Sphinx well tested by City.....

2nd August 2011

by Kev Monks.

Pictures by Pete Chambers.

In a much improved performance to the previous two pre season games Sphinx will consider themselves unlucky to go down by the odd goal to Coventry City 4-3

Coventry City Academy boss Gregor Rioch and his coach Lee Carsley brought a side which included a mix of Academy players and first team squad players including James McPake, who was getting game time after breaking his back, to Sphinx Drive and they took on a near full strength Sphinx side.
Sphinx wearing their new yellow and black away kit sponsored by PictureBlast as City were in sky blue, took the lead in the fifteenth minute when Arron Donaldson got to a ball from the right of the area left Daniels in his slipstream and lashed a shot past the despairing Burge to delight the home fans in a Sphinx Drive crowd of 148.
 
Carl O'Neill, as usual was a revelation in goal and in the 17th minute, he bravely blocked with his legs to thwart Shaun Jeffers.
Sphinx's defence which was led by Terry Ward who was taking all the City forwards could throw at him, allowed James McPake to head a Daniels free kick wide in the 24th minute and Callum Wilson fired over from twenty yards.

 
But on the half hour mark, there was more for the Sphinx support to cheer when talented Polish forward Pavel Tomczak turned McPake inside out and sent a twenty five yard curling shot past Burge in the Sky Blues goal.
Sphinx were showing tenacity, grit and determination and were not letting the sky blues have time on the ball. The midfield three of Saunders, Bilic and Edwards were outstanding. Ashely Jackson is steadily improving with every game and with the old stalwart Tery Ward marshalling the back four Sphinx went into the break two goals to the good.

In the second half, after a tongue lashing at half time, the Sky blues came out with all guns firing and pulled a goal back in the 54th minute thanks to Courtney Richards, who had hit a hat-trick in City U18's 11-0 win over Burton Albion on Saturday, scoring from close range to pull one back.

But Sphinx showed some character and in the 59th minute won a corner and with nobody picking up Jack Edwards at the back stick he was able to head home to restore Sphinx's two goal lead.
 
Sphinx had plenty of guile and spirit but City had the fitness, as you would expect from players training five days a week, and it was starting to tell when the Sky Blues got a corner and the ball came back to Billy Daniels who drove home from twenty yards.
Arron Phillips made it 3-3 in the 86th minute with a stunning long ranger high into the net and with just over ninety seconds of normal time remaining Shaun Jeffers popped up to get his foot in and score from close range to give Coventry City a 4-3 victory in a game where both sides thoroughly entertained everyone who saw this match.