Sphinx Through To Cup Semis

Last updated : 03 February 2010 By Kev Monks at Sphinx Drive

COVENTRY SPHINX 1-0 ROCESTER BY KEV MONKS

Sphinx

O'Neill, Goodbody, Doherty, Haywood, Ward, Kay, C.Wilson-King (Muldoon 75), Rhodes, Kinder, Woodward, Ruff (Phillips 82) SNU McAteer, Daffern

Rocester

Frogatt, McGinley, Butler, Mason, Justin, McComisky, Bailey, Wain, Watkiss, Redshaw, Littler (Landridge 72) SNU Hewitt, Johnson

HT CSFC 1-0 RFC FT CSFC 1-0 RFC

Referee Grant Taylor

Booked Watkiss, Wilson-King

GOAL Callum Woodward (17)

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Coventry Sphinx are through to the Polymac Midland Alliance League Cup Semi-Final with a 1-0 victory against Rocester tonight.

A cold, wet evening may have kept the crowds away, but there was plenty to entertain the Sphinx supporters in the first half as Danny McSheffrey's side which welcomed back Terry Ward from injury and had Liam Kay available controlled the game in the opening period.

A fifth minute corner was headed off the line by a Rocester defender and seven minutes later, the hard working Josh Ruff won a corner which Kyle Rhodes headed just wide.



Midfielder Tom Haywood went on a surging run three minutes later, but keeper Richard Froggatt, who was clearly the man of the match for the visitors, was equal to it.

In the 17th minute, Froggatt was picking the ball out of the net when a long ball from Sphinx keeper Carl O'Neill, was collected by Callum Woodward, who raced for twenty yards before beating Froggatt with a low drive into the bottom corner.

Woodward was denied by Froggatt in the 26th minute and five minutes later, good work from Haywood saw Woodward with a run on goal. Froggatt used to his legs to block the shot which bounced off a defender. The Sphinx support appealed for a handball but nothing was forthcoming from the referee who handled the match well.

Froggatt again showed his talent in the 33rd minute when he dived to his right to push a stunning drive from Chris Wilson King over the bar. However, as the place kick came in, Froggatt could only watch as Rhodes headed inches wide from a yard out.

Rhodes hit the post before the half finished with Rocester winning two corners and a free kick.

Rocester tightened up at the back in the second half and Sphinx only won a couple of corners before Froggatt superbly pushed away a Kinder volley in the 73rd minute.

Four minutes, later, Froggatt got his body in the way to block a Woodward shot from ten yards after Adam Kinder had dispossessed a defender on the left.

In stoppage time, the Sphinx support thought they were going to go two goals up when the ball fell to unmarked substitute Tom Muldoon on the right. Muldoon's shot hit the far post and rebounded, hitting the incoming Kelvin Phillips on the chest and chin before bouncing away.

But one goal was enough to see Sphinx through to the Semi-Finals.

On Saturday, Sphinx are at home to Causeway before travelling to Rocester for a re-arranged game next Tuesday night.


Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM