Eccleshall 0-3 Coventry Sphinx
Stuart Guest
Last season's exhilarating run in the FA Vase afforded Coventry Sphinx direct entry into the Second Round Proper, meaning a November start for their participation in 2022/23.
They will extend that into early December thanks to a 3-0 away win over Eccleshall, a scoreline that secured Sphinx’s passage into the Third Round but tells little of the story of a tough afternoon in Staffordshire.
John Woodward and Shaun Thomas were able to name an unchanged back three of Jamie Draper, Louis Guest and James Bryson in front of goalkeeper Scott Martin, with Callum Whiteside and Jordan Hayward as wing backs.
Luke Downes and captain Callum Woodward operated in midfield behind Leo Stone and a front two of Matty Shipman and Cally Stewart.
The first half was finely balanced and ended goalless, albeit with no shortage of incident. Sphinx edged the chances in the first quarter of an hour but were by no means dominant.
Hayward saw a shot deflected wide and a Shipman header went the same way either side of a quick throw-in and sharp Woodward cross that had to be cleared by the Eccleshall defence.
The home side's frustration with the referee stemmed from a decision in the 14th minute of a combative cup tie. Guest, on the cover, fouled an opponent who beat him to the ball. The forceful challenge drew a yellow card. The possibility of a red was real.
The resulting free kick from distance was well struck by Eccleshall's Mitchell Glover, beat the wall and looked to be heading for the top corner until Sphinx goalkeeper Martin got across to swat it clear with a fine diving save.
The next chance fell for Sphinx, Whiteside heading over under pressure, but Eccleshall enjoyed a spell in the ascendancy in the middle of the half.
In the 25th minute they hit the visitors on the break – not for the first time or the last – and the move culminated in a cross to the back post and a header that Martin had to catch to keep the score at 0-0.
A half-volley attempt took a nick and went wide a few minutes later as Eccleshall pushed for the lead, and Martin made the unheralded save of the match late in the first half.
Eccleshall's corner was cleared but the ball was sent back into the box, beyond Martin and to the back post. A knock back across led to a free header right in front of goal but Martin changed direction and grabbed it in the nick of time.
Stewart, causing issues for the Eccleshall defence, showed some nifty footwork five minutes before the break and had his foot clipped just outside the box. He took the free kick himself and shot wide with the last real effort of an absorbing first period.
The away team started the second half slowly but took the lead in the 49th minute.
Hayward was fouled on the left and Woodward’s in-swinging free kick was the perfect delivery for a prolific goalscoring centre half to attack and thump the ball beyond Aaron Woolrich and into the net. Bryson goals are ten a penny, these days.
Sphinx really started to play after gaining the advantage but, as the hour passed, it was clear that Eccleshall had the ability and intent to get back to level pegging and that the game wasn't yet won.
A second goal in the 62nd minute went a long way to paving the path to the Third Round. Max Johnson, on as a substitute mere seconds earlier, produced a lovely turn on the right and clipped in a sensational cross that found Hayward stealing in around the back. He crashed in an unstoppable header to bag his second Sphinx goal.
Eccleshall continued to dig in and Martin was happy to watch a shot from the edge of his penalty area go wide before a Johnson backheel teed up Woodward for a curler from 20 yards that was saved by Woolrich.
The home team entered the final quarter of an hour a man short as the result of a sin bin, and Sphinx quickly looked to take advantage with a barrage of chances in the 78th minute. Johnson had the last and best of them, hitting the crossbar with a curling shot of his own.
Eccleshall were restored to eleven men but Sphinx went on to score a third goal in the last minute of normal time.
Stewart flicked the ball on to set Hayward clear in the left slot. The wing back's powerful direct running took him beyond the home defence and into the box, where he smashed a confident strike past Woolrich and into the bottom corner for 3-0.
Sphinx's progress to the Third Round of the Vase means that they haven't been eliminated earlier in any of the last three seasons, a mark of how well the team and management have navigated a series of unusual circumstances.
It also shows the value of loyalty and stability in non-league football. The team spirit at Sphinx is second to none and that doesn't happen without smart recruitment and the buy-in of the players.
As Woodward and Thomas begin preparations for the Third Round visit to Belper United, they first return their primary focus to the Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division South and November's two remaining fixtures, one at home and one away.
The team's form is excellent and they deserve to be seen. The next opportunity to do so is at 2pm on Saturday 19th November, when league newcomers Milton Keynes Irish visit the Sphinx Industrial Supplies Arena.
Sphinx team
S. Martin, Draper (Rawlings), Hayward, L. Downes (J. Downes), Guest, Bryson, Whiteside, Woodward, Shipman, Stewart, Stone (Johnson). Unused subs: C. Martin, Kennedy, Van Den Top, Cross