KYLE Carey scored the only goal as Coventry Sphinx secured a 1-0 derby win against rivals Bedworth United.
Carey struck on 23 minutes at the Sphinx Industrial Supplies Arena while the home side had Shay Willock sent off late on.
The result means Sphinx sit eighth in the Northern Premier League Midlands table.
Coventry spurned an early chance as Stan Dube shot wide before Jack Downes fired an effort over the crossbar from distance.
Sphinx broke the deadlock with their next meaningful attack as Dube played an excellent through ball into the path of Carey who held off his marker and slotted the ball past Liam O’Brien in the Bedworth goal.
And Carey almost struck again moments later as his shot travelled across the face of goal and inches past the post.
Bedworth went close at the other end as Sphinx goalkeeper Keelan Fallows made an unorthodox save to keep out Adam Hanson’s shot through a crowd of bodies.
A nasty collision between O’Brien and Bedworth defender Elliot Parrott saw the latter taken to hospital which resulted in a lengthy stoppage.
Sphinx almost doubled their lead early in the second half as Carey found Willock in space in the box only for the latter’s effort to roll the wrong side of the post.
Bedworth applied late pressure as Chris Cox glanced a header wide while Willock received a straight red card six minutes into injury time following a melee in the Sphinx box.
Coventry are next in action away at Walsall Wood on Saturday, August 31 with kick-off at 3pm at the John Sylvester Stadium.
