COVENTRY Sphinx played out a 1-1 draw with fellow newly-promoted side Quorn in their first league game as a step four club.
Sphinx took the lead through Callum Whiteside’s second-half header only for Quorn to level shortly after at Sphinx Drive.
The result means Coventry sit 11th in the Northern Premier League Midlands table after one fixture.
Sphinx keeper Keelan Fallows made a routine save early on before Matty Shipman teed up Kyle Carey for a shot which travelled wide of the post at the other end.
And Sphinx captain Callum Woodward then forced the Quorn keeper into his first save of the afternoon with a curling effort from distance.
Quorn went close to the opener shortly before half time when a free-kick sailed over the crossbar before Dylan Parker’s effort on the turn went narrowly wide of the post.
The game burst into life in the second half as Shipman’s attempted lob hit the post with the Quorn keeper just able to help the ball onto the woodwork.
And Sphinx broke the deadlock from the resulting corner on 58 minutes as Whiteside rose highest to head home Woodward’s corner and score Coventry’s first-ever goal at step four.
However, Quorn equalised almost straight from the restart as Paddy Webb’s low drive beat Fallows and nestled in the corner of the net.
And the visitors almost completed the turnaround just minutes later when a header from a free-kick came back off the crossbar.
Quorn defender Patrick Zito saw two headers miss the target when well-placed before Whiteside thought he had won the game for Sphinx at the other end.
Whiteside’s header was desperately clawed to safety by the Quorn goalkeeper as the assistant referee deemed the ball had not crossed the line despite strong appeals from the home side.
Sphinx are next in action away at Gresley Rovers on Tuesday, August 15 with kick-off at 7.45pm at the Moat Ground.
