Coventry Sphinx 0-2 Wellingborough Town
After a long period in second place in the Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division South, Coventry Sphinx’s run in the Isuzu FA Vase left the door open to Wellingborough Town a few weeks before they met for the first time this season.
The Doughboys then came to Coventry on an exceptional run of form and extended it thanks to a 2-0 away win over the team now nestled behind them in third place. Two smart finishes from Nehemiah Richard-Noel, one in either half, did the damage for Sphinx on a night on which the visitors had to win.
Joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas took another step forward in their quest to converge the entire squad into a single name, welcoming goalkeeper James Martin into the side with namesake Scott unavailable.
He played behind a back three of Draper (Jamie), Guest (Louis) and Bryson (James), with Hayward (Jordan) and Martin (Callum) at wing back.
Luke Downes played in midfield with captain Callum Woodward and Leo Stone, and Dylan Parker got the nod up front with Callum Stewart in the absence of his regular strike partner Matty Shipman.
There was no question of Sphinx underestimating a team on a run of wins like Wellingborough’s and it was clear from the start of the game just how tough this fixture was going to be.
But the home team clawed their way into the game within the first five minutes and played some tidy football in the attacking third. Stewart made a lovely one-touch pass for his skipper in the seventh minute and Woodward’s strike was true, but deflected wide.
Wellingborough also had an effort deflected away for a corner in a frantic opening that saw both teams attack with serious intent. With a little under quarter of an hour played, Stewart made a great burst into the box and the ball ended up squirting back out to Martin (Callum) outside the box. His shot faded wide.
Stewart was lively in the first 20 minutes and came close after being played in by Parker in the 17th minute. Wellingborough’s goalkeeper stood up well to block the resulting shot and keep the game goalless.
Martin did the same with a really good save one on one at the other end, but Sphinx were soon caught out at the back.
In the 29th minute, Richard-Noel managed to free himself into the right-hand channel and took his shot on early from outside the box, smashing it high into the net with his right foot and giving Martin no chance to stop it.
With the exceptions of a low Callum Martin pass across the box that was almost turned in by a defender and a shot wide from Stone, the goal did Sphinx no favours. Wellingborough’s tails were up and they were the better side heading into half time a goal to the good.
Sphinx’s best quarter of the match came immediately after the break. They made a really good start in the very first minute of the second half and continued to press and probe for an equaliser.
Stewart snuck in along the byline ten minutes into the half, giving himself a half-chance and managing to get a powerful drive away only to see it sail just past the angle of post and bar.
A couple of minutes later Woodward delivered a characteristically dangerous free kick and Guest’s movement produced a golden opportunity. The defender could only glance the ball just wide of the post.
Guest and goalkeeper Martin combined to repel a double chance for the visitors to extend their lead but a minute later it was Sphinx who rippled the net. Stewart’s run was incisive again but his shot deflected into the side netting.
For the first time in the game, Wellingborough were slightly hanging on. It didn’t stay that way for long and Richard-Noel was again the man who took a difficult chance like it was child’s play.
The second goal was against the run of play in the sense that Sphinx were scrapping for an equaliser and seemingly making headway, but it certainly wasn’t undeserved. Richard-Noel took up a central position with Wellingborough on the counter-attack and thrashed in a beautifully taken first-time shot that left Martin helpless again.
Sphinx rallied again at 2-0 down. In the 78th minute, Woodward sent in another excellent free kick and substitute Whiteside (Callum) was able to meet it after scoring late in the previous match.
On this occasion he was under rather more pressure and was prevented from getting a clean header on goal. His attempt was held.
By the last five minutes it was attack versus defence but defence was winning almost everything. Wellingborough had their own shot just wide in the 87th minute and drew another tremendous save from Martin deep into stoppage time.
At the other end, substitute Loz Rawlings forced the Doughboys goalkeeper into a rare save four minutes into added time, and Woodward’s curled shot wide with 97 minutes played was the last of a number of chances that came and went begging that typically would have been taken.
There’s not a lot of room for feeling in football analysis. There are statistics and tactics and mistakes and misses and saves, but not a lot of feeling. Yet we all know the game is all about it, really, and there was a sense in the February night air that this game was never going to swing Sphinx’s way.
As the old adage goes, we could have played until midnight without scoring. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. Wellingborough are an impressive side but gave up the kind of opportunities Sphinx normally gobble up. It’s just the way it was.
The result left Sphinx five points behind Wellingborough, albeit with games in hand. Newport Pagnell are two points further back having played the same number of games as Sphinx. The Doughboys gained ground on leaders Rugby Town, who were beaten at home for the second time this season.
Sphinx move on to yet another busy week, starting with Lutterworth Town away on one Saturday and ending with Milton Keynes Irish away on the next, by way of a midweek meeting with Desborough Town at the Sphinx Industrial Supplies Arena. There’s no rest for the wicked.
Sphinx team
J. Martin, Draper, C. Martin (Rawlings), L. Downes (J. Downes), Guest, Bryson (Whiteside), Hayward (Johnson), Woodward, Parker, Stewart, Stone (Adams)