Sphinx Defensively Strong.....

A 20th minute goal from Matty Bannister gave Coventry Sphinx a 1-0 win over Highgate United.

A bumper crowd for this Bank Holiday fixture with Sphinx support from as far away as Wallasey taking the attendance to five times what the game between two sides with a long history of playing each other attracted saw Sphinx Boss Luke Hopkins reshuffle his pack following Saturday’s 1-0 win at Continental Star on Saturday and bring back Matty Bannister to help support the attack and Matty Fowler to partner former Coventry City youngster Ricky Fletcher at the back.

Highgate arrived on the back of a 2-1 win over Walsall Wood which saw them second in the table but it was Luke Hopkins whose side had the first decent effort on goal when Ashley Wilks fired at Shaun Edwards in the United goal.

The visitors won two corners in the eighteenth minute but Sphinx broke and were awarded a 20th minute free kick. That came out for a cross into the centre. The ball was lifted over two Highgate defenders and Matty Bannister lashed the ball into the net from ten yards.

Karl King fired over as did Danny Webb and Bannister before the half ended with a Tom Reynolds cross being cleared for a corner.

Highgate made a change at the break with Lei Brown who had scored twice against Walsall Wood on Saturday going off and within the first twelve minutes of a tight second half, Luke Hopkins made two changes bringing on Adam Bilic and Gio Dainty.

In the 70th minute, Bilic rifled a shot from 25 yards, which hit Edwards’ right hand post.

Webb fired wide before the visitors had an 82nd minute corner cleared off the line and although Lacey went close in stoppage time, Coventry Sphinx, who are at home to Lye Town in the FA Cup Preliminary Round on Saturday, were not going to be denied their fifth successive clean sheet and their fourth league victory of the season.