Coventry Sphinx 1-1 Hinckley LR
Stuart Guest
Coventry Sphinx picked up their fifth consecutive draw in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands thanks to Jac Redhead’s equalising goal against former United Counties League rivals Hinckley Leicester Road.
Shaun Thomas and John Woodward’s team again had to bounce back after conceding the first goal and the point kept Sphinx in 17th place while Boldmere St Michaels and Rugby Town swapped places either side of them.
After the Birmingham Senior Cup defeat to Nuneaton Borough in midweek, Sphinx’s joint managers restored Redhead, Leo Brown and stand-in skipper Louis Guest to the starting line-up. Goalkeeper Keelan Fallows played behind Guest, Callum Whiteside, Joe Pursey and Finlay Shorrock.
Luke Downes, Alex Lock, Brown, Redhead and Gio Dainty played in a fluid midfield that shifted to ensure plenty of creative supply to striker Matty Shipman. Will Edjenguele and Khaellem Bailey-Nicholls were back among the substitutes after injury.
Hinckley fancied themselves coming into this match and quickly set about putting the pressure on Sphinx’s defence, playing direct in the early exchanges of what became a rather attritional first half for the most part.
Long clearances into the channels were the order of the day and it was an effective tactic that kept Sphinx honest when their attacks broke down. Eventually, it gave the visitors a foothold and they controlled the match through the middle of the first half.
A free kick was curled over in the 19th minute, and two minutes after that the dangerous Aaron Nuttall tricked his way past two Sphinx defenders and into the penalty area where he was taken down by Dainty. The referee didn’t hesitate before pointing to the spot and Tendai Daire – Hinckley’s most recognised threat – sent the penalty past a diving Fallows and in for 1-0.
From that point forward, most of the game became about whether Sphinx could find a way past Hinckley goalkeeper Will Highland. Brown was the first to attempt it with a trademark incisive run through defenders and in on goal. Highland got down well to deny him at his near post.
Sphinx didn’t really click in the first half an hour but a tactical tweak did the trick and the chances started to come. The ball dropped to Lock on the edge of the box with 30 minutes played and he took a lovely touch past a defender but was unable to keep his shot down.
There was a potential turning point soon after that when a high ball eluded both Shipman and his marker. The Sphinx striker got his body between man and ball inside the box with only Highland to beat. While he hadn’t yet controlled the ball, Shipman was clearly fouled and the decision not to award a penalty was a questionable one.
Highland had to react quickly after Whiteside connected with a rebound from Redhead’s free kick in the 35th minute, with Sphinx now in the ascendancy. Whiteside again forced Highland into action on the stroke of half time, this time with a powerful header from a corner that the Hinckley goalkeeper smartly tipped over to ensure a half time lead for the away side.
What Sphinx needed more than anything was a dominant start to the second half and an early goal, and they got it in style. Dainty was picked out in the box and came up with a clever flick round the corner into the path of Redhead, who was suddenly clean through. He confidently finished with his left foot to equalise.
Though certainly watchable, the second half was a little scruffy and produced very few chances as two teams slugged it out but made relatively little headway until much later in the half.
With 20 minutes left to play the opportunities did start to come as the match finally started to open up. Luke Downes fed Brown and his shot had enough power to force Highland to give away a corner despite being straight at him.
The on-loan forward was almost the beneficiary of a real period of pressure ten minutes from time, getting a good look at goal but just dragging the ball wide. Highland wasn’t tested by that but he didn’t have long to wait for his moment in the spotlight.
Jack Downes, off the bench in place of Dainty in the second half, picked up the bits from a corner that caused Hinckley a few problems and got his laces through a left-footed effort that looked destined for the bottom corner. Highland must have seen it late through a crowd but got down quickly and turned it around the post.
Both teams sent speculative shots over the crossbar in the final minutes but Highland’s late save was the crucial factor in preserving a point for the visitors.
Draws at home won’t be enough for Woodward and Thomas to achieve their aims this season but a solid unbeaten run and steady build-up of points shouldn’t be underappreciated.
The last five draws have been against teams full of quality and Sphinx could have beaten any or all of them. Game by game, week by week, they look more and more capable at Step Four. The wins will come just as surely as a few losses.
Sphinx will round off November with two away trips and two matches on artificial turf. On Tuesday 21st November the rearranged visit to Harborough Town will take place with the Bees now out of the Isuzu FA Trophy and looking to respond. The following Saturday sees Sphinx return to Boldmere St Michaels for the first time since leaving the Midland Football League.
Though familiar to Sphinx from Step Five, both Harborough and Boldmere are now established at the level above. Harborough ended the weekend top of the table. The tests just keep on coming and that’s exactly how Sphinx like it.
Sphinx team
Fallows, Pursey, Shorrock, L. Downes, Guest, Whiteside, Brown, Lock, Shipman, Redhead, Dainty (J. Downes). Unused subs: Edjenguele, Hayward, Bailey-Nicholls, Draper