COVENTRY SPHINX 4-3 WESTFIELDS BY KEV MONKS
Sphinx
O’Neill, Goodbody, Doherty, Manak, Rhodes, McAteer (A.Wilson-King 75), Muldoon, Halton, Martin (Phillips 68), Murdock , Ruff (C.Wilson-King 75) SNU Woodhall, Daffern
Westfields
Moore, Harrison, Hunt, Spacey, Green, Moon, Allan, Hubbard, D.Addis, Day, J.Addis Subs Used Evans, Russell, Casey
HT CSFC 1-2 WFC FT CSFC 4-3 WFC ATT 63
GOALS Daryl Addis (2 & 84), Paul Allan (22), Raman Manak (30, 46,52), Kyle Rhodes (67 pen)
Coventry Sphinx picked up a valuable Midland Alliance victory with a home win against Westfields tonight.
Having had to change his side with Terry Ward on holiday and Arron Donaldson injured, Danny McSheffrey watched on as his Sphinx side were a goal down after only 98 seconds.
It came when Daryl Addis was given too much space on the edge of the area after reacting first to a through ball and the marksman drilled the ball into the net with O’Neill helpless.
Raman Manak had a fine game for Sphinx and a twenty yard free kick in the fifth minute just went over the crossbar.
However, tonight, the visitors from Hereford were very quick on the break and it was Jamie McAteer clearing off the line from an Addis header in the 7th minute when kept the score at 1-0 to the visitors.
That changed in the 22nd minute when Paul Allan was allowed to turn inside the area and scored with a neat shot, which curled into the net.
On the half hour mark, Sphinx gave their support something to cheer when Raman Manak got the ball some twenty plus yards out and thumped home with a left footed drive.
The goal lifted Sphinx who sensed they could get back in the match and twenty four seconds into the second half, Sphinx were level. Jerome Murdock sent over a cross from the right, which took a deflection off a defender and hit the far post and there was Raman Manak to tap home the loose ball.
Sphinx now had the bit firmly between their teeth. Two corners and a Tom Muldoon piledriver followed.
Then in the 52nd minute, Manak completed his hat-trick when he met a cross from the right with a superb volley from eight yards.
After Sam Harrison nearly sent a header into his own net, there was a fourth goal for Sphinx in the 67th minute. James Halton raced into the area and was tripped by Sam Hunt. Referee Mr Khalfe awarded a penalty that was duly dispatched by Kyle Rhodes.
Three substitutes were used by Danny McSheffrey against a Westfields side which was now enjoying more of the game.
Both sides had a chance cleared off the line before Westfields got the goal they had threatened in the 84th minute, thanks to an audacious lob from Daryl Addis going into the net.
This set up a grandstand finish but Sphinx had enough in the tank to ensure that they took a welcome three points.