COVENTRY SPHINX 2-0 BANBURY UNITED KEV MONKS
Sphinx
Wilson, Long, Fraser, Manak (Ruff 71), McAteer, T.Cudworth, Muldoon, Rhodes, Husserbury (Donaldson 81), Stevenson, Hopkins (Phillips 77) SNU Daffern, Holmes
Banbury United
Murrell, Cray, Peppiatt (Oulton 72), Gordon, Learoyd, Mbamaraah, Staff, Benjamin, Cross, Power (Shariff 57), Martin
HT CSFC 1-0 BUFC FT CSFC 2-0 BUFC ATT 49
Booked Hopkins, Staff, Cross, Cudworth, Ruff
GOALS Luke Hopkins (40), Josh Ruff (93)
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Coventry Sphinx won their first ever Birmingham Senior Cup tie at the fourth attempt with a 2-0 victory over Banbury United at Sphinx Drive tonight.
The England game may have reduced the crowd but there was plenty of good football on show that started with the Southern League Premier Division side winning an early corner.
Scott Cross blasted over and Joe Power fired a shot straight into the arms of Sphinx keeper Lee Wilson before the Sphinx side lead by Kyle Rhodes started to get control of the game.
In the fifteenth minute, Sphinx had their first chance of the game when Manak passed to Luke Hopkins who set up Michael Husserbury for a shot from inside the area which Murrell superbly blocked with his legs.
Although there was not a bad foul in the match which was played in a good spirit, the referee Paul Upton incurred the wrath of both sets of managers and supporters with the amount of free kicks he insisted on giving which prevented the free flowing football that both teams were attempting to play.
Both sides won corners and Murrell saved a Manak shot before Sphinx took the lead in the 40th minute when Man Of The Match Tom Muldoon got down the right and delivered a cross deep into the six yard box for Luke Hopkins to flick into the net.
Four minutes later and Muldoon (pictured below) was forced to head a David Staff cross towards his own goal and Lee Wilson produced a tremendous save to push the ball over the bar for a corner.
Murrell saved a Muldoon header in the 56th minute and Rhodes also headed over as Sphinx continued to look for a second goal.
With Danny Fraser in superb form and the Sphinx midfield and defence holding firm, Banbury were limited to the occasional chance on goal. Their best came in the 63rd minute when Wilson saved with his feet from Benjamin.
With eight minutes left, Banbury had three corners in quick succession but the Sphinx defence stayed firm and dealt with the threat as they did when David Staff was forced to head a corner wide two minutes from time.
Robbie Stevenson hit the bar from a corner and three minutes into stoppage time, Sphinx got the second goal they wanted and an historic victory when a good run by substitute Aaron Donaldson down the right saw him draw out Murrell and centre for Josh Ruff to fire home from six yards and send Sphinx into the Second Round for the first time in their history.
Coventry Sphinx are back to league action on Saturday with a home game against Causeway United.
Pictures copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM