Worcester City 2-0 Coventry Sphinx
Liam Cook
Coventry Sphinx delivered a vastly improved performance but were unable to avoid defeat against Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands Division promotion hopefuls Worcester City.
With big matches to come in the battle to avoid relegation, Sphinx can take encouragement from a much better display with more intent and character than they offered against Rugby Town a week earlier.
Joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas gave a debut to Fortune Maphosa, who played his first game for two years alongside captain Callum Woodward in the Sphinx midfield.
Joe Pursey returned from injury at right back, with Finlay Shorrock on the left and Jamie Draper partnering Patrick Zito in the middle of the defence in front of goalkeeper Charlie Woods.
Kyle Carey continued to roam behind striker Harry Wakefield, flanked by Jordan Hayward on the left and Joe Blowers, back in the starting eleven, on the right.
A quiet start at Claines Lane was punctuated by Taylor Townsend’s early shot for Worcester, dragged wide from 25 yards.
The hosts had the first few shots at goal – one went over the top and another wide – but Sphinx were giving as good as they were getting until a penalty was awarded for a foul by Hayward in the middle of the first half.
Woods has saved a couple of penalties this season and went the right way this time too but the strike from Felix Miles was clean and accurate, clipping the post on its way in to make it 1-0 to the home team.
Sphinx briefly went a little quiet and another speculative shot from Worcester went high and wide shortly before the visitors came as close to a goal as they would in the match.
With 26 minutes played, Wakefield was played in on the right channel and hit a thumping shot on target. A terrific touch from City goalkeeper Daniel Moore took Wakefield’s effort up and off the crossbar and the hosts were able to clear.
Another shot on target for Worcester was book-ended by straightforward saves for Woods at the end of the half. While a very tidy Worcester side were edging the game, the only real differences before the break were a penalty kick and some shots that never looked a threat.
The visitors started the second half more slowly and Worcester again had their sights on goal. A shot six minutes into the half sailed over from a central position, though Woods appeared to have it covered in any case.
Sphinx worked their socks off all over the pitch and didn't let Worcester have anything easily all afternoon, with one significant and damaging exception.
Right on the hour, Liam Lockett collected the ball on the City left and was able to take it into the Sphinx box unchallenged, eventually whipping a fine strike across Woods and into the far corner to double the lead.
It was a frustrating way for Sphinx to concede again and it took the sting out of the game for a while. The visitors had stepped up a gear from the previous game but never looked likely to score twice. That played a big part in a relatively tame final quarter.
Woods saved from Miles with six minutes left and had to react well to thwart Worcester again on the follow-up, before Moore stayed big to deny Sphinx substitute Roan Newey after he went clear at the other end, ultimately the last meaningful attacking moment of the match.
While the result didn’t do Sphinx any favours, a spirited performance against a good side was a boost with vital games on the way.
Thomas and Woodward now face a quick turnaround with Grantham Town visiting the Sphinx Industrial Supplies Arena on Tuesday and Loughborough Students making the journey to Coventry on Saturday.
If the Worcester game was partly about the commitment and fight from the Sphinx players, the two subsequent games are strictly a matter of results. Failure at this particular juncture is not an option.
Sphinx team
Woods, Pursey, Shorrock, Maphosa (Newey), Zito, Draper, Blowers (Smith), Woodward (Fuseini), Wakefield, Carey, Hayward (Lock). Unused sub: Van Den Top