COVENTRY SPHINX 1-1 BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS
SPHINX: O’Neill, Sullivan, Fowler, Wilks, Fletcher, Jackson, Cain, Cutting, Griffiths (Dainty 72), Downie, Downes (Baxter 80). SNU Gladins, Hill, Dyke
BOLDMERE: Michel, Gould, Baker, Neilson, Woods, Forde, Edmunds, Clarke, Osbourne, Holmes, Smith. Subs Perkins, Beeson, Cosgrave, Clarence, Rose
HT CSFC 1-1 BSM FT CSFC 1-1 BSM ATT 92
GOALS Matty Fowler (2), Adams Woods (28)
Referee B.Tudgay. Assts J.McCabe & P.Hewitson
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Coventry Sphinx supporters left Sphinx Drive feeling that the referee Mr Tudgay had denied their team a victory.
Sphinx had gone into the game in seventh place in the Midland Alliance table after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Rocester against a Boldmere side which was fourth in the table and made one change with Anthony Griffiths who joined Sphinx from Barwell replacing Luke Williams up front.
A minute and fifty seconds into the match on a cold night at Sphinx Drive, the Sphinx support were cheering when Ashley Cain sent over a free kick and the ball was knocked back for Matty Fowler to force the ball into the net off a defender.
The pacy Ryan Edmunds hit the bar with a cross/shot in the sixteenth minute and two minutes later, Sphinx were thankful to a brave piece of keeping from Carl O’Neill who was injured after coming out to block at the feet of Lee Osbourne for a corner.
That was cleared by a capable Sphinx defence led by Ricky Fletcher but in the 27th minute, Fletcher made a great tackle to concede a corner. When the ball came in, Adam Woods, the tallest player on the pitch, was allowed a free header and scored from close range.
Jackson Downie worked hard for a Sphinx side which had Ashley Cain supplying some good crosses and what chances there were, started to fall in the last thirteen minutes of the match.
Luke Downes, who was substituted with ten minutes left, volleyed over from 25 yards and a good move from the right was cleared for a Sphinx corner.
In the 81st minute, the Sphinx support thought their side had got the winner when a peach of a cross was met by Matty Fowler who headed into the net. However, the cheering stopped abruptly when Mr Tudgay ruled out the goal for a reason not spotted by the assistant referee nearest the incident who indicated with his flag that it was a goal in his opinion.
Boldmere, who hail from the Chester Road area of Birmingham, had a penalty claim for handball turned down and both sides took a point.