Substitute Kelvin Phillips hit four goals in the space of 27 minutes in the second half to give Coventry Sphinx a 5-0 victory at Malvern Town tonight.
 
This result looked unlikely against a side that fielded former Coventry City youngster David Burtoft in the first half as Sphinx struggled to get into the game, early on, failing to keep possession and allowing the home side more attacks than manager Danny McSheffrey clearly wanted.
 
In the 21st minute, Dale Williams curled a shot onto the bar before Sphinx had Josh Ruff concussed.
 
Ruff had to be replaced at half time by Kelvin Phillips, who was Sphinx's second substitute following Michael Husserbury going off with a third minute hamstring injury.
 
Whatever Danny McSheffrey and his backroom staff said to his players at half-time, was sinking in as Tom Muldoon latched onto a 51st minute long ball from Craig Goodbody and headed for goal only to be denied by the feet of young Malvern keeper Daniel Payne.
 
Malvern had midfielder Tom Beattie taken off with a cut that required ten stitches and with the opponents best player off the pitch, Sphinx capitalised.
 
They won a 64th minute corner. Payne dropped the ball and Kelvin Phillips got the last touch to put Sphinx ahead. Six minutes later and it was 2-0 from a Tom Cudworth corner which Payne flapped at and Phillips stabbed home from close range.
 
We had just got to the 74th minute when Phillips completed his hat-trick, which was one of the quickest by a Sphinx players since they joined the Midland Alliance when Phillips turned his marker and got the ball on the left before drilling a shot from the edge of the area past a helpless keeper.
 
The travelling support were in raptures but there was more to come as an 86th minute corner from Callum Woodward, was delivered right to the danger zone for substitute Darren Eggleton to flick on for Kyle Rhodes to touch the ball over the line for the fourth goal.
 
The game moved into stoppage time and in the first minute. Phillips, some twenty yards out, sent a low drive flying into the net to crown a good half for him and Sphinx, who travel to Tipton on Saturday.

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Sphinx: Holland, Goodbody, T.Cudworth, Rhodes, McAteer, Kay, Muldoon, Woodward, J.Cudworth, Ruff (Phillips 46), Husserbury (off 3, Donaldson off 84 Eggleton). SNU Fraser, Daffern

 

Malvern: Payne, Styens, Edwards, Beattie (Halion 61), Rotheam, Jones, Smith, Finnegan, Craven, Burtoft (Price 67), Williams (Harding 64) SNU Mofford

 

Attendance: 40

 

Bookings: Goodbody, J. Cudworth

 

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