Bedworth United 1-0 Coventry Sphinx
Stuart Guest
After the high of a Boxing Day win, Coventry Sphinx suffered a frustrating away loss against Bedworth United in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands on New Year's Day.
The first fixture of 2024 ended in a 1-0 win for the Greenbacks as Sphinx had two players sent off late on for what the referee deemed to be their second bookable offences.
Red cards aside, the match was an ugly repeat of the reverse fixture at Sphinx Drive. The same player scored the only goal of the game and Sphinx struggled again to create the chances required to test a less than impressive Bedworth outfit.
The visitors were without Callum Whiteside so the returning Louis Guest slotted back into the defence with James Bryson and Will Edjenguele in front of goalkeeper Keelan Fallows. Joe Pursey and Finlay Shorrock started in the wing back positions.
The absence of Jac Redhead meant that Jack Downes and Luke Downes both played in midfield with captain Callum Woodward. Gio Dainty started up front with Matty Shipman.
The visitors made a positive start and looked dangerous but it quickly fizzled out as Bedworth came into the game. The first real attempt on goal came for the Greenbacks when Desean Martin took on a Sphinx defender and smacked his shot over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.
Bedworth penned Sphinx back through the middle of the first half and scored the only goal of the game with 25 minutes played. The home team took a throw-in on their left and worked the ball to former Sphinx player Leo Stone, who tucked the ball across Fallows and into the corner to open the scoring as he did at Sphinx Drive in the previous fixture.
Sphinx’s response to going behind was uncharacteristically lacklustre and Bedworth had control of the ball for the remainder of the first half, which was punctuated by a long delay after an injury to Bedworth forward Nuno Gomez.
The away team improved after half time, keeping the ball better in the Bedworth half and showing their intent to draw level. Ten minutes into the second half a long throw-in from Bryson created one of their better openings. Guest flicked it on and Dainty’s ambitious overhead effort sailed wide of the post.
Despite that opening, Sphinx weren’t winning second balls and the inevitable outcome was that Bedworth regained the momentum, enabled in large part by a polished performance by Reece Blackmore in midfield. Shorrock and Jack Downes picked up yellow cards before Jordan Hayward and Alex Lock came off the bench to freshen up what had become a timid Sphinx display.
The teams exchanged half chances. Elliot Parrot dragged an effort for Bedworth. Jack Downes hit a left-footer that took a nick off a defender and went wide only for a goal kick to be awarded. With quarter of an hour remaining another former Sphinx man, Bedworth captain Will Grocott, had a shot blocked at the other end.
All that remained was a wholly unsatisfactory end to the match from a Sphinx point of view. Bedworth had held the game at arm’s length for much of the half but mustered a late push to render any Sphinx resurgence negligible. Fallows made an excellent one-on-one save in the final minute but there was additional damage in the form of one red card before it and another after.
Shorrock was dismissed in the 82nd minute, shown a second yellow card despite the unusual decision by the referee to allow play to continue first before returning to the incident and the very obvious fact that he was the player fouled.
In stoppage time Jack Downes was shown his second yellow card. On a day when technical cautions for simulation and kicking the ball away were not given, the strict application of the letter of the law after the final kick of the game was difficult to stomach.
Losing to Bedworth by a single goal for the second time this season was a disappointment for Sphinx but their lack of impact in a poor game was the real concern. They've picked up points at a solid rate so far but improvement is needed if they're to continue to do so.
However Sphinx are able to line up with the extra burden of impending suspensions, the rest of January promises to be the toughest month of the season so far. Spalding United visit Sphinx Drive before a visit to Sporting Khalsa and home games against Loughborough Dynamo and Harborough Town.
The month ends at Coleshill Town. By then, Sphinx will need to have taken a few points people aren't expecting them to take.
Sphinx team
Fallows, Bryson, Shorrock, L. Downes (Lock), Guest, Edjenguele, Pursey (Hayward), Woodward, Shipman, J. Downes, Dainty (Adams). Unused subs: Martin, Cristofaro