Coventry Sphinx were beaten in their opening Midland Aliiance game at Loughborough University by a stoppage time penalty.

Danny McSheffrey's side did everything but score in the first half at Nanpantan Road which Loughborough share with Unibond side Loughborough Dynamo.

Only once was the defence which had Jamie McAteer, Liam Kay, Tom Hayward and Jimmy Holmes in solid form, breeched and that came in the 15th minute when Matt Aldred got round the back of the defence and hit the left hand post.

Jerome Murdock and Luke Hopkins kept the home defence busy. Both had chances before an Aron Donaldson header was cleared off the line from a 39th minute Woodward corner.

Two minutes before the break, Donaldson suffered the same fate when Adam Steventon cleared the former Nuneaton Griff man's six yard header off the line.

Matt Aldred struck the post with a 19 yard free kick in the 56th minute as this highly even game continued.

Murdock was denied by the keeper when after he raced on to a Rhodes through ball in the 69th minute.

McSheffrey made changes as his side went looking for the decisive goal but three minutes into time added on, Steve Blenkinsop got into the area.

He got across Jamie McAteer and referee John King awarded a penalty. The Sphinx support were furious but Sam Shorrocks took the kick and slotted past O'Neill to give the students the win.

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Sphinx: O'Neill, Haywood, Holmes, Rhodes, McAteer, Kay, Muldoon, Woodward (Woodall 83), Hopkins (Green 72), Murdock, Donaldson (McGuire 78) not used: Simmons, Furlong.

 

Loughborough University: Coombes, Cross, Waldouck, Shorrocks, Steventon, Lyall, Stellion (Tambling 78), Curtis, Blenkinsop, Aldred, Rudderham. not used: Cavey, Copeland
 

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