Anstey Nomads 0-0 Coventry Sphinx
Stuart Guest
Anstey Nomads v Coventry Sphinx produced six goals in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands Division last season. The home team scored five of them on the way to the play-offs.
This season, an equally fiery game ended goalless and Sphinx claimed a handy point away from home.
Joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas started with a central defensive trio made up of Jamie Draper, Patrick Zito and Ryley Nicholson in front of goalkeeper Charlie Woods.
Stan Dube got the nod in the left wing back position with Joe Pursey on the opposite side, while stand-in captain Jack Downes continued in midfield alongside Iddriss Fuseini after an impressive showing in the middle of the park against Sporting Khalsa.
Shay Willock played up front with Kyle Carey and Roan Newey either side of him and dropping in to get on the ball in a game that was largely devoid of shape and quality throughout.
The visitors gained some early territory in a competitive start. Both teams were able to get forward but neither could carve out a real chance to break the deadlock.
Anstey built up a head of steam after quarter of an hour but Sphinx got at them on the break more than once, giving as good as they got against a team who expect to end the season near the top of the table.
The game deteriorated into a battle and never recovered. The home team were content to play long balls forward but neither they nor the visitors could generate much action in front of goal.
Woods had to grab the ball in a dangerous spot and an Anstey shot deflected wide just before half time, but the majority of the home team’s approach was swallowed up by Sphinx’s determined shift without the ball.
The away side were forced into yet another half-time substitution, this time after Dube had been on the end of one of several tackles that might have caught the eye of a different referee.
Shorrock came on in his place and played his part as the visitors created the best chance of the match very early in the second half. Willock hit the crossbar with a bobbling ball at close range. Newey fired over on the follow-up.
Willock and Newey combined in the 56th minute. The striker’s hold-up play teed up an opening for Newey but he screwed his shot wide from 20 yards.
The Nomads started to put the squeeze on the visitors around the hour mark but it was Carey who had the next sight of goal, cutting back onto his right foot from a tight angle and seeing his shot saved comfortably by the home goalkeeper.
Anstey’s directness gradually began to work and Sphinx had their work cut out. A good chance at close range came to nothing but the hosts went close with 20 minutes remaining, when they won the first and second headers from a corner and probably should have made them count.
But Sphinx were by no means second best. A nice move on the right with quarter of an hour remaining led to Lock whipping the ball across goal for Newey, whose shot went wide.
An ill-tempered but uneventful match grew ever more frantic but Sphinx had an opportunity to win it in stoppage time, when four or five chances in ten seconds forced the Nomads to come up with a series of big defensive blocks to keep the scoreline goalless.
At the other end, Woods’ handling around his six-yard box was crucial as a succession of crosses and corners was loaded into his goalmouth. He was equal to all of it and eased the pressure at some key moments late in the game.
After beating Khalsa and drawing at Cropston Road, Sphinx will face two matches in three days. The first, on Saturday 9th November will be at home against former Midland Football League opponents Worcester City.
The second sees them visit Coleshill Town at Pack Meadow, where they picked up one of their most memorable wins as a Step Four side last season.
Sphinx team
Woods, Draper, Dube (Shorrock), Downes, Zito, Nicholson, Pursey, Fuseini (Ballinger), Willock (Lock), Carey (Kelly), Newey (Hayward)