Pinchbeck United 1-5 Coventry Sphinx
Stuart Guest
Coventry Sphinx progressed to the First Round of this season’s Sports Ground Development UCL Cup, winning a rearranged Preliminary Round tie against Pinchbeck United in Spalding. The Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division South side won 5-1 against their Premier Division North opponents to set up a meeting with Sleaford Town at Sphinx Drive at the end of October.
Marathon man Callum Woodward dropped to the bench for a well deserved rest as joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas picked a midfield three comprising Lewis Noon, Jack Downes and Luke Downes.
Louis Guest wore the captain’s armband and played in between James Bryson and Callum Whiteside in defence, with Callum Martin and Loz Rawlings at wing back. Matty Shipman and Callum Stewart started up front, while Duncan Van Den Top replaced unavailable goalkeeper Scott Martin.
Sphinx spluttered into life after a slow start, Shipman’s first-half brace the key that unlocked the game before the second half performance showed much more of what the team can do. Rawlings, Stewart and substitute Leo Stone added a goal apiece before a late consolation for Pinchbeck at the home of Spalding United.
The visitors had to defend a pair of early corners before their first serious attack with seven minutes played. It might have ended badly for Pinchbeck, whose last man had the ball nicked off his toes by Stewart and clipped the Sphinx forward on the way through on goal.
The defender was shown a yellow card. Although he had team-mates nearby, another referee on another day might have concluded that they were unlikely to get round on the cover and opted for red.
Sphinx found their feet as the game evolved into a battle with precious little goalmouth action. When it arrived, it was Pinchbeck who possessed the attacking threat.
Van Den Top had to save smartly with his feet to repel a firm strike through bodies in the 19th minute and there was more to come. The Sphinx goalkeeper watched a deflected shot drift wide before getting down well to make an excellent save from another deflected effort.
His contribution to this win was crucial. He made a solid diving save and an important catch in the 24th minute, keeping the score at 0-0 in the face of sustained pressure from the home side.
His team built on the platform Van Den Top provided. Shipman was denied by a good defensive block after being rolled into a dangerous position by Stewart, and Stewart got on the end of a brilliant Jack Downes through ball in the 29th minute. His shot beat Pinchbeck goalkeeper Charlie Wilkinson but rolled wide of the post.
Five minutes later the move of the match led to Sphinx opening the scoring. A blistering break began with Whiteside’s defensive header and was driven by Rawlings, who streaked forward before feeding the ball in-field for Stewart. Stewart played Shipman into the left channel, and he cut inside to send a tremendous curling shot inside the far post from the corner of the penalty area.
Rawlings met Noon’s low free kick five minutes before the break but was unable to keep his effort under the crossbar, but Sphinx didn’t have to wait long to double the lead.
In transition again, Rawlings unleashed Shipman with a perfect through ball. The striker went one on one with Wilkinson and slotted it confidently into the net. Sphinx had a two-goal lead but had been second best for much of the half.
The same certainly wasn’t true after the break. The visitors took the initiative from the first minute of the second half, with Noon feeding Martin and Martin’s venomous pass across the box just a little too potent for Rawlings to connect.
By the time they scored their third Sphinx were much improved, passing the ball well and opening up some opportunities. In the 52nd minute they killed the contest with another goal, this time from a set piece.
Noon took a corner from Sphinx’s left, whipped it in and found Rawlings in space in between the posts. The wing back’s glancing header was exactly what was needed and found the far corner, adding a goal to his earlier assist and putting Sphinx very much in the driving seat.
Only now did they enjoy a real period of dominance, and it bore fruit on the hour. After a throw-in from the right flank, Sphinx worked the ball in behind and it dropped for Stewart. He nipped in, went round Wilkinson and finished with composure that made a difficult angle look easy.
Woodward and Thomas made changes at 4-0 and skipper Callum Woodward got right back into the creative swing of things with 26 extra miles in his legs since his last appearance. He received a short corner that caught Pinchbeck off guard and swung in a great ball for Guest, whose header hit the post. Shipman had a chance to complete the hat-trick but couldn’t adjust his feet quickly enough to snaffle the rebound.
In the 71st minute the away team added a fifth goal, again from an impressive passing move. Shipman’s clever backheel took the Pinchbeck defence out of the game in one go and left substitute Leo Stone up against Wilkinson. He finished confidently into the bottom corner.
Pinchbeck’s consolation was a frustrating one from a Sphinx perspective. Elliot Foster scored it, his free kick well struck but at a height that wouldn’t have taken it over the wall if the wall hadn’t disintegrated and allowed it through. Van Den Top’s clean sheet was lost when the ball found the net on the wall side.
There was still time for another substitute, Danny Fraser, to curl a quickly taken free kick just wide and for Wilkinson to save well from Mason Platts and Fraser before the final whistle. The game ended 5-1 and a place in the First Round was secure.
The visit of Sleaford at the end of the month will be another test for Sphinx, who step again into the unknown territory of the Premier Division North. Until then, league football returns to centre stage and the challenges are coming thick and fast.
Sphinx came into October with trips to Wellingborough Town and Lutterworth Town on the schedule and will end it having not played either. Despite the changed complexion of the month, it remains a pivotal one in an exciting season.
Easington Sports will be Sphinx’s next league opponents before the rearranged fixture against Rugby Town at Butlin Road and the next round of the Sports Ground Development Cup.
Sphinx team
Van Den Top, Whiteside, C. Martin (Hayward), J. Downes (Woodward), Guest, Bryson, Rawlings (Fraser), L. Downes (Stone), Shipman, Stewart (Platts), Noon