Coleshill Town 2 v 2 Coventry Sphinx

First Team Match Reports 2017-2018

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Coleshill Town 2 v 2 Coventry Sphinx

Postby Alan Beckett » Sun Dec 31, 2017 7:13 pm

Tuesday 26th December 2017
Midland Football League Premier
Coleshill Town 2 v 2 Coventry Sphinx
Scorers:
Town Joe Halsall, James Hicks.
Sphinx: Louis Guest, Callum Woodward.
Attendance: 151.
Opposition Player Of The Match: Rob Evans (Coleshill) Louis Guest (Sphinx)
Supporters Club Man Of The Match, Sponsored by Greensleeves: Joe Cole.


Teams:
Colemen: Paul Hathaway, Joe Smith, Joe Cole, Rob Evans, Luke Edwards, Danny Tymon, Ryan Edmunds, Joe Halsall, James Hicks (Liam Molesworth), Reece Leek (Sam Ford), Gio Dainty (Jorna Moulton). Subs not used Tom Fishwick, James Medford.


Sphinx: Jake Allingan, Scott Lower, Aaron Stringfellow, Liam Cairns, Ricky Hill, Louis Guest, Charlie Faulkner, Callum Woodward, Ryan Harkin, Michael Quirke, Aaron Donalson. Subs Chris Sterling, Pawel Tomczak, Nathan McGarrity, Daniel Bowes, Gabe Barnwell.


MATCH REPORT
Coleshill took on their second Coventry team in four days on Boxing Day, this time it was Sphinx who were unbeaten in eight games and had hauled themselves into the title race. The Colemen and Sphinx know each other very well and are usually well matched but this was a niggly game with little feuds going on all over the pitch and it wasn't helped by a Referee that never had control.

The game started well with two in form sides showing why they are at the top end of the league table and the home side took an early lead. On 8 minutes Gio Dainty cut inside from wide left and crossed with his rarely used right foot. Reece Leek rose highest in the box and sent a header which thundered off the bar but captain Joe Halsall was on hand to head the bouncy ball into the net. Coleshill were now well on top and pinned Sphinx in their own box with a series of corners then Ryan Edmunds sent Reece Leek down the right and his great cross just needed a touch for a second goal. The goal finally arrived on 34 minutes when another great cross by Leek was met by James Hicks who toe poked his first goal in Coleshill colours. There had been several tasty tackles but when Joe Halsall was two footed but told to play on by the referee he went seeking revenge and was deservedly shown a red card when he took out Cairns. For the second game running Coleshill had to do it the hard way with ten men for over half the game. With the man advantage Sphinx upped their game and home keeper Paul Hathaway did well to fingertip a cross from Donaldson off the line.
Half Time: Coleshill 2 Sphinx 0

Coleshill started the second half on the attack with Allingan saving from Ryan Edmunds and Reece Leek shooting just past the far post. Sphinx started to gain more possession but weren't testing the Town back line or the keeper. In a sustained attack Reece Leek and Joe Smith had shots blocked before Danny Tymon's shot was deflected for a corner. The visitors finally found a way back after a series of corners, Louis Guest heading home at the far post on 65 minutes. Ryan Edmunds hit a rocket free kick from fully 30 yards but straight at the keeper, then Guest headed wide from another corner. On 73 minutes Luke Edwards and Ryan Harkin tangled on the edge of the box and the referee, with help from his assistant, pointed to the spot, harsh to say the least. Callum Woodward scored from the spot 2-2 and still 15 minutes to hold on. A great run by Joe Smith was brought to a half by an excellent tackle right on the edge of the box. Paul Hathaway saved from Harkin and the keeper was out of the box quickly to clear just in front Harkin. Substitute Sam Ford thought he had won it for Coleshill with time running out but his clever lob hit the roof of the net.

At 2-0 Coleshill were comfortably in control and still had chances to win the game with ten men but by the end they were hanging on for a point that keeps them top of the league at the turn of the year.


A View From The Other Side
A Match Report taken from Coventry Sphinx web site

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/coventrys ... 27826.html

Promotion contenders share the spoils
Coventry Sphinx travelled to North Warwickshire on Boxing Day and it was the league leaders awaiting them at Pack Meadow. Both sides were in good form and both sides were in the promotion hunt. A win would be a big result for either club but ultimately they both had to settle for a point in a pulsating match. Four goals, a red card and a penalty all combined to entertain the Boxing Day crowd with Sphinx coming back from two goals down to extend their unbeaten run to nine games.
Sphinx manager Lee Knibbs made two changes to his side with the returning Liam Cairns going straight back into midfield and Michael Quirke also went back into the side. They replaced Jamie Towers (unavailable) and Pawel Tomczak. There were no concerns over the conditions with the 3G pitch at Pack Meadow and Sphinx have a decent record on 3G. It was the hosts who struck first with an early goal that Sphinx would have been disappointed to concede. A cross from the right was headed against the cross bar and Halsall was quickest to the loose ball to steer it into the gaping net after just 8 minutes. Going a goal down away from home against one of the divisions best sides was going to test the mentality of Coventry Sphinx but they responded well. The match developed into a tight affair with two good sides going at it with little joy in each others penalty areas but it was Coleshill who would get the next goal to put Sphinx deep in trouble. Once again it was a cross that did the damage with Hicks on hand to guide it home. 2-0 to Coleshill with 36 minutes on the clock and Sphinx had it all to do now. We were getting close to half time and Sphinx were close to getting a goal back with Louis Guest threatening the home goal from a corner. On the stroke of half time things erupted with the referee judging a Guest challenge as firm but fair before Coleshill’s Halsall responded with a challenge on Sphinx midfielder Liam Cairns that the referee deemed to be sufficiently bad enough to warrant a straight red card. Things soon settled back down and we went into the break with the home side having a clear advantage of two goals.
HALF TIME: COLESHILL TOWN 2 COVENTRY SPHINX 0
Lee Knibbs is often positive in testing situations and today was no different as he introduced two strikers to the action for the start of the second half. Sterling and Tomczak replaced midfielder Donaldson and defender Hill which led to a change in formation and other players moving position. It was a brave move to attempt to retrieve the two goal deficit but it was Coleshill who threatened first with Allingan forced into a near post save. Sphinx were having more of the ball this half but Coleshill were still showing a threat and Sphinx were forced to defend bravely to eventually clear the danger just past the hour mark. Knibbs then made his final change with McGarrity replacing defensive midfielder Cairns which effectively left Sphinx with five forwards on the pitch. Straight after the substitution Sphinx got three successive corners and they got the third one spot on with Louis GUEST rising to head home on 65 minutes. That is fast becoming a trademark finish for the centre back who now has six goals to his name this season. Sphinx were now back in the game with that goal and minutes later Guest almost equalised with another header. Coleshill now had to withstand some pressure from Sphinx but succumbed in the 73rd minute when Harkin was clipped in the box for a clear penalty. Callum WOODWARD took the responsibility of the spot kick and dispatched it with apparent ease to level up the scores. This set up a tense final 20 minutes with both sides seemingly unwilling to settle for a point. Harkin went close for Sphinx by forcing a good save from the Coleshill keeper but the last few minutes were Coleshill’s however as they pushed for a winner. Sphinx were hampered by an injury to centre forward Tomczak who was struggling to move but with all three subs used he stayed out on the pitch. Coleshill themselves had played the second half with ten men although the one man advantage wasn’t obvious the majority of the time. Sphinx defended well to secure the point and both defences performed well today which made a draw a fair result in the end. Clear chances were limited for both sides but that is often the case when two good sides come up against each other.
Sphinx came here to win but they’ll take the point and move on to the next fixture which is a home match against Coventry Utd on Saturday 30th December. It’s a 3pm kick off at Sphinx Drive and a big crowd is expected so arrive early.
COVENTRY SPHINX MAN OF THE MATCH: CALLUM WOODWARD
Louis Guest defended with great determination and popped up with an all too familiar goal again. Liam Cairns returned from a spell away and performed well in the Sphinx midfield. There was one man who summed up the Coventry Sphinx team today and that was Callum Woodward. He plays with heart, desire and quality and leads by example. He also showed great composure to put away the penalty that got Sphinx a well earned point.

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