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.
