Coventry Sphinx (5)1-1(6) Coventry City
Stuart Guest
Coventry Sphinx gave a great account of themselves but suffered their third penalty shoot-out defeat of the season in the quarter-final of the Birmingham Senior Cup against Coventry City.
The Sky Blues sent a young team across the city but came into this cup tie as firm favourites. Nevertheless, Sphinx can be proud of their performance and, arguably, can feel aggrieved not to have come back from a goal down to nick it in normal time.
Sphinx joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas opted for a strong starting line-up that included a few changes. There was a start for Duncan Van Den Top in goal behind a familiar back three of Jamie Draper, Louis Guest and James Bryson.
Captain Callum Woodward was one of four Callums on the bench, with Max Johnson getting the nod in a creative midfield with Luke Downes and Leo Stone. Jack Downes continued at right wing back, Jordan Hayward returned to left wing back, and Matty Shipman was partnered with Jamal Adams up front.
Far from being intimidated by higher level opposition, Sphinx made a confident start and settled nicely within the first few minutes. But, as the rain intensified, the young Sky Blues started to take control of the ball.
Van Den Top had to make a couple of sharp saves in the first ten minutes but his team-mates were working their socks off to keep the visitors at bay.
Sphinx's first real attempt on goal was a Johnson pot-shot. The midfielder had a pop from 25 yards and the ball skipped favourably off the wet turf. City's giant goalkeeper fielded it well.
Van Den Top made his best save yet, this time with his feet, to deny the away side in the 19th minute. City's pace on the break was evident from the move that led to the chance but Sphinx refused to back off.
After a short spell of dominance for the Sky Blues, Sphinx gradually had more of a say in the first half. They showed no fear in their play and only conceded to a disputed penalty kick late in the half.
If the handball decision was questionable, the strike was not. Van Den Top had no chance of keeping out the perfectly taken penalty into the bottom corner and Sphinx had to regroup at half time, now rather unfortunately a goal down.
By the start of the second half, the rain was constant and the pitch heavy and slippery. But Sphinx were determined to give it a go and started impressively, with substitutes Callum Stewart and Loz Rawlings quickly involved in the attacking third.
Nine minutes into the half, Stewart fired in a shot from a tight angle on the left. It was cleanly struck but flew over the crossbar. A minute later he claimed the assist as Sphinx equalised.
Stewart's beautiful flick around the corner freed Rawlings into the right channel as the home team attacked with speed. Rawlings drilled the shot low and with plenty of venom. The City goalkeeper couldn't do enough to keep it out.
Now level and in the ascendancy, Sphinx were rocking in the middle of the second half. They showed their quality in the 67th minute. Another substitute, Callum Whiteside, cleared the ball off the goal-line and Van Den Top started a break with a quick throw out to the left.
Stewart got himself into the penalty area at the end of the fast attack but dragged his shot wide after beating a defender to create the opportunity for himself.
The home team thrived despite the heavy rain. They performed well and weren't tempted to change their plan on a wet pitch. They trusted themselves to keep using the ball and did it well enough to look the likelier winners as the clock moved towards 90 minutes.
One or two of the young Sky Blues players lost their heads late in the game and showed their frustration, culminating in a feisty set-to five minutes from time.
There was a stoppage time opening for City and two for Sphinx. The visitors poked the ball in after another quality save from Van Den Top, only to be denied by the offside flag.
At the other end, the ball squirmed wide after a touch from Hayward on the break, and the right wing back later volleyed the last shot of the match over the crossbar from 25 yards.
The contest ended 1-1 and went straight to a penalty shoot-out for a place in the semi-final. Woodward, on as a substitute, was the first to score for Sphinx after City's second penalty hit the crossbar, making it 1-1 after two kicks apiece.
Whiteside, Shipman, Rawlings and Hayward all scored excellent penalties for Sphinx, but the away team eventually triumphed 6-5.
Despite exiting the Birmingham Senior Cup in awful weather conditions it was a positive evening for Sphinx. A good crowd saw a determined performance as much about football as grit, and a stirring second half that might have seen the result go the other way.
With all four cup competitions now behind them, Sphinx look ahead to their last nine league matches. There’s still a long way to go in March alone, with Rothwell Corinthians next to visit Sphinx Drive before an away game at Long Buckby and then what promises to be a spectacular Non-League Day at home against Histon.
After that, Sphinx welcome Cogenhoe United on the last Tuesday of the month before embarking upon an April with so much still up for grabs.
Sphinx team
Van Den Top, Draper, Hayward, L. Downes (Rawlings), Guest, Bryson, J. Downes (Whiteside), Johnson (Woodward), Shipman, Adams (Stewart), Stone (C. Martin)