Sphinx surrendered their 8 game unbeaten run with a lacklustre performance away at Boldmere St. Michael’s.

Both teams had early chances to score with Kinder and Rickhuss going close for Sphinx. Boldmere were definitely the better side in the first half and Carl O'Neill was kept the busier of the two keepers, and they were unlucky in having a goal disallowed and then hitting the post when it seemed easier to score.

Kelvin Phillips had a curling shot from the edge of the area well saved by the Boldmere keeper. Sphinx though had no real invention and seemed disinterested and their inability to keep the ball was putting the back four under enormous amounts of pressure.

The second half started very much as the first ended with Boldmere out the blocks early and having a goalmouth scramble as early as the 47th minute. Soon after, Halton was replaced by Ruff to try and stem the attacks coming from the left hand side after 50 minutes. Predictably the pressure was soon to tell when a in-swinging cross from the left was side footed past O'Neill to put Boldmere 1-0 up after 61 minutes. 

If anything this sparked Sphinx into life with McAteer going close from a Woodward corner, Kinder had a half chance well saved by the ‘keeper and with 15 minutes to go Chris Wilson-King and Tom Muldoon were introduced at the expense of Phillips and Rickhuss. It was Wilson-King who went closest when his scrambled shot hit the post with no-one following up.

At the other end O'Neill pulled off two outstanding saves, the first a fierce low drive that looked destined for the bottom corner but O'Neill got a hand to it to divert it away for a corner. The second was even better as he came out to narrow the angle the forward dummied him and took it round him but just as the forward struck the ball and turned away to celebrate O'Neill’s second movement enabled him to get both hands to the ball to deflect it for another corner.

After the final whistle, as well as the frustration of a poor performance, it was the singing that came from the Boldmere dressing room after their win that will have hurt the visitors. It just shows how far Sphinx have come in the past few seasons when a team celebrates like that. If Sphinx go into next week’s game against run-away leaders Barwell with the same attitude they will not only find themselves with no points toshow for their efforts but on the back end of a tanking as so many have been this season.

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Sphinx:

 

Boldmere:
 

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