By Nathan Jackson
December 23 2005

2005 has been a strange year for the Imps and in January, Yeo scored for fun and a 16 year old started his road to Anfield. It was a month that saw 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat. One of those victories was a brilliant 4-2 win away at Grimsby Town as well as a local derby win over Mansfield.

The year started with the traditional uninspiring New Years Day match, this time, it was against the mega-powers that were Bury. The incredibly strong winds, which have stayed in Lincoln for the vast majority of the year, seriously affected the game as both sides struggled to create any decent chances. However, the Imps did make an early breakthrough when Craig Westcarr, a recent loan signing from Nottingham Forest shot thunderously from the edge of the area and gave City a deserved, although rather dire 1-0 victory.

 

48 hours later and City made a trip to the Welsh border to face Chester City. The game, just like the one a few days later, as about as boring as they get and there were no winds to blame this time. It was a truly awful game, however, in the 93^rd minute, good work down the right saw Yeo released inside the box and he shot powerfully with his right foot at a narrow angle to give City a rather undeserved victory.

 

Two strikers were shifted out in the following week. Adrian Littlejohn, who hadn’t played since September 2004, agreed a severance package with the Imps before joining Rushden. Martin Carruthurs, who had put in numerous creditable performances for the Imps, had failed to get off the mark for the Imps and was thus loaned out to Cambridge United. 16 year old defender, Jack Hobbs was handed a squad number for the trip to Kidderminster.

 

Francis Green opened the scoring at Aggborough after just 8 minutes, however, the Imps were completely dominated in the match and Harriers were soon level after Blair Sturrock struck from close range before Simon Russell gave Harriers a deserved 2-1 victory. In the 5 years that Kidderminster spent in the football league, it was the first time they had beaten the Imps at Aggborough.

 

Ben Futcher was injured for the home game against Bristol Rovers, however, the Imps took a second half lead when Francis Green struck from very close range just after half time. However, ex-Imp Junior Agogo equalised for a very poor Bristol Rovers side. This game is remembered because it was Jack Hobbs’ first appearance for the club when he came on as an 87^th minute substitute and become the youngest Imp ever to play in the league game, it would be a big year for the youngster.

 

Saturday 22^nd 2005 will go down as the turning point in the 2004/5 season for the Imps. City made the trip to Grimsby, a side that had come very close to beating the Imps at Sincil Bank just a month earlier. However, this day was Simon Yeo’s day. Grimsby had a lot of money troubles and the Imps were doing their bit to help by raising money at the Bristol Rovers game, however, the Imps were far from charitable as Simon Yeo took a 13^th minute lead thanks to an unstoppable Simon Yeo volley from 8 yards. Yeo doubled the lead 14 minutes later when Gary Taylor-Fletcher weaved around several Grimsby players in the box before supplying Simon Yeo to shoot through a six-yard box with 7 Grimsby defenders in it and it was 2-0.

 

After dominating the match, the Imps conceded a sloppy goal just after half time when McCombe and Morgan failed to clear the ball as it rolled along the floor of the box and Thomas Pinault was waiting at the back post to give Grimsby hope. Soon after and Grimsby were celebrating again when the Imps again failed to clear the ball and Caldicott shot in from 20 yards out. However, within 50 seconds, Gary Taylor-Fletcher had burst down the right and crossed to Yeo, who’s first time shot saw him become the first Imps player to score a league hatrick since Gareth Ainsworth against Scarborough in 1997. City confirmed victory just before full time when the ball fell to Toner in the area and the goalkeeper’s positioning meant he had a virtually open net to pass the ball into and the game finished an incredibly 4-2.

 

In the week that followed, it was announced that the Imps’ home game against Scunthorpe United, would be shown live on Sky Sports. However, the Imps were focused on the next game, a tricky home tie against Mansfield. Mansfield were surprisingly poor and failed to create any decent opportunities throughout, however, it appeared they were holding the Imps until a shot hit the bar and fell into the path of Toner who continued his impressive run in the squad by giving the Imps the lead. Yeo doubled the advantage just before full time after Pilkington fumbled a Sandwith free kick.

 

City ended January in 6^th. It was a good month overall for the Imps, especially Simon Yeo who had gone on an impressive goal scoring run and Ciaran Toner’s impressive emergence into the squad, however Toner would soon be the centre of controversy.