Following Saturdays, 3-0 win in the Emirates FA Cup over Lye Town at the Paycare Stadium, Darlaston face a quick turnaround because tomorrow evening they resume Northern Premier League Midland Division fixtures with a trip to Coventry Sphinx for their second league game of the season.

With several teams in the league now having played three games, with our postponement of last week’s fixture against Worcester City, even at this early stage of the season Darlaston are behind in their fixtures and with a loss at Rugby Town the club’s management team will want to get points on the board as soon as possible.

Coventry Sphinx had a good pre-season winning two losing two and drawing one, securing wins over Barwell and Dunlop, but losing to National League side Leamington and the newly formed Nuneaton Town, the draw was against Nuneaton Griff from the Midland Football League.

There first competitive game of the season like us was in The Extra Preliminary Round in the Emirates FA Cup where they lost at home to lower league side Ashby Ivanhoe 1-0. Two Northern Premier League games followed, firstly a 3-0 home win over Shepshed Dynamo followed by a midweek 3-1 loss at Sutton Coldfield Town. Coventry Sphinx were without a fixture this weekend due to fixtures being playing in the next round of the Emirates FA Cup.

Coventry Sphinx were founder members of the Midland football league in 2014 when the league was formed being placed in the Premier Division where they remained until being moved laterally by the FA in the post COVID reorganisation into the United Counties League Premier South Division. After finishing fourth in their first season, they were promoted as Champions in 2022/23 into the Northern Premier League Midlands Division at the beginning of last season where they finished 16th out of 20 team division.

Darlaston meanwhile are learning very quickly there is a considerable difference on many fronts this season after promotion especially on the pitch. Dean Gill and his management team together with players are getting to grips with the rise in levels aided by the addition last week of Aaron Bishop, Bailey Storey and Andrew Nicol. The manager has made good his promise of not panicking in pre-season in signing players therefore he is slowly built his squad for the new season.

Saturday’s three Neil win against fellow NPL Midland division side lie town stands as a good base for moving forward for what is now a busy end to the month, with three games in the next seven days followed by an FA Emirates FA Cup trip to Harborough Town and every game is so very important.

Tomorrow night’s game is being played at

Coventry Sphinx FC
Sphinx Industrial Supplies Arena
Sphinx Drive
Coventry
CV3 1WA

Adults £10, Concessions £7, U15 £3

We hope to see as many Darlaston supporters as possible make the trip down the M6 tomorrow evening