Darlaston returned to league action at the Paycare Stadium yesterday afternoon when they welcomed Coventry Sphinx for the first time and for their penultimate home Northern Premier League fixture.

Darlaston‘s management team made two changes to the starting XI that lost at Anstey Nomads, in came James Rowland and Leo Wood and replacing them on the bench were Ben Podmore and Mitch Botfield.

Darlaston ‘s slim hopes of joining the promotion playoffs depending on results elsewhere but the Citizens desperately needed a win to keep their dream alive.

The importance of the game was not lost for The Citizens a nervous scrappy first half in which both midfield and defences were in complete control blunting any attacking efforts from both teams. The home sides central defensive partnership of Foreshaw and Carson blunted Coventry attack assisted by the hardworking partnership of Winwood and Gill, whereas for the visitors it was Zito and Nicholson in defence along with midfielders Downes and Woodward blunting Darlaston’s efforts.

It took a piece of individual skill from Sphinx’s centre forward Harry Wakefield to break the deadlock in the 39th minute. Wakefield from wide on the visitors left side ran across the Darlaston defence and let fly from 22 yards with a powerful right footed effort that totally wrong footed the Darlaston defence to give the visitors lead just before the halftime break.

Both management team’s made changes at the start of the second half to give their teams more tactical advantage, it worked for the visitors they had the better of the second half creating several chances.

Coventry scored a second goal in the 89th minute substitute Iddriss Fuseini scoring with a powerful header from 8 yards out that gave keeper Amos no chance sending Coventry Sphinx supporters home with an important win.

The 2-0 defeat Darlaston’s third loss in their last four home games and yesterday the home side did not see a single effort of note on the Coventry Sphinx goal.

Darlaston face a busy weekend Easter weekend with a trip to relegated Grantham Town on Saturday, and on Bank Holiday Monday is the big one their final home league game of the season a massive game against local rivals Sporting Khalsa who will be desperate for a win to keep their play-off hopes alive.