Coventry Sphinx lost their 100% home record with a 2-2 draw with Kirby Muxloe, but Danny McSheffrey will be disappointed that Sphinx did not collect all three points in an ill-tempered match which was not helped by the man in the middle.

Changes were again forced with Andy Wilson-King replacing the injured Terry Ward and Kyle Rhodes coming in for the injured Ramon Manak. On-fire Adam Kinder was rested with Kelvin Phillips replacing him.

Sphinx started the brighter of the two teams, passing the ball well but having no real threats on goal. Kirby on the other hand were playing the percentages with long balls to the front pairing. This tactic was to bear fruit when the Kirby forward flicked the ball on for his fellow marksman who was took down in the box by the on-rushing O'Neill, Pietrzyk made no mistake from the resultant penalty to put Kirby one up after 8 minutes.

Sphinx continued to have the better share of the ball but Kirby's niggly little fouls were to halt any free flowing football and  the Referee not clamping down early and enforcing any discipline lead to Callum Woodward being kneed and stamped on as he lay on the floor after a tackle. The Referee chose only to book the offending player, despite viewing the incident from no more that 6 yards away, when everyone in the ground thought it would have been a straight red. To further mystify those watching he also booked Woodward for his reaction after the knee and stamp.

Footballing wise the first half was really a non-event, though O' Neill in the Sphinx goal proved why he is one of the best ‘keepers in the league with 2 vital saves in the closing 5 minutes of the half.

As the players made they way off the pitch there was a second melee involving the two teams which resulted in Jimmy Halton being sent off at half time. Although this was entirely justified given his conduct, it again seemed an unbalanced decision from the referee and the response had been drawn from the Sphinx player by the direct action of an overly aggressive member of the visiting management team.

The second half started with Kirby having a glorious chance to put the game beyond Sphinx but with three bites of the cherry they could not find the back of the net due to a combination of comical finishing and great defending. After this scare it was all Sphinx; Callum Woodward was pushed up front and his constant running into space caused Kirby problems for the remainder of the half. Kev Thornton was hard working and used the ball intelligently, Craig Goodbody was having a stormer at right back getting forward when possible and defending resolutely when required.

Despite all this pressure Kelvin Phillips was having a quiet game but one thing the big man does have is an eye for a goal and when Thornton found him on the edge of the area he found space to rifle a right foot shot into the bottom corner to spark wild celebrations from the Sphinx bench. Sphinx were very much controlling the game with 10 men and Kirby rarely threatened the Sphinx goal and even at set pieces they were very poor with their delivery. Sphinx went 2-1 up when the impressive Woodward hit a 25 yard shot which the ‘keeper had no chance with.

Kirby could not manage any real threat on the Sphinx goal but the home side were dealt a blow when a deflected pass fell to Taylor on 81 minutes who placed the ball neatly into the goal. Sphinx responded well with Haywood having a glorious chance to win the game but could only fire over, Woodward went close again as did substitute Muldoon. The last half chance fell to Kinder who could not get a foot onto a ball flashing across the face of goal.

Though they are still unbeaten at home Sphinx will feel that its two points lost due to bad finishing, and probably a lack of composure under the foul tactics of their visitors. That said, the onlooking assessor must have had several pages of A4 note to file with the F.A. such was the Referee's poor first half display.

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