Coventry Sphinx 0-5 Quorn

Stuart Guest

Coventry Sphinx have played Quorn six times since their promotion into the Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands Division. The first game was a draw and the fourth abandoned. The others have been some of the most miserable days of the last couple of seasons.

The unbeaten league leaders visited the Sphinx Industrial Supplies Arena and claimed a 5-0 win, capitalising on their overall quality and a fast start as well as Sphinx’s lacklustre performance after falling behind.

Joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas switched to a back four, dropping Jordan Hayward deeper to left back alongside Joe Pursey, Louis Guest and Patrick Zito in defence in front of goalkeeper Charlie Woods.

Kyle Burke, Iddriss Fuseini and captain Callum Woodward made up a three-man midfield, while Kyle Carey and Roan Newey played either side of centre forward Damian Kelly.

The starting line-up included a couple of Sphinx’s young players but Woodward and Thomas had experience to draw from on the bench, including the returning Alex Lock after a few weeks away playing short-format football for England.

Sphinx’s dismal start combined with Quorn’s speed out of the traps left the home team 2-0 down before 180 seconds had passed.

In the second minute slack defending left a shooting opportunity open for Cain Noble, who fired into the bottom corner to put the visitors in front before Sphinx knew what had hit them.

It went from bad to worse. A slip at the back left a clear run towards goal for Quorn debutant Luca Alonzi barely a minute later. He swept a well-struck shot across Woods and into the far corner of the Sphinx net.

The hosts’ woeful start was punctuated in the fifth minute when Carey and Woodward combined in the left channel. The skipper clipped a cross to the back post but Newey couldn’t get the necessary purchase on the shot.

Quorn were in control. Woods had to make a diving save to keep the score down in the ninth minute and it was only after that shot that Sphinx began to find their way into the game, albeit briefly.

A shot across the face of goal from the Quorn left sailed harmlessly past the frame of the Sphinx goal but it took the home team too long to get to grips with opponents who were comfortably on top without getting out of second gear.

The Reds carried a constant threat even when Sphinx found their desire for the battle in the middle of the first half but the hosts’ recovery was spiked by a third Quorn goal seven minutes before half time.

Sphinx gave the ball away high up the pitch and Quorn got forward at speed. Alonzi scored his second goal, shooting low with too much power for Woods, who got down to get a hand to the ball, to keep it out.

Woodward and Thomas made a triple substitution at half time, withdrawing Zito, Fuseini and Kelly and bringing Finlay Shorrock, Jamie Draper and Ryley Nicholson on.

They changed the shape too and it had a positive effect on the team, whose performance improved in the early part of the second half.

Sphinx loaded a few high balls into the Quorn box in quick succession and they eventually opened up a chance for Guest. The vice-captain got under it and couldn’t hit the target, and there was no more joy for the home team from the follow-up.

The visitors made it 4-0 a minute later and it was too easy again from a Sphinx point of view. It was another clinical finish across Woods, this time from Zak Goodson who picked out the bottom corner.

Sphinx upped their game in the middle of the second half as they had in the first but found Quorn in fine form off the ball too. Quorn’s chances continued and Sphinx were labouring, determined to put in the effort to the end but fatigued by an afternoon being second best.

Quorn goalkeeper Tom Allsopp was called into action in the 82nd minute when a strong run into the right channel from Hayward was followed by good strength in the box, a cut back onto his left foot and a low shot that was held by Allsopp.

A shot from the left foot of substitute Jack Downes was sweetly struck but deflected wide before good play on the right by Pursey and Hayward led to a shot from the latter that flew over the crossbar with five minutes left on the clock. Burke headed over after more sharp work by Pursey and Hayward a minute later.

Once again, an improvement in Sphinx’s play was swiftly followed by a Quorn goal and it was their best of the day. Goodson’s run took him in behind and he fired in past Woods at the near post to make it 5-0 and cap an emphatic victory.

This heavy defeat left Sphinx one place outside the NPL Midlands relegation zone and they remain winless in December. After a game of so few positives, the only way to respond is to learn from an afternoon of mistakes and poor decisions and put them right in the next match.

Sphinx visit Shepshed Dynamo on Saturday 21st December before a 12.30pm kick-off at home to Racing Club Warwick on Boxing Day.

After that they make the short trip to the Oval to face Bedworth United on New Year’s Day, and welcome Sutton Coldfield Town to the Sphinx Industrial Supplies Arena on the first Saturday of 2025.

Sphinx team

Woods, Pursey, Hayward, Burke, Guest, Zito (Draper), Newey (Lock), Woodward (Downes), Kelly (Shorrock), Carey, Fuseini (Nicholson)