COVENTRY Sphinx suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat away at league leaders Spalding United in their first home game of the New Year.
Danny Draper scored the game’s only goal on seven minutes at the Sphinx Industrial Supplies Arena with Coventry unable to find an equaliser.
The result means Sphinx sit 16th in the Northern Premier League Midlands table, four points clear of the relegation zone.
Coventry fell behind after just seven minutes as Draper produced a clinical finish into the bottom corner from Tyler Winters’ flick-on.
Sphinx responded with a chance of their own when striker Matty Shipman headed Kyle Carey’s cross wide of the target.
And Spalding then cleared William Edjenguele’s header back across goal off the line from Callum Woodward’s deep free-kick.
Sphinx went close to a leveller soon after as Shipman forced Spalding goalkeeper Tony Breeden into a smart save.
And the home side picked up where they left off after the break as Shipman fired wide on the turn after good work from Alex Lock.
Spalding had a chance to seal the points when a free-kick ricocheted off Tulips striker Riley O’Sullivan and travelled towards goal as Sphinx stopper Keelan Fallows claimed the ball on the line.
Sphinx’s best chance to equalise came on 75 minutes when substitute Joe Pursey could only guide a shot across the face of goal from Carey’s superb cross into the box.
Coventry are next in action away at Sporting Khalsa on Saturday, January 13 with kick-off at 3pm at the Guardian Warehousing Stadium.
