as those who witnessed it feel it's the start of a happy journey back to where they belong.