Coventry Sphinx 0-1 Spalding United
Stuart Guest
Coventry Sphinx began 2024 with two matches in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands and lost them both by a single goal.
On both occasions the goal was scored in the first half, leaving Sphinx to chase an equaliser and try to get something out of the fixture. On both occasions they came up short in that hunt. That's where the similarities end.
After a disappointing display against Bedworth United on New Year's Day, Sphinx dug in and battled to the end against Spalding United five days later. The Tulips ended the day top of the league but they were certainly made to work for it.
The grounds team did a brilliant job to get the pitch playable after the January deluge. The difficult conditions did neither team any favours but you play the match that's put in front of you and nobody is obliged to make it easy.
Fallows fielded the first speculative shot of the match from Spalding before Sphinx set out their stall. Despite a better start and good attacking intent early on, the home team fell behind with six minutes played.
Sphinx were unhappy with their defending when a direct pass from the Tulips was flicked on by Tyler Winters to Danny Draper. Draper pulled the ball in and clinically slotted it past Fallows into the bottom corner.
Sphinx took the goal in stride. Spalding dominated possession for a while but the home team sought to hit them on the break.
Just a few minutes after the goal, Shipman and Carey exchanged passes to quickly cover half of the field and create an opening. Carey’s cross picked out the striker but his header under pressure drifted wide.
Sphinx enjoyed a good spell in the middle of the half and looked much more threatening going forward than they did on New Year's Day. Hayward was a reliable outlet on the break out wide on the left.
A period of pressure from Spalding culminated in another comfortable Fallows save before Sphinx began to tilt the game in their favour.
Just after the half hour mark, Redhead did well to create a yard in the attacking third and hit a shot that was deflected away for a corner. Woodward's deep delivery of that set piece was headed back across goal by Edjenguele beyond the back post and it was goalbound until a sharp clearance off the line.
A few minutes later Shipman forced Spalding goalkeeper Tony Breeden into the only real save either goalkeeper made. Shipman showed some pace to get in behind but Breeden was equal to his shot on target as he made his way into the box.
Tulips captain Nathan Stainfield headed wide from a corner with the last action of first-half stoppage time and Spalding's set pieces were especially concerning for Sphinx as the visitors looked dangerous in the early part of the second half.
Sphinx gradually gained the impetus in an entertaining second half full of blood and thunder. Shortly before the hour Shipman fired wide on the turn after being found by Lock at the end of a lovely move. The home team looked increasingly capable of levelling the score.
Halfway through the second half a Spalding free kick caused a problem in the Sphinx area but the ball ricocheted harmlessly off Tulips striker Riley O'Sullivan – a former Sphinx junior and a thorn in Sphinx’s side, as he tends to be – allowing Fallows to grab it on the line.
With quarter of an hour remaining Sphinx's best chance of the match came and went. Shipman combined well with Carey again, releasing his team-mate into the left channel with Spalding's defence turned. Carey produced a tremendous ball across goal and Pursey busted a gut to get there in time to meet it but could only guide his shot across the face of goal.
Redhead was in his element, the intelligent foot on the ball in the middle of a gutsy and physical team performance. Sphinx gave it everything in the second half, didn't give Spalding's players a moment's peace and never gave up on getting a result.
They were ultimately unable to find the all-important equalising goal but their attitude and work ethic throughout the 90 minutes were spot on.
Fallows had some saves to make after the Spalding goal but none was a real test. Sphinx had one effort cleared off the line and one well saved in the first half and can claim to have had the better openings in the second.
They just didn't have the finish on the day against a Spalding side who aren't in the habit of allowing many chances. The Tulips continue on with their title challenge intact thanks to three hard-earned points. Sphinx must take the positives into tough games to come.
Sphinx team
Fallows, Bryson (Pursey), Hayward, Lock, Guest, Edjenguele (Whiteside), J. Downes (Shorrock), Woodward, Shipman, Redhead, Carey. Unused subs: L. Downes, Dainty