Coventry Sphinx 2-0 Lye Town
Marcus Robinson
Coventry Sphinx shook off the disappointment of a defeat at Quorn to claim a crucial Boxing Day win over Lye Town in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands.
A goal in either half by Jack Downes and Jordan Hayward gave Sphinx a 2-0 victory against a Flyers team sitting high in the league table, further proof that they can be competitive in Step Four football.
Joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas started Downes in midfield with captain Callum Woodward, who returned to the side after sitting out at Quorn three days earlier, and playmaker Jac Redhead.
Keelan Fallows played in goal behind a back three of Callum Whiteside, Will Edjenguele and James Bryson. Joe Pursey and Finlay Shorrock played in the wing back positions and Gio Dainty was given a start off striker Matty Shipman.
The last game of an historic 2023 started with the home team dominating the ball and seeking to cause problems for Lye from kick-off. The rhythm evened out but Sphinx’s threat led to a corner being worked back towards Redhead with ten minutes played. His shot was blocked by a defender.
The home team got themselves on top but not without a fight. Fallows had to hold on to a shot from the edge of the box in the 13th minute and make sure his angles were right to safely see over an ambitious long shot from Joe Palmer six minutes later.
Sphinx were a little sloppy in some areas in difficult conditions, but they produced moments of quality that mattered. In the middle of the half Dainty sprung the offside line on the right and headed towards goal. As he moved into the penalty area he squared the ball for Shipman, whose shot was blocked by a last-ditch defensive effort by Rio Sawyers.
On the half hour mark, Jack Downes went one better to put his team in the lead. Shorrock took a quick throw-in on the left and gave Redhead time to assess his options, turn, and slide the ball into the path of Downes. After scoring at the weekend, the midfielder struck a 25-yard drive that took a very slight nick but had the power and direction it needed to leave Ben Newey helpless in the Lye goal.
The hosts didn’t sit on their single-goal lead and set about searching for a second before half time. Shorrock, Redhead and Downes superbly linked up again with five minutes left in the first half, this time creating a half chance for Dainty. He did well to get across his marker at the near post but the angle was too tight and his left-footed shot could only find the side netting.
Shipman called Newey into action two minutes later, getting his shot away at the end of another nice move that took Sphinx all the way from left to right and stretched the Flyers defence thin as Shipman found the space he needed to fire towards goal.
Thomas and Woodward’s team might have felt some frustration at going into the break just one goal to the good but they were decent value for it and the task ahead of them for the second half was clear.
They started well again. Jack Downes had Newey on the move five minutes into the half. His sliced cross was heading for the top corner before the Lye goalkeeper tipped the ball over his crossbar for a Sphinx corner.
After that corner had been cleared out of the box, Redhead pinched the ball high up the pitch and showed great feet to create a shooting opportunity. He cut across the finish and sent the ball wide of Newey’s goal. Soon after that, Newey had to save from Shipman again after the striker had chopped back onto his right foot and curled a tame shot on target.
Lye found their feet in the second half as they had in the first. One minute the match was end to end and gave Sphinx some chances to get the visitors turned and make some chances, the next it was an attritional battle that tested their fortitude as much as their ability.
The away team had their best spell of the match with an hour played and it culminated in a corner from their left that was delivered deep and resulted in a header at the back post that drifted well over. Ten minutes later Fallows got down smartly to hold a low shot from Demico Burton.
Sphinx were still having a say going forward. Downes tried his luck from distance again and his shot zipped off the surface but Newey was equal to it. The home team were digging in with time ticking away but looking to score too. Lye had them on edge but were guilty of trying to force the issue at times when composure might have served them better.
The second goal was just the sting in the tail that Sphinx were looking for. Nice wing play by Shorrock on the left sent substitute Jordan Hayward into the penalty area.
He showed excellent tenacity to force his way through the defence as they snapped at his heels to get the ball cleared before using the outside of his left foot to shoot across the goalkeeper and into the far corner. At 2-0 with a minute of stoppage time played, the points were secure.
Hayward’s late goal put the gloss on a vital win. Sphinx had been under some late pressure without the insurance of a second but would have been disappointed to drop points after keeping the Flyers attack largely at arm's length.
Adding three more points will go a long way towards Sphinx’s aims in 2023/24. The NPL Midlands table is tight and every win has a big impact. Steadily picking up points is the name of the game for the boys in sky blue and white.
They now move on into 2024 with a New Year's Day fixture against near neighbours Bedworth United at The Oval, followed by a home match against Spalding United.
January promises to be a tough month, full of games against teams in the top half. Sphinx have shown themselves capable against top teams on their day and a challenging month could be the making of them.
Sphinx team
Fallows, Whiteside, Shorrock, J. Downes, Edjenguele, Bryson, Pursey, Woodward (L. Downes), Shipman, Redhead (Lock), Dainty (Hayward). Unused sub: Adams