Coventry Sphinx vs Gresley Rovers
Coventry Sphinx 4 - 2 Gresley Rovers
Gresley Rovers Reserves crashed out of the Challenge Cup at the first round after Coventry Sphinx recovered from two nil down at the break and played a stirring second period.
Things looked good for Rovers as they took the lead on 36 minutes when some good work by Paul Hollis allowed Lee Fell the opportunity to blast his shot home.
Rovers doubled their score just 7 minutes later. A long kick by keeper Tom Allan picked out Richard Hanslow who turned his marker and pushed the ball through to Hollis. Hollis hammered in a shot that Sphinx keeper Dan Pickering did well to block but Fell was quickly onto the rebound and after steadying himself knocked the ball home for his second of the game.
Whatever was said to the home side at halftime had it's desired effect and Sphinx looked transformed for the second half.
Sphinx narrowed the gap on 51 minutes after the re-start when skipper Carl Winterbottom fired a shot through a crowded area and past Allan.
Three minutes later they were level. Callum Woodward ran onto a through ball rounded the advancing Allan and slotted the ball home.
Sphinx were now clearly on top and on 62 minutes their pressure paid dividends. Rovers' keeper Allan made a superb block and was unlucky to see the ball fall nicely for Tom Maguire who made no mistake putting his side in the lead for the first time.
Allan kept his side in the game minutes later when he made a brave save at the feet of Woodward who had found himself one-on-one with the keeper.
The home side wrapped up the tie on 73 minutes when James Halton shot home from close range.
Scorers: Winterbottom 51, Woodward 54, Maguire 62, Halton 73 (Sphinx); Fell 26, 43
Coventry Sphinx: Dan Pickering, Ian Wilson, Richard Elliott, David Brennan, Thomas Haywood, Carl Winterbottom (c), Aaron James (Joe Holcroft 68), Casey Gaggini, James Halton, Callum Woodward, Tom Maguire (Luke Hopkins 75).
Sub: Stephen Madday (not used)
Gresley Rovers: Tom Allan, Sam Taylor (Dakara Kannon 52), James Carlisle, Tom Astle, Chris Lynch, Sean Doy, Matt Brown (c), Chris Nicholls, Richard Hanslow (Iberaim Mohammed 68), Paul Hollis, Lee Fell (Sam Bartram 75)
