ROCK bottom Shawbury United pulled off one of the surprise results of the day in the Premier Division of the Midland Football League, holding in-form Coventry Sphinx to a goalless draw.

Now boss Dave Richards is hoping his side can stretch their unbeaten run to three games when they play host to managerless Heanor Town this Saturday.

“That’s two clean sheets and two games unbeaten,” Richards said.

“All we need now is for our luck to change in front of goal.

“Sphinx are unbeaten in 11 games but we peppered them for 80 minutes on Saturday.

"We must have had 12 or 14 good chances and their keeper has pulled off four or five great saves.

“Then right at the end Keanu Cooper has hit one from 25 yards that has struck the top of the bar and Benji Robinson has chosen to square a ball rather than shoot when he’s just five yards out.

“After the win against our rivals Haughmond, our lads looked full of confidence and we were the ones trying to play football.

“In previous weeks we were probably guilty of overplaying things at times but against Sphinx we did all the basics right and managed to get the ball into the box and cause them problems.”

Shawbury have played just seven games at home all season but are back at Ludlow again this weekend.

Glen Clarence stepped down as manager of Heanor during the week with his team eighth in the table and Richards knows that the match will be another tough test.

“They are always strong and one of the bigger clubs in the league,” he said.

“When you play over there they have a decent following.

“They have parted company with their manager but I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

"We’ll just need to concentrate on extending our good form.”

It was a blank weekend for Ludlow and Church Stretton in Division Two of the West Midlands League.

Town had been due to play at AFC Broseley while Stretton were hosting Wolverhampton United but both games were postponed.

Ludlow will try again this Saturday when they hope to head to basement club AFC Bridgnorth Development, a side they beat 5-2 in November.

Stretton are home to mid-table rivals Wonder Vaults, keen to avenge a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of the Black Country outfit at the start of the season.

Elsewhere, Newcastle were convincing 6-0 winners at home to St Harmon in Mid Wales League (South).

But there was disappointment for Bishops Castle in the Central Wales Cup as they lost 3-1 at home to Llanfair United.