COVENTRY SPHINX 3-1 GORNAL ATHLETIC
Sphinx; O’Neill, Guest, Jackson, Bilic, Hill, Atkins, Galdings, Rhodes (K.Johal 46), Cutting, Bannister, McNally. Subs Connolly, Dyke, Richey, Muldoon
Gornal: Martin, Green, Wood, (Francis-Mills 62) Tiff, Waterhouse, Wilkhoo, Meese, Nicholls, Ashton (Blair 72), Sangha, Rabone. SNU Pemberton, C.Martin, Perks
HT CSFC 2-1 GAFC
FT CSFC 3-2 GAFC
Goals Rickie Cutting 1, Louis Guest 3, Dave Meese 30, Matt Bannister 86 pen
Referee A.Stickley. Assistants B.Pettipher and D.Hayes.
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Coventry Sphinx were in superb form to beat Gornal Athletic 3-1 in a Midland Alliance fixture at Sphinx Drive.
In this game brought forward to help ease Gornal’s fixture congestion following their FA Vase run, the Sphinx support on a cold night had something to cheer right from the start.
Only forty seconds had gone when Rickie Cutting beat Gornal’s offside trap and slipped the ball past Martin and two minutes later, there was another goal to celebrate when Sphinx won a corner and Louis Guest ,who had a fine game in a strong Sphinx defence, was on hand at the far post to head home.
Kiam Galding, who like the rest of the Sphinx midfield worked tirelessly, had a ninth minute shot saved by the feet of Martin before Danny Ashton flashed a twenty yarder wide at the other end.
Matt Bannister and Galding both had chances but on the half hour mark, Gornal were awarded a free kick and Dave Meeson bundled over the line after Sphinx keeper Carl O’Neill had dropped the ball under pressure.
In the 37th minute, O’Neill made a great save from Curtis Tiff pushing the defender’s header over for a corner and four minutes later, Ben Atkins got back to clear off the line after Ravi Sangha shot from the right.
Two minutes before the break, Gornal thought they were in when they were awarded a penalty for handball. Danny Ashton stepped up but stroked the ball wide of O’Neill’s left hand post and Sphinx went into the break ahead.
With Kyran Johal having to replaced the injured Kyle Rhodes at the break, Sphinx had two shots in the 55th minute and twenty minutes later, a superb move started by Liam McNally was fired wide by Kiam Galdings with only the keeper to beat.
Sphinx deserved a third goal and it came when referee Mr Stickley spotted a trip after not giving a first foul and pointed to the spot. Matt Bannister stepped up to score and Sphinx, who take on Hednesford Town in the Birmingham Senior Cup Semi-Final on Monday night at Sphinx Drive, were very worthy 3-1 winners.