Quorn 4-3 Coventry Sphinx
After the first attempt to play Coventry Sphinx’s away fixture at Quorn was cut short by lightning with the home team leading 4-1, they took the same scoreline into half time in the rearranged game in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands Division.
Two late goals from substitute Roan Newey made for a surprisingly nervous conclusion for Quorn, who should have been home and hosed going into stoppage time at Farley Way.
Jack Downes was named as captain with Callum Woodward and Louis Guest both suspended. Callum Ballinger joined him in midfield along with the redeployed Ryley Nicholson.
Goalkeeper Charlie Woods played behind a defensive pairing of Patrick Zito and Jamie Draper. Joe Pursey and Finlay Shorrock started in the full back positions, while Kyle Carey and Jordan Hayward flanked striker Shay Willock.
Nicholson was up against it in his tweaked position after picking up a yellow card as early as the second minute, symptomatic of a fractious start to the game that quickly gave way to a flurry of goals.
The home team took the lead with the first shot of the match in the sixth minute. Kobe Hall was allowed far too much time to turn in the penalty box and his shot took a nick off a boot on the way past Woods and into the top corner.
Quorn settled into possession after scoring but the next shot fell Sphinx’s way and also resulted in a goal.
In the ninth minute, Ballinger’s slick pass into Hayward’s feet helped to open up the home defence. Hayward was challenged but managed to squeeze a touch out to his right and found Willock. The striker took his shot early and zipped it into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Two minutes later, the third shot of the match produced its third goal and Quorn restored their lead. This time it was Zak Goodson who fired into the bottom corner, taking advantage of Sphinx’s failure to clear.
Now 2-1 up, Quorn’s quality started to show as the game finally settled down. They moved the ball around well, probing in the Sphinx half. The visitors weren’t able to apply much meaningful pressure out of possession but Willock was fighting hard to offer some relief when Sphinx did get the ball forward.
Cain Noble found himself in a good position in the middle of the half but could only drag his shot wide of the Sphinx post. Quorn doubled their lead with 26 minutes played.
After a foul just outside the penalty area, captain Reece Fyfe picked his spot with the dead ball, beat the wall and gave Woods no chance to prevent his former club taking a two-goal advantage.
The visitors began to push to get back into the match. Willock’s ability to protect the ball was key in providing a platform for that and one or two moments went begging.
With ten minutes left in the half, Downes cut in from the right channel onto his left foot after Carey had picked up the rebound off the wall from his own free kick and played in the skipper.
But Quorn had a lot of the ball and looked dangerous with almost every attack. Player-manager Ryan Beswick controlled the tempo from his position in midfield. Hall, the scorer of the first goal, was a big threat and the hosts had little difficulty supplying him with the ball.
Sphinx built up some possession late in the half but another burst of attacks just before half time eventually brought Quorn a fourth and final goal to restore the score to where it was when lightning forced the first game to be abandoned.
Hall created a chance for himself in stoppage time but shot over from 20 yards. In the fourth added minute, Draper fouled Hall in the box and referee David Hinton pointed to the spot.
Beswick took responsibility for his team’s penalty kick and coolly rolled it to Woods’ left, the last crushing blow of a poor half in one of Sphinx’s most unhappy hunting grounds.
The visitors had to make a change at half time and joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas opted for Newey to replace Pursey by way of a reshuffle that sent Nicholson to right back and gave Sphinx a better balance but didn’t immediately improve their fortunes.
Quorn picked up in the second half where they left off. Noble got another look at goal five minutes into the period but didn’t quite get hold of his shot. Woods made an easy save and his team, finally, started to have a say.
Carey was their chief creator, showing his class in the midst of a Sphinx performance that left much to be desired. He found Hayward right in front of goal in the 53rd minute and the winger managed to get his shot away. Quorn goalkeeper Tom Allsopp was equal to it and made the save.
Three minutes later, the hosts hit Sphinx on the break after a quick free kick in an attacking position went awry. The ball was cut back to Hall, whose shot cleared the crossbar to the delight of a beleaguered Sphinx team.
All-action midfielder Alex Lock was introduced from the bench in place of Ballinger and made his presence felt in the attacking third. Two minutes after coming on, he too fired over. Sphinx were much improved but not yet troubling a Quorn team who looked to have taken their foot off the gas.
The home team were back at by the middle of a half that was largely uneventful, and in which Sphinx had very little say.
Nicholson picked up a knock, resulting in another enforced change at right back and another new position for Lock, who slotted in neatly and performed well when his team needed him.
Quorn’s Jordan Clarke drew a good save from Woods with a shot from close range in the 77th minute and a last-ditch challenge from former Quorn man Zito thwarted Courey Grantham in the last minute of normal time.
What followed will live long in the memory and came almost completely out of nowhere. Sphinx, who gave a late debut to striker Damian Kelly, scored twice in time added on to make it 4-3 with minutes still left to be played.
Newey scored them both, the first a beautiful finish into the bottom corner from outside the box as Sphinx pounced in transition to make it 4-2 in the first minute of stoppage time.
The visitors dug deep and found the wherewithal to go again. Iddriss Fuseini, Nicholson’s replacement for his second Sphinx appearance, provided a moment of quality in the mayhem and Newey applied the finish to put the squeeze on Quorn unexpectedly late in the day.
At half time – even at the end of 90 minutes – the idea that Quorn might end the night protecting the ball by the corner flag would have seemed laughable. But then, football is a funny old game.
Though it was ultimately a disappointing night for the visitors, not least in the way they defended in the first half, the late rally was a show of character and another example of a Sphinx team refusing to know when they’re beaten.
Newey’s first two goals for the senior side gave the travelling support something to enjoy at the end of a poor performance and Kelly’s debut marked the first time two Future Pro Academy players had shared the pitch for Sphinx’s senior team.
The fixtures are coming along with little respite. Sphinx next face the second visit of the season from Sporting Khalsa, who knocked them out of the FA Trophy at Sphinx Drive in the previous meeting.
After that, it’s back to Leicestershire to take on Anstey Nomads. Sphinx will look to improve on a dismal result at Cropston Road last season before reacquainting themselves with former Midland Football League rivals Worcester City at home on Saturday 9th November.
Sphinx team
Woods, Pursey (Newey), Shorrock, Downes, Draper, Zito, Nicholson (Fuseini), Ballinger (Lock), Willock, Carey, Hayward (Kelly)