LYE Town continue to bang on the door of top spot in the Midlands League after a 5-0 home drubbing of Coventry Sphinx.

The Stourbridge Road side currently sit just behind league leaders Alvechurch on goal difference, but with two games in hand on their rivals, Lye are looking like the team to beat this season.

Sphinx, who spent most of the game down to 10 men after having Aron Wint sent off early, had no answer to Lye’s dominant second half performance.

Town’s co-manager Martin Thomas said: “It was tough in the first half, but they went down to ten men having had a man sent off – rightly in my opinion – for a two footed lunge.

“It didn’t catch our man on the full, but if it had done it could have been a leg breaker. They had a few complaints, but it was right under our dug out and it was clear as day for us.

“We were only 1-0 up at half time but came out in the second half really well and they just couldn’t cope with the extra man.”

He added: “We played some excellent stuff and it became quite an easy win in the end.”

Town will be welcoming another Coventry side to Lye this weekend (3pm) – weather permitting – as Coventry United look to overturn a 2-1 defeat they suffered at the hands of Thomas’ team earlier this season.

Thomas, who runs the side alongside Darren Goodall, said: “We beat them at their place earlier in the season with a 91st minute winner, so they will definitely be looking at getting one over on us.

“But we’re holding our breath at the moment that the weather holds up, because if it rains like it did earlier this week then there is no way we’re going to be able to play.

“The Lye does drain pretty well actually, but we didn’t train on the pitch on Tuesday night and won’t again on Thursday just to help it out as much as we can.”

Lye are also set to face Shawbury United at home on Tuesday night (7.45pm) but will be without the services of Chris Knight and Kalum Evitts due to long term injuries.