Coventry Sphinx are through to a Midland Football Alliance League Cup Semi-Final against Market Drayton Town after a 5-2 extra time victory against Alvechurch at Sphinx Drive tonight.
There were concerns as to how long the match would last in the torrential rain but the match kicked off and it was Danny McSheffrey, assisted by Lynton Wilkinson until the break, who had the better of the play in the first half.
They were prevented from talking the lead in the 21st minute by a fabulous one handed save from Chris Taylor denied Dave Freeman finishing off a Jamie Towers cross.
Eleven minutes later, Stuart Hamilton was lucky to still be on the pitch when he persisted in pushing and shoving and squaring up to Terry Ward.
He escaped with a caution from referee Stuart Rolfe and was involved some 43 seconds into the second half as a ball through split the Sphinx defence and fell for Callum Gittings to fire home from twelve yards.
It was a lead that lasted until the 55th minute when former Coventry City youngster Dave Freeman scored his fourth goal in three games when he finished from close range.
Sphinx looked like they had the momentum to go on and win the game but in the 66th minute, Matt Hall got the ball some ten yards inside the area. His shot deflected off the heel of James Halton and went into the bottom corner of the net.
Having already used one of his substitutes when Terry Ward felt a hamstring pull on the hour mark, McSheffrey sent on Tom Thacker and Chris Wilson King to get Sphinx back in the tie.
Chances were created and in the 88th minute, the Sphinx players and fans fumed as a shove on Dave Freeman did not result in a penalty. But, seconds later, it was all smiles as Jerome Murdock got into the area and beat Taylor with a low drive.
Callum Woodward, who had a good game in midfield alongside man of the match Kyle Rhodes, managed to get through but his shot hit the far post and the game went into extra time.
A Rhodes shot and Jamie Towers header both went close but in the ninth minute of the first period of extra time, Sphinx took the lead when a free kick fell to Jamie Towers on the edge of the area and his low drive easily beat the diving Taylor.
Towers was involved in the fourth goal for Sphinx which came in the 115th minute when his ball in from the right was turned into his own net by Lewis Moseley.
Alvechurch, who had used their only substitute, went down to ten men when a player limped off and this allowed Tom Thacker to finish from close range in the 117th minute and give Sphinx a 5-2 victory.
On Saturday, Sphinx travel to Biddulph Victoria with Sphinx Reserves at home to Heather St Johns.