PREVIEW: Coventry Sphinx (H)

Where:

Farley Way, Quorn LE12 8RB

When:

Saturday 21st of September 2024 (3pm KO)

Our first home game in 26 days will see the visit of Coventry Sphinx. We’re coming off the back of a 4-1 win away to Worcester City, but our visitors are a wounded animal, as they look to respond in the wake of a 5-1 defeat at home to Long Eaton United.

Quorn’s Form:

Here’s an idea, how about we just skirt around the cup competitions and pretend they never happened. Okay, so with just five league games played, the Reds are undefeated. With just two home games gone, we’ve seen a 5-1 win at home to Sutton Coldfield Town on opening day, and a 0-0 draw versus Anstey Nomads on Bank Holiday Monday. Away from home we’ve seen a 1-1 draw at Long Eaton United, in which the hosts were incredibly fortunate to get anything from the match. Our two most recent trips have seen a 2-0 win at Racing Club Warwick and a 4-1 win at Worcester City on Saturday.

Coventry Sphinx’s Form:

The Sphinx also lost in both cups at the first attempt, however, losing both at home without scoring (0-1 vs Ashby Ivanhoe and 0-2 vs Sporting Khalsa). Their league form has been better, seeing the Sky Blues sitting in 10th with two wins, two draws and two defeats. They began the season with a convincing 3-0 win at home to Shepshed Dynamo, but followed it up with a 3-1 defeat on the road against Sutton Coldfield Town.

There was a 0-0 draw at home to Darlaston Town and a 1-0 derby win against Bedworth United on Bank Holiday Monday, followed by a creditable 2-2 draw away to Walsall Wood, featuring a very late comeback. Their unbeaten home record came crashing down on Saturday though as Evan Garnett scored all five for Long Eaton United in a 5-1 win.

One to Watch:

There will be a familiar face in the heart of the Sphinx defence as Pat Zito returns to Farley Way, but the dangerman for Coventry is undoubtedly Kyle Carey. The striker has scored four of Coventry’s eight goals so far this season. Limited to just 15 appearances over the past two seasons, hopes are high for the prolific forward.

Last Time:

The sides last met back in December 2023, with Quorn winning 4-2 at Farley Way. It was the third meeting of the season, following an opening day 1-1 draw at Sphinx Drive, a match that a lacklustre Reds side were fortunate to escape with a point as a late Sphinx effort looked as though it may have crossed the line. The second meeting was a routine 4-0 win in Quorn as the Reds embarked on a record FA Trophy run, but I digress, back to December 2023…

Ryan Beswick, who is now player/Manager, opened the scoring in the 31st minute, only for Jack Downes to equalise before the break. Coventrian Devon Kelly-Evans restored the lead shortly after the break, but against the run of play Jac Redhead pulled Sphinx level again in the 70th minute. The parity didn’t last long though as Cain Noble scored our third in the 76th minute, before former player/Manager Ant Carney finished the game off with a fourth in the 90th minute.

Tickets:

Adults £10.00, Concessions £8.00, U16s £2.00, Under 14s Free