Lutterworth Town 0-5 Coventry Sphinx
After a first home loss since the beginning of August, Coventry Sphinx set about a return to winning ways with a 5-0 win away at Lutterworth Town. Last season’s 2-2 draw at Dunley Way seemed a long time ago as the visitors steamed into a 4-0 lead before half time in the Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division South.
February had been a busy month so joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas took the opportunity to make some changes with another fixture to follow three days later.
Scott Martin returned in goal and there was a start in the back three for Callum Whiteside, who played the first half alongside Jamie Draper and Louis Guest before James Bryson replaced Draper at the break.
Callum Martin continued at left wing back and Loz Rawlings came into the starting eleven on the right. Jack Downes got the nod in midfield with captain Callum Woodward and Callum Stewart, who dropped into the hole with Jamal Adams joining Matty Shipman up front.
There isn’t really a good time to play against this Sphinx team but immediately after a damaging defeat is a pretty bad one. The visitors were a goal up in the third minute and scored again in the sixth, a headstart from which Lutterworth seldom looked capable of recovering.
Shipman and Stewart were instrumental in both goals. Superb, tenacious work at the top of the final third by Stewart freed him up to poke the ball through for Shipman, who showed his strength under pressure and buried the finish to give Sphinx the early lead.
After a header wide at the other end, Stewart and Shipman combined again to create the second goal. Stewart cut in from the left and his ball into the box found Shipman. His lob beat the Swifts goalkeeper and dropped right on the line. Rawlings, onside, arrived on the scene to touch the ball into the net.
The first quarter of an hour was quite one-sided in favour of the visitors but Lutterworth got on the ball and moved it well at 2-0, after Rawlings had had a shot cleared off the line. Scott Martin had to make a solid save at the end of a Lutterworth break in the 18th minute.
Sphinx then kicked into gear. In the 24th minute, Stewart played a terrific one-two with Shipman and surged into the box, where he was upended by the Lutterworth goalkeeper. There were few complaints about the referee’s decision to award a penalty.
Stewart took the spot kick himself and went to the goalkeeper’s left, but the Swifts ‘keeper went the right way and came up with a penalty save of real quality to keep the score at 2-0.
But Sphinx, by now, were enjoying their afternoon despite needing to get the ball moving a little better.
Downes produced a superb driving run in the 26th minute and rolled the ball for Stewart in the right slot. The top scorer slightly dragged his shot as he sought to make amends for not taking his chance from the spot.
Lutterworth made life hard but this Sphinx team hits the accelerator in adversity and moved through the gears in the first half at Dunley Way. Adams fired over with ten minutes left in the half before delivering a beauty of a cross for Shipman, who headed wide in the 38th minute.
Desperate defending denied Stewart and Shipman after good work from the former, and in the 42nd minute he was given another chance to make it 3-0 from twelve yards. Adams benefited from a big bobble in the attacking third and showed his physicality to take control of the ball and drive into the box, where he was fouled.
This time, Stewart’s powerful low strike found the bottom corner to the goalkeeper’s right. At 3-0, Sphinx had a commanding lead and started to play with the freedom that affords.
Three goals before the break guarantees nothing in football. Four is usually too much to overcome, and Lutterworth found themselves in that predicament in the last minute of the first half. Woodward’s corner from the left was hung up at the back post, where Guest’s typically powerful header gave the goalkeeper no chance.
The visitors applied good pressure from the start of the second half as the game got away from Lutterworth.
Shipman’s shot over the crossbar in the first minute of the half was the only opening of note until ten minutes in, when a quick Sphinx break gave Woodward an opportunity to slide the ball into a dangerous spot for Adams. The goalkeeper did really well to get out and make the block.
Sphinx did get their fifth goal just a couple of minutes later. After a Rawlings cross was cleared, Stewart picked up the loose ball and drew another good save from the goalkeeper. This time, substitute Jordan Hayward was following up to smash it in from a tight angle.
Shipman’s drive on the hour called the overworked Lutterworth stopper into action again. Even at 5-0 with half an hour to play, Sphinx’s attitude and application were first class. There was no sixth goal but there were chances to come.
After a sharp piece of attacking team play in the 78th minute, substitute Max Johnson took on a first-time shot and cut across it slightly to send it just wide. A few minutes later Rawlings got in behind and cracked a shot off the crossbar, before a stoppage time effort from Johnson was cleared off the line by a defender.
The game ended 5-0 but the score didn’t flatter Sphinx. The first half was a demolition job and they ended the match with five different scorers, just as they did against March Town United earlier in the month.
Losing against Newport Pagnell Town and Wellingborough Town was a smack in the chops but this Sphinx team never stay on the canvas for long. Thomas and Woodward’s players started quickly and got the game won with no fuss whatsoever – they made it look routine but the character on display shouldn’t be overlooked.
Sphinx roll straight into their next fixture against Sphinx Industrial Supplies Arena, welcoming Desborough Town on the last evening of the month. Milton Keynes Irish and Wellingborough Town are the next away games, split by the reverse fixture against Lutterworth on Tuesday 7th March.
Sphinx team
S. Martin, Draper (Bryson), C. Martin (Hayward), J. Downes, Guest, Whiteside, Rawlings, Woodward (Johnson), Shipman, Stewart (L. Downes), Adams (Stone)