STRATFORD TOWN 1-1 COVENTRY SPHINX BY Kev Monks
Sphinx
O'Neill, Hayden. Fraser, Bilic, Ward, McAteer, Edwards, Newman (A.Williams 67), Tomczak, Donaldson, Muldoon (Jackson 78) Subs, Daffern, Rawlings, Barrett.
Stratford
Harris, Halford, Baker, Alsop, Cooper, Haynes, Herlihy, Faulds, Blake (Pollard 67), Beckly, Murphy. SNU Cross, Coleman, Fellows, Ruff
Ref Gary Walker. Assts A.Gahir, K.Andrews
HT STFC 1-0 CSFC. FT STFC 1-1 CSFC ATT 178
Goals Josh Blake 17, Adam Bilic penalty 83
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Coventry Sphinx will count themselves unlucky not to taken a lot more from a game at Stratford Town that finished in a 1-1 draw.
Danny McSheffrey had Terry Ward back for this Midland Alliance game at Stratford Town.
Sphinx were straight on the attack from the first whistle with Jamie McAteer heading over from a third minute corner.
Two minutes later and Richard Morris had to pull off a terrific save from a Tomczak header following a free kick.
Beckley fired wide at the other end and in the 17th minute and against the run of play, Stratford took the lead when a throw in found Josh Blake on the edge of the area and he beat O'Neill with a low drive.
Sphinx gave their supporters in a crowd of 178, plenty of hope as they launched into wave after wave of attack. Muldoon, Donaldson and Edwards had chances and three corners were won but it was Stratford who were still ahead at the break.
The immense Jamie McAteer, industrious Terry Ward and Carl O'Neill dealt with the attacks by Chris Murphy.
Danny Fraser sent a free kick which was deflected for a corner and Terry Ward's header in the 64th minute was cleared off the line by Baker.
Despite some strange decisions by the referee who denied the home side a penalty, Sphinx stuck to their task and their endeavour paid off when they were awarded an 83rd minute penalty of their own following climbing by a Stratford defender.
Youngster Adam Bilic, who was another to have a good game, stepped up and stroked home the spot kick to give Sphinx a share of the points.
The sides meet again in the FA Cup Preliminary Round at the DCS Stadium in Knight's Lane, Stratford on Saturday.
Pictures copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM