Quorn 4-2 Coventry Sphinx
Stuart Guest
Farley Way has been an unhappy hunting ground for Coventry Sphinx in the 2023/24 season. After losing heavily in the FA Trophy they were beaten by Quorn again in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands in the final match before Christmas.
Despite the concession of two late goals, the difference between these away losses was significant. Sphinx put in maximum effort and made a real game of it, scoring twice before ultimately succumbing to a team who were clinical in front of goal.
Luke Downes captained the side from the start of a league match for the first time, playing in midfield with Jack Downes and Alex Lock. Jac Redhead played off striker Matty Shipman. Callum Whiteside, Will Edjenguele and James Bryson made up the back three in front of goalkeeper Keelan Fallows. Joe Pursey and Finlay Shorrock continued in the wing back positions.
The visitors made a positive start and immediately demonstrated more intent than their last visit to Quorn. A short burst of early pressure culminated in a goalbound Redhead shot being blocked before the home side really got a foot on the ball.
The match settled into an even pattern, both teams putting together attacking plays in the first quarter but unable to carve out a proper opening before Quorn had two decent looks at goal just before the half hour.
Courey Grantham held off Edjenguele and dragged his shot across goal from right to left with 25 minutes played. Paddy Webb also pulled a shot across the face, this time from left to right, two minutes later. Fallows was untroubled by those two efforts but beaten by the next.
Despite the two prior chances, Quorn's opening goal with 30 minutes played punctured some Sphinx possession. Ryan Beswick was given time and space 20 yards out and thrashed a fine drive beyond Fallows to make it 1-0.
Sphinx responded well to the setback. Webb drew a simple save from Fallows in the 38th minute but Sphinx drew level in the 40th. A Jack Downes goal has been a long time coming but it was a beauty when it arrived to make it 1-1. His excellent close control in the box took him away from a couple of defenders before he fired the ball beyond Quorn goalkeeper Charlie Woods and into the bottom corner.
Fallows had to move his feet quickly to touch a dangerous cross over his crossbar shortly before half time, keeping the score even at the break.
Sphinx came out swinging in the second half. Tenacious play at the top of the attacking third led to a sight of goal for Redhead, who fired one in but saw it parried to safety by Woods in the Quorn goal.
Not for the last time, the home team landed a suckerpunch in the 49th minute with Sphinx looking in decent shape. Quorn's second goal was a near carbon copy of the first. The powerful strike from Devon Kelly-Evans was just as accurate as Beswick's but into the opposite corner.
Sphinx responded well again, enjoying good spells of possession but taking a few minutes to really start making chances. They should have equalised on the hour when a Jack Downes flick-on diverted Redhead's corner kick into the path of Shipman but the striker headed over.
The visitors kept on pushing after a pair of substitutions brought Jamal Adams and Jordan Hayward into attacking positions but the spectacular second equaliser was conjured by two players who'd been on the field since the start.
With 20 minutes remaining Shipman won a header out wide on the left to guide the ball in-field. Redhead watched it bounce once and hit a venomous, dipping 30-yard strike over stranded goalkeeper Woods and into the net. Even in a game of fantastic goals, this was outstanding.
The visitors were in the ascendancy at 2-2 but were soon undone by Quorn's sharpness in Sphinx’s half and another calm finish. Cain Noble made it 3-2 in the 76th minute, slotting the ball past Fallows and into the bottom corner.
Now chasing the game again, Sphinx set about the task of finding a third equaliser. It showed the right attitude to the game and on another day it might have paid off.
Shipman again went close from a corner with ten minutes to go. His header was on target and beat Woods but Quorn substitute Reece Fyfe cleared it off the line. Adams zipped the ball back in and Edjenguele, right in front of goal, wasn't able to snag it as it took a ricochet to his feet.
Three minutes from time Hayward did well to keep the ball alive to tee up Redhead, who curled his shot over from the edge of the box before Quorn put the game to bed in stoppage time.
With the visitors looking for a third goal, they were caught in possession high up the pitch and Ant Carney's clinical finish on the break made it 4-2, finally ending Sphinx’s challenge.
Although they were caught out in stoppage time, Sphinx can take some credit from a much improved Farley Way performance. They were more determined and braver with the ball, and with a stroke of luck or another bit of magic they might have dug out a third equalising goal.
Quorn were good value for the victory, though, and Sphinx had no complaints about the outcome of a match that was, despite some bizarre commentary on their social media, a match devoid of controversy. Specifically naming multiple opposition players who they felt should have been sent off – nonsense in this case anyway, bias or not – is poor form.
Sphinx move on to a Boxing Day clash at home against high-flying Lye Town before a New Year's Day visit to The Oval to take on even more familiar opposition in the form of near neighbours Bedworth United.
Sphinx team
Fallows, Whiteside (Dainty), Shorrock (Hayward), L. Downes, Edjenguele, Bryson, Pursey, J. Downes, Shipman, Redhead, Lock (Adams). Unused subs: Woodward, Bailey-Nicholls