FOOTBALL: A DEPLETED Coventry Sphinx side came claimed a 2-1 victory away at Heanor Town in the Midland League Premier Division.
All the pre-match predictions on Saturday had gone in favour of the home side who were sitting in sixth position in the table.
After a bright start which saw Ryan Harkin force Joe McCormack into a smart stop, it was the visitors who took a deserved lead with 22 minutes on the clock and Nathan McGarrity was at the heart of it.
The Sphinx man started a move which saw him fired in a low cross into the box which was converted home at the far post by Pierce Kiembi.
The Heanor Town response however was immediate and just a minute later Joe Naylor headed home from a corner to level things up.
Kiembi came close to scoring a second but his fierce strike was well stopped by the Heanor keeper and Yannick Gomes also came close but the two sides went into half-time level at half-time.
Sphinx started the second half in the same vein as the first half but this time they got the goal they were so desperately craving when within a minute of the re-start Harkin thumped home a brilliant finish just inside the post after cutting inside from the left.
The task was now for the visitors to stay in front and goalkeeper Scott Dutton played his part by producing a string of fine second half saves.
At the other end Harkin, Kiembi and Ellis all kept McGarrity busy but there was to be no further breakthrough.
The best chance fell to Curvin Ellis who shot on the turn but McGarrity did superbly well to keep his effort out.
Next up for Sphinx is a another away trip to Alvechurch on Saturday.
