REPORT: Quorn 4-3 Coventry Sphinx

Quorn survived a late scare to record their 10th straight league win, and remain the only unbeaten side in the Pitching In NPL Midlands Division. Goals from Kobe Hall, Zak Goodson, Reece Fyfe and Ryan Beswick had put the Reds in a commanding 4-1 half time lead, but a stoppage brace from Roan Newey made for a dramatic conclusion.

Hall handed Quorn the dream start, drifting inside from the edge of the box and curling a shot into the top corner in the 6th minute. Shay Willock’s superb strike just three minutes later levelled the scores though as the powerful forward was able to shoot from the edge of the box as the Reds couldn’t get the ball clear.

Coventry returned the favour just two minutes later though as Zak Goodson was the recipient this time, hitting his sixth goal of the season through a crowd of bodies. Cain Noble, who scored a brace in the same fixture last month, a game which was abandoned in the 72nd minute with Quorn leading 4-1, came close to getting his name on the scoresheet, but dragged his shot just wide.

It didn’t take long for Quorn to add their third though as Fyfe curled in a superb free kick that former Reds ‘keeper Charlie Woods was powerless to stop. Noble got his head to a Hall free kick in the 41st minute, but his header flashed just the wrong side of the post. There was still time for the fourth before the break though as Hall was brought down in the area and Beswick sent Woods the wrong way from the spot.

The second half got off to a breathless start as the game swung from one end to the other. Noble forced Woods into a good save early and Jack Samples fired a shot narrowly over the bar. Courey Grantham came off the bench, and almost had a fifth when he rounded Woods but hit the side netting as the ‘keeper forced him to shot from a very narrow angle.

Grantham was desperately unlucky not to get on the scoresheet as the 90 expired, beating Woods and shooting goalbound, only to see his effort cleared by a defender. Quorn were still pushing for a fifth as the match entered stoppage time, and Newey was able to catch the Reds on the break, striking low past Tom Allsopp in the 92nd minute. Just 30 seconds later it was 4-3 as Newey once again hit the back of the net as Quorn were unable to clear.

Whilst Coventry had made it interesting, they never came close to equalising in the remaining minutes of stoppage time as the Reds regained their composure to see out the match.