Coventry City 1-1 Charlton Athletic

It has been a miserable season for Coventry in League One with low attendances and fan protests throughout

Coventry City were relegated to the fourth tier of English football for the first time in 59 years after drawing at home to fellow strugglers Charlton.

The game was twice delayed in the first 10 minutes when Charlton fans again threw plastic pigs onto the pitch in protest against their club's ownership.

After Nathan Byrne had hit the bar for Charlton, George Thomas fired City ahead from close range on 28 minutes.

But Patrick Bauer headed in to equalise nine minutes into the second half.

Coventry, who were in the Premier League as recently as 2001, now face the prospect of playing fourth-tier football for the first time since 1958-59, when they were promoted in second place after one season in the old Division Four.

In a difficult season on the pitch matched by problems off it, with fans holding a series of protests against the club's owners Sisu, the Sky Blues' descent towards relegation began when they failed to win in their opening 10 games.

After Tony Mowbray's resignation in September, they briefly picked up under caretaker boss Mark Venus before Russell Slade took over in December, but form has improved since Mark Robins became their fourth manager of the season on 7 March, culminating in their EFL Trophy final win over Oxford.

Charlton fans have held a number of protests against owner Roland Duchatelet

Having started the brighter of the two teams, both sides were withdrawn from the field after Addicks fans threw pigs onto the pitch for a second time, before Coventry took the lead when they returned through Thomas's sharp finish.

Jodi Jones had a shot saved just before half-time, while Thomas went close again after the break, but City could not maintain their advantage.

Bauer nodded in from two yards out after the hosts had failed to clear a corner - and that sealed City's fate, while allowing the Addicks to climb to 15th, six points clear of relegation with three games to play.

Coventry have made one new appointment in preparation for next season by bringing in former Southampton, Grimsby Town, Port Vale, Hartlepool United and Macclesfield Town midfielder Tommy Widdrington as head of recruitment.

He inherits the role fulfilled by technical director Mark Venus, who left in the week leading up to City's win at Wembley.