Coventry Sphinx were beaten 2-0 by Coventry City Reserves in a quickly re-arranged friendly at Sphinx Drive.

 

This was City’s first visit to Sphinx Drive since July 1995 and our visitors named a team that saw Dimi Konstantopolous in goal with Jermaine Grandison, Adam Walker, Ashley Cain and Shaun Jeffers who regularly are on the bench for City first team matches along with a number of U18’s players.

 

As part of the preparation for the biggest match in our history on Saturday against Bedworth United in the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round, Danny McSheffrey also named a big squad.

 

Whilst not getting injured was key, a good work out was the order of the day and the quality of the Sky Blues proved ideal preparation.

 

 

Things might have been different if Sphinx were not denied a first minute penalty but it was the Sky Blues in their black away kit that  started to created chances of their own.

 

In the sixth minute, Shaun Jeffers found Ashley Cain on the right. The Nuneaton born’s winger’s cross was met by the head of Robert Ogleby but he could not get the angle he wanted under pressure from Terry Ward and the ball went over the bar.

 

Sphinx went up the other end and a long ball from Craig Goodbody was picked up by Josh Ruff. The midfielder drove from sixteen yards but Konstantopolous was alert and pushed the ball round for a corner.

 

On the half hour mark, a Cain cross from the right fell for Adam Walker, some twenty yards out from goal and the midfielder made no mistake firing high into the net.

 

This delighted the City fans in the crowd but in stoppage time, the Sphinx support had their hearts in their mouth as Jerome Murdock was sent on his way. He slipped the ball under Konstantpolous but the ball hit the bottom of the far post and meant that City were ahead at the break.

 

Sphinx Boss Danny McSheffrey made a number of changes in the second half but it was City who continued to have the better of the chances.

 

Ogleby had two efforts at the start of the second half. However, this was not one way traffic and in the 63^rd minute, Jerome Murdock found space on the right and got hit in a low drive which bounced off the near post.

 

Four minutes later, the match was finished as a contest when City were awarded a penalty. Shaun Jeffers won the discussion on who was taking the kick and made no mistake to put City two goals ahead.

 

In the 78^th minute, good work from Adam Walker and Cain who had switched to the left flank, set up Robert Ogleby. The speed merchant hit a stunning shot from twenty yards unfortunately, it thumped the bar before being cleared.

 

Konstantopolous made a good save from Woodhall for a corner and Walker, Ogleby and Bottomer both had chances as the match finished with a 2-0 victory for City and some good match preparation for Coventry Sphinx.   

Sphinx: O’Neill, Goodbody, Doherty, Rhodes, Ward, McAteer Muldoon, Fisher, Phillips, Murdock, Ruff. Subs used: Manak, Halton, Woodall, Smith, Martin, A.Wilson-King

Coventry City XI: Konstantopolous, Christie, Gudger (Greenway), Gorgan (Bottomer 78, Jermaine Grandison (Adams 78), Cameron, Cain, Walker, Jeffers, Ogleby (Quirke  86), Lellu (Blackwell 75)

Attendance: 112