Tigers salvage a point against strong Spa side

Hykeham Tigers provided a strong and spirited display after going a goal down early, to draw 1-1 with Woodhall Spa United. Another goal for James Coffey earned them the point.

The Tigers lined up with a unfamiliar formation to that of recent weeks with a 4-5-1 formation preferred to try and limit the threat of the Woodhall Spa midfield. Kris Nelson started in goal again after a fantastic display against Waddington. Newton, Sturton, McCusker and Wilson made up the back four. A Midfield of Coffey, Robertson, Marshall, Sievwright and Steadman, and Pete Dickinson up front completed the line up. Ash Murphy and an unfortunate James O’Callaghan were on the bench.

The Tigers started the game very slowly and were lucky not to be a goal down within a few minutes when a strike for the Woodhall striker narrowly missed the post. However, a few minutes they were in front. Too much time for the Woodhall centre midfielder allowed him to clip a ball over the head of Left Back Matt Wilson, and then the Woodhall Spa midfielder hit a superb volley which not many keepers in most leagues would have saved and Kris Nelsons efforts were in vain. Woodhall continued to press and forced the Tigers on the back foot, with lots of pressure on the back four. However, trouble for Tigers ensued after 20 minutes when Pete Dickinson went up for a header and suffered a nasty gash on his nose, stopping him from being able to see and therefore had to be substituted with James O’Callaghan moving on to the left wing and Coffey moving up front.

This changed the Tigers immediately and they began to look dangerous. James was taking on the full back of Spa with relative ease and getting in his head in the process. With fifteen minutes left of the first half, Cam Robertson played a delightful through ball through to an onrushing Coffey who slid the ball past the keeper to make it 1-1 before half time. Tigers came close again with Sam Newton having a header saved off the line by the Woodhall Defender. Finally , more drama at the end of the half with Matt Wilson receiving a cowardly elbow to the face which resulted in a yellow card for the Woodhall winger and for Matt Wilson’s retaliation, a yellow card too. Half time 1-1.        

The second half was a very even affair with both teams creating little chances and not much action occurring. During the second half, Matt Wilson and Rob McCusker had to come off with Injuries and hopefully this won’t see them out for too long.  Tigers came close several times to taking the lead, and so did Woodhall, however the game petered out into a 1-1 draw, which was a good draw considering the circumstances.

Man of the Match- Paul Sturton

Dick of The Day- Rob McCusker

Next Game: FVA Jerusalem Reserves (Away) 30^th September 2012 10.45AM

Anyone For Coffey?

Hykeham Tigers extended their unbeaten start to the season with a fine 2-0 win over Waddington in Tough conditions. A brace from James Coffey saw the Tigers seal a comfortable win, and make it 2 wins out of 2 in the League.

Hykeham Tigers started with several new and returning faces with Green, and Coffey starting their first league games for the club after their summer moves to the club. The Tigers lined up in their typical 3-5-2 formation, with Kris Nelson filling in for Number one keeper James Pickering in Goal. Matt Wilson, Ian Sievwright, Rob McCusker,Sam Newton and James O'Callaghan making up the back 5. Cameron Robertson, Daniel Daubney and James Coffey made up the midfield and Pete Dickinson and Greeny Started up front.

After a poor first half where neither team could get the crucial breakthrough, Tigers came closest hitting the bar three times, twice from James O'Callaghan who was causing the Waddington side a real problem, constantly marauding down the left wing. At half time the score was 0-0.

Second half was a much different affair, but the game could have much different if Matt Wilson hadnt made two vital interceptions to stop the Waddington left back slotting in from 6 yards. Five minutes later the Tigers took the lead and after some poor Waddington Defending, Coffey slammed the ball past the keeper to make it 1-0.

The Tigers then were under pressure for long periods, and defended well. On the break, a free kick from Cam Robertson was flicked on by Coffey into the bottom corner, and 2-0 to the Tigers. This is how the game finished.

Man Of The Match- Matt Wilson (5 Votes)
Dick of The Day- Ian Sievwright (5 Votes)
Next Game: Woodhall Spa Utd (Home)

Tigers Tame The Eagle

Hykeham Tigers pulled off a shocked result last night with a well fought 3-3 draw against Premier League title contenders CW Golden Eagle. 2 goals from Kenco and one from Cam Robertson saw the Tigers gain a memorable point.

Manager Chris Elliott had plenty to choose from with as many as 19 players available for the game including a few new faces and the return to pre season of Craig Froggatt, Daniel Daubney and James Pickering after a period of extended leave. Chris Elliott named a changed side with the following players starting; Reid, Plaskett, McCusker, Sturton, Noel, Nelson, Sievwright, Kenco, Froggatt, Murphy and ...  . On the bench was Wilson, Daubney, Robertson, Pickering, Fatchett, O’Callaghan, Duncan and Myers.

Hykeham Started the game well, but struggled to keep possession of the ball, and were quite wasteful when going forward. Eagle started the brighter in the opening exchanges and Reid was called into action early on, tipping over an Eagle free kick. But it was Tigers that opened the scoring, with Kenco hitting a shot low into the bottom corner from the edge of the area, giving keeper Andy Smallcombe no chance of saving it.

Things looked good for the Tigers until 10 minutes later, when a brilliant run from the Eagle winger and a wonderfully clipped ball, created a simple header into an empty net for the Eagle Striker. 1-1 after 30 minutes. However, Hykeham hit straight back again, and after a corner was flicked on at the front post, Kenco was on hand again to turn the ball in low past the keeper to make it 2-1 to the Tigers. The Tigers should have closed the half out, but after Kris Nelson hobbled off, the Tigers conceded on the stroke of half time. Another cross, and a good finish made it 2-2 at the break.

Wholesale changes at the start of the second half with Myers, Duncan, Wilson, Robertson, Pickering, Daubney, O’ Callaghan, and Fatchett all introduced. The Tigers bossed the first twenty minutes of the second half with Wilson, Robertson and Duncan controlling the game. The Tigers were more productive in possession of the ball, and were keeping the ball for long periods. With 60 minutes gone, Cam Robertson picked up the ball on the edge of the area, and fired a strike off the right hand post and into the net leaving the keeper again with no chance. 3-2 to the Tigers.  

Again, the Tigers couldn’t hold out and after some sustained pressure they conceded the final goal of the game. James Pickering had a fantastic second half display after his extended break, and looked solid in goal. The game petered out and both teams missed chances to win it. Overall, a good display from the Tigers against a very strong team which should stand us in good stead for the season upcoming.

Ratings

Reid- 7/10- Comfortable display, made a few good saves, and talked well.

Plaskett- 7/10- Typical Robust game, good with the ball, and good in the tackle

McCusker- 8/10- Strong in the air, comfortable with taking the ball from the back, developing a good partnership with Paul Sturton.

Sturton- 8/10- Similar to Rob, Strong in the air, assured and committed as always. A real captains performance.

Noel- 7/10- Steady Eddie. Looked comfortable in possession, got caught a few times around the outside, but dealt well with the threat of Eagles best player.

Nelson- 9/10- Joint MOM- Superb performance in the Defensive midfield role. Won lots of headers, and looked calm and assured in possession

Sievwright- 7/10- Full blooded committed display, wasteful in possession at times but when lost worked extremely hard to win it back.

Kenco- 8/10- Two good goals, looked productive but could have kept the ball better at times instead of rushing the final ball.

Froggatt- 7/10- Struggled to get in to the game, didn’t have a lot of the ball first half, but still worked hard to try and get it and distributed it well.

Murphy- 7/10- Steady performance, looked laboured at times, but made some good runs giving an option to always clip over the left full back.

Smithy- 7/10- Worked hard, could have ran the channels a bit more, but gave everything to the cause.

Substitutes

Pickering- 8/10- Superb second half display, made some crucial saves and was commanding in the box.

Wilson- 8/10- Kept the ball well in tight areas, and worked well with Cam and Ally in Centre Midfield, Linked well with Daubs as well.

Daubney- 8/10- Solid performance when called upon, talked well and lead the front line superbly. Offered a different outball.

Robertson- 9/10-  Joint MOM- Only played second half, but was extremely efficient with and without the ball. Looked assured in possession and created chance after chance.

Myers- 8/10- A strong performance on the wing, looked dangerous and was extremely committed to the cause.

Duncan- 8/10- Good on the ball, kept things simple and worked hard off the ball, a good display.

Fatchett- 8/10- Strong, Quick and Productive. Listened well as well.

O’Callaghan- 8/10- Looked quick, and exciting when all the ball. Going forward looked good, but looked uncomfortable defending. Possibly needed moving to left wing.

Next Game- Versus AFC West End- Sunday Morning 10.45 Kick Off 9.45 Meet. NK School.

Tigers Appoint Elliott

Hykeham Tigers Football Club will appoint Chris Elliott to be their next manager. The 29-year-old, who led Plough Skellingthorpe to the title several seasons ago with a passing game that made the club many friends, has signed a three-year deal at Hykeham, the BBC reports.

The Hykeham club will pay up to £5 million to Plough in compensation for Elliott, who has emerged over the last couple of days as the club's favoured manager from a pack that included one-time boss Johnno, Saxilbys Ryan Beaumont, the sacked Crows manager Kris Nelson and former Trinidad and Tobago Captain Daniel Daubney.

Elliott had initially turned down the opportunity to speak to Hykeham about the opportunity, which opened up after the Fen Laner's released club legend Darren Giovannetti – who was in his second season at Hykeham as manager – on May 16 following a season deemed inadequate by the club's Polish owners, Sturtonzi Sports Group.

Elliott dismissed Hykeham's initial approach by SSG maintained their interest in the Englishman, despite some claims - notably from Inter Milan chairman  - that Giovannetti had been re-offered the job. Prior to his success at Plough, Elliott had managed Jerusalem and led them to league glory too.

Hykeham Tigers fans will be keen to see an end to the managerial merry-go-round at their club, as Elliott becomes the fourth manager in the last three years.

Tigers Maul The Eagle

Hykeham Tigers won their first pre-season friendly with a resounding 7-3 win against AFC Golden Eagle in their annual Mid-June Exhibition Game.

The game was a chance for the Tigers to look at some prospective signings and give some players interested in joining the club a chance to see what the Tigers could offer them. Matt Wilson picked the side for the game, and went for a 4-3-3 formation with the following players picked;

GK- Sam Clucas

LB- Mark Plaskett

CB- Matt Wilson

CB- Daniel Daubney

RB- Sam Newton

DM- Kris Nelson

CM- Ally Duncan

CM- Josh Raby

RW- Andy Myers

LW- Craig Froggatt

ST- Paul Sturton

SUB- Mark Newton

SUB- Switch

SUB- Aaron Starbuck
SUB- Ashley Murphy
SUB- Nick Steadman
SUB- Callum Fatchett

Paul Sturton was put up front in his natural position after spending most of the last season at Centre Back. He has swapped positions with Daniel Daubney who moved back into Centre back to partner Matt Wilson at the heart of the defence.  Trialist Josh Raby started in Centre Midfield, with stand in goalkeeper Sam Clucas helping the club out in Goal.

Tigers started the match well, and were controlling possession whilst also dealing with some fair pressure from Eagle. The back four had started well, and after 15 minutes the Tigers opened the lead. With a cutting through ball, Sturton broke one on one with ex Tigers keeper Chris Bennett and confidently looped the ball passed him to open the Tigers Season.

5 Minutes later, it was 2-0 , this time after a Corner and some head tennis in the area, Centre back Matt Wilson hit the ball on the turn and volley, and left Bennett rooted to his spot as the ball sailed into the far corner of the net. 2-0 and the Tigers looked very comfortable.

Goals followed in the first half from the head of a despairing Eagle centre back and Aaron Starbuck scoring with his first touch after coming on. The Tigers had raced into a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes, and looked good value for their lead. Kris Nelson had a superb first half, winning lots of headers in the centre of midfield. However, on the stroke of half time, Eagle striker span off Daubney and smashed a shot into the top corner and left Clucas stranded with no chance of saving it.  4-1 at Half time.

The second half was a much different affair, but still saw Tigers score three more. Changes kept happening, and the Tigers lost their flow in the game. However two goals from Callum Fatchett, and another Paul Sturton goal saw the Tigers hit Seven, but Two Goals more for the same Eagle striker saw him complete his hat trick and see a final score of 7-3 to the Tigers.

All in all, a impressive first performance against a side with some good young players in it who I feel will do well in Division Three next season.

Pre-Season training starts a week on Sunday, details on the site soon

Giovannetti Leaves Tigers

Today it emerged that Darren Giovannetti, has left Hykeham Tigers by mutual consent.

Darren Giovannetti,38, has managed the Hykeham outfit for two years but sources at the club today confirmed that Giovannetti would be leaving the club with immediate effect, leaving the Tigers managerless in the build up to the 2012/2013 Pre-Season. The reason's for Giovannetti's departure are still unknown however it is rumoured that he has taken a job in a lower division with Shakespeare BBH.

No-one was the club was available for comment regarding this issue, but it looks like the managerial merry go round will be hitting Hykeham this summer. There are several names in the frame to take over from Giovannetti, with caretaker manager from last season Daniel Daubney in the frame, along with ex Louth Town manager Carl Wall, and ex Plough Skellingthorpe manager Chris Elliott. Elliott seems the favourite amongst the bookies for the job, after already previously winning Division Two with his previous club. The bookmakers have the following odd's:

Chris Elliott- 3/1
Carl Wall- 5/1
Johnno- 11/2
Daniel Daubney- 6/1
Kenny Dalglish- 7/1
Kris Nelson- 100/1
Craig Froggatt-250/1

Leagues Announced

At 9pm last night, the news broke live on Sky Sports News that Hykeham Tigers have been placed in Division 2 for the 2012/2013 Season.

After a successful season last term, in which the Tigers reached the last 8 of the Cup, and Finished Joint 3rd in the league, they have risen a league into Divsion 2. The league is jammed full of familiar teams with 7 of the 11 other teams in the league, the Tigers have faced in either cup or league competition over the last two years.

The league format also see's Hykeham Tigers reunited with old foe, Saxilby Athletic. The last time the two sides met it ended in a 30 man supporter and player melee which neither team will want to see repeated when the two sides meet. The league also see's Hykeham Plough move up several divisions, and they could really be a side to watch in the upcoming season.

These are the teams the Tigers will face;
AFC Rustons
FVA Jerusalem Res
Green Barrel
Hykeham Plough
Hykeham Tigers
Plough Sturton
RM Imps
Saxilby Athletic
The George Mkt Rasen
The Turks Head
Waddington Utd
Woodhall Spa Utd

Tigers Chairman Andy Farrer commented on the league's decison. "It is a real credit to the Players, Management and Staff of the club that we started from scratch 2 season's ago, and have been promoted 3 leagues in two season. The lads have done extremely well, but now is time to push on further, and we need to grab the bull by the horns and really sieze the opportunity"

Tigers Announce Lucrative Sponsorship Deal

Hykeham Tigers today announced a bumber 4 Figure Sponsorship deal with Online Kit Supplier, Discountfootballkits.com. The deal is said to be worth in excess of £4,500 to the club and will see the sponsor become Home, Away and Training Kit Sponsor for the 2012/2013 Season

Discountfootballkits.com released a prototype of the potential kit that Hykeham Tigers will be playing in this season.

Season 2012/2013 Kits?

More to follow on this story....

Steadman Left Out By Hodgson

Today, Roy Hodgson shook the football world, and left Hykeham Tiger talisman Nick Steadman out of his 25 man squad for the European Championships this summer in the Ukraine.

Hodgson named his 25 man squad this afternoon, and there were some surprise inclusions and exclusions for the squad. Rio Ferdinand was omitted from the side for what Hodgson described as football reasons but refused to comment when asked why “obvious choice” Steadman was left out. This has fuelled rumours further than Steadman has had a fall out with boss Hodgson, potentially over his involvement with ex Lincoln City professional Dean Walling and Hodgson’s refusal to let Steadman leave training early to attend Walling’s football training with close friend Big Dave.

Steadman has so far refused to comment on the issue, but this is undoubtedly the last we will see regarding this controversial exclusion, and is set to bubble on throughout the summer. Steadman is seen as a bit of a bad boy within the Tigers camp, and has been labelled the “Joey Barton” of the Tigers team, for having a temper shorter than his height, which isn’t very tall! What will fuel Steadman’s fire even more is that Tiger’s team mate and close friend Ian Sievwright earned a place in Hodgson’s squad for the Championships. When asked about Sievwright’s involvement, Hodgson said the following

“Ian (Sievwright) is a model professional, never late, and not the sort to lose his head after 5 minutes of a game. His excellent passing range, and his ability to get forward and score goals and create goals from nothing was a key reason for this decision”

There was two other inclusions in National teams for this months up and coming Internationals with Paul Sturton being selected as captain for the Poland national team after a number of impressive performances this season. Secondly, Daniel Daubney has been selected to play for the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African Cup Qualifiers this summer.

Squad For Sunday Vs Newton United

Giova-spaghetti has announced his 15 man squad of Sunday's Crunch Game versus Newton United FC. The team is as follows;

James Pickering
Craig Froggatt
Matt Wilson
Paul Sturton
Andy Myers
Nick Steadman
Chris Bennett
Sam Newton
Michael Cruickshank
Ashley Murphy
Ian Sievwright
Daniel Daubney
Kris Nelson
Callum Fatchett
Mark Plaskett

Meet at 9.30am, at Carholme Road Grandstand. No Latecomers please, as we are having to record our crossbar challenge again.

See you Sunday Lads
Matt

Giovannetti Dips Into Coffers in January Transfer Window

Hykeham Tigers have today completed the signing of  Nick Steadman after the Midfielder accepted their offer of a transfer from Division Two Outfit, Ruston Eagles. 

The 21-year-old, who left  Ruston Eagles after a falling out with the heirarchy at the Eagle and at the end of the Veikkausliiga season, had successful trial spells at Fen Lane.

Steadman told Tiger's website that he had a couple of other options.

"But as soon as I knew Hykeham Tigers were interested then it was always going to be my number one choice," he said.

"I am now going to do my best to challenge for a place in the first team and I'll see where it goes from there. I have only been training for a short time, but I really like the place, the manager is great and it's a cracking group of players."

The figure attached to the deal is said to be undisclosed however rumours of a £4.50 fee, and also a lesson on kicking with Chris Bennett was said to be the deciding factor on Steadman's move. However, there has been talk of some strange personal terms including never to hear Kris Nelson sing, and also everyone must chip in a £1 a week to get Aaron Starbuck some weight loss pills. Steadman is after an extended contract in the new year with the Hykeham Outfit

"If something could materialise in the next few months, or at the end of the season, that would be great," said Steadman. "But first I need to prove myself and I am hoping to do that."

Giovannetti was keen to comment on the signing;

"Nick is a strong, battling and grafting midfielder, he's exactly what we need in the run in to the end of the season. I've got a few more deals up my sleeve but we'll see how things go up until then"

First, though, he will be pushing for a place in the squad to face Newton United in a crunch Divison Three game on Sunday