FOOTBALL: A BRACE from Callum Woodward helped Coventry Sphinx bounce back to winning ways in the Midland Premier Division as they defeated Shawbury 3-1 on Saturday.
The visitors headed to Sphinx Drive high in confidence having defeated Westfields 5-1 earlier in the week, but it was Stuart Dutton’s side who came out on top.
Dutton welcomed back Scott Lower, Jamie McAteer and Jamies Towers to his side with all three having missed the previous game at Loughborough University, while Nathan McGarrity went straight into the side up front.
Shawbury started the game quickly and immediately set about trying to exert pressure on the Sphinx goal but it was the home side who found the opener wit nine minutes on the clock.
Aron Wint was fouled down the left and Callum Woodward delivered an inch perfect free kick which was brilliantly steered into the goal by Reece Blackmore at the near post.
Two more Woodward free kicks caused chaos in the Shawbury box and McGarrity also had an effort just wide of the post as they looked to extend their advantage, but Shawbury emerged survived the onslaught.
At the other end Shawbury striker Nathan Hodge was proving troublesome and it was no surprise to see him pull the visitors level from the penalty spot with 28 minutes on the clock.
Darren Eggleton produced a fantastic sliding intervention to stop Shawbury taking the lead and instead it was Sphinx who got their noses in front on the stroke of half-time.
McGarrity was brought down inside the area and this time it was Sphinx’s turn to score from the spot as Woodwards dispatched the resultant penalty kick into the bottom corner.
It did not take the home side long to extend their lead further after the break thanks to some fine attacking wing play by Towers.
After being released down the right, Towers delivered a deep cross which was met by Wint at the back post and he headed the ball back across goal for Woodward to head the ball home from close range on 52 minutes.
Despite being 2-0 down, Shawbury refused to throw in the towel but it was Sphinx who looked the more likely of the two teams to score.
The Towers and Wint combination threatened again just after the hour mark but the latter could not get enough on his header this time around, while Towers had a goal ruled out for an offside infringement.
Shawbury continued to deliver the ball into the box at every opportunity but Sphinx stood firm to keep them out and claim a tenth league win of the season.
