Belper United 0-6 Coventry Sphinx
Stuart Guest
After a successful visit to Eccleshall in the Isuzu FA Vase Second Round, Coventry Sphinx were back on the road for the Third Round against Belper United at the home of Belper Town in Derbyshire.
Sphinx got their noses in front in the first half and benefited from a red card for the home team after half time. They were 2-0 up by that stage and scored from the resulting free kick to make it 3-0. Another storming second half saw them rack up the goals once more, eventually running out 6-0 winners to book a place in the next round.
John Woodward and Shaun Thomas were able to name a strong starting line-up with Scott Martin in goal and Jamie Draper returning to the back three alongside Louis Guest and James Bryson. Jordan Hayward reverted to left wing back and Loz Rawlings took over on the right.
Jack Downes and Max Johnson got the nod in midfield with captain Callum Woodward, with Cally Stewart and Matty Shipman starting up front. There was a welcome return among the substitutes for Jamal Adams, who’s performed superbly in this competition in previous seasons. He’ll have to wait a little longer to make his mark this time around.
After a very early scare, the visitors were quick to put Belper under pressure and had a series of corners that led to some presentable chances and forced goalkeeper Curtis Hall to punch to safety, though he later made some commanding catches too.
Martin made a save at the other end as the game started to boil over, at least for the home side. One of their players overstepped the mark in the 14th minute and was sent to the sin bin for ten minutes for dissent.
Sphinx made him pay. They came close when Stewart attempted a low cross from the right channel that Hall spilled just past his near post. A minute later he was in on Hall again.
This time it was fine work from Shipman, Woodward and Hayward that led to Rawlings teeing up Johnson, whose perfect pass picked out Stewart’s smart run. Sphinx’s top goalscorer slotted the ball past Hall first time to give his team the lead.
Sphinx didn’t have it all their way in the first half. It was a decent, competitive game and the visitors had to play very well to keep their noses in front, especially when Belper were restored to eleven men.
Belper were unhappy with the referee for much of the first half but after going a goal behind they were able to get on the ball and remind the Sphinx defence to keep their wits about them. The match became testy as half time approached, and the first period ended with a shot over from Leo Stone, on as a substitute after Johnson picked up a knock in midfield.
Sphinx made it 2-0 in the fourth minute of the second half. Stone collected the ball just outside his own penalty area, passed to Rawlings, and made a burst through the middle to receive a return pass.
The substitute then played a one-touch pass to Stewart, who rolled it back to him as he continued his run. Stone kept going until he was 20 yards out, where he ripped a left-footed shot into the top corner.
The visitors were electric in the early part of the second half. Five minutes after the second goal, Stewart skinned Belper player-manager Marc Stryzewski and nicked the ball past Hall as he raced out of his box. Strzyzewski brought the Sphinx forward down and was shown the red card.
To rub salt into the wound, Sphinx skipper Woodward stepped up and fired in a stunning free kick that left the goalkeeper helpless as it headed for the top corner. With a 3-0 advantage and an extra man, the visitors had finally taken full control of the match.
Shipman had a shot deflected on the hour before Scott Martin had to make an excellent low save in the Sphinx goal, having had nothing to do for some time. In the 63rd minute his captain made it 4-0 with a second wonderful goal.
Draper won a crunching tackle in midfield and the ball found its way to Shipman. The striker backheeled it to Woodward 25 yards from goal and he took the shot in stride and lifted a beautiful lob over Hall and under the crossbar on the half volley.
Sphinx thought Shipman was fouled in the box with a little over 15 minutes remaining, just as they kicked themselves back into gear after coasting slightly for a few minutes and leaving Martin to make another good save. No penalty was awarded.
Belper’s surge was brief. In the 77th minute Sphinx won another free kick and this time it was taken by Stewart and saved by Hall. But the Belper goalkeeper lost the flight and the ball came loose for Guest, who teed up Rawlings for a cross. The wing back clipped it to the back post where it bounced in a handy spot for Shipman to take a touch and slam the ball into the roof of the net for 5-0.
Martin made a tremendous diving save with six minutes left, thwarting a shot that took a deflection before it reached him. That was Belper’s last assault on the Sphinx goal and all that remained was for Shipman to put the icing on the cake with his second goal and Sphinx’s sixth in the last minute.
Jack Downes and his brother Luke, on as a substitute, combined to feed the ball out to Rawlings on the right. Rawlings slotted it into the channel for Stone, who went for goal. The goalkeeper got a hand to it but could only divert it across the face of goal, and Shipman slid in to smash it in off the post from no angle at all.
Sphinx produced some thumping wins in last season’s FA Vase run and this one tops them all. As well as shutting down opposition who looked quick and dangerous up front in the first half, Thomas and Woodward’s men were lethal in front of goal in the second.
This is a team and club in fantastic shape. The unity on display at full time between the players and a bumper away crowd is evidence of that. There are things the club wants to achieve but embracing every Saturday afternoon on its own merits is a great way to build memories like this.
Sphinx team
S. Martin, Draper, Hayward (C. Martin), J. Downes, Guest, Bryson, Rawlings, Woodward (L. Downes), Shipman, Stewart, Johnson (Stone). Unused subs: Kennedy, Adams, Van Den Top