Welcome aboard the home of Hype Train Football Club. Here, you can read the match reports from the Train's outing across Saturday & Sunday League action throughout the 2024/25 season, with the team competing in the East Berkshire Football League (EBFL) and the Reading & District Sunday League (RDSL). All aboard.
Match Report: Hype Train FC
Date: Saturday 31st August 2024
Competition: EBFL Division One
Opposition: Taplow United Swans
Location: Waingels College, Woodley, Reading, RG5 4RF
Final Score: Hype Train FC 5-2 Taplow United
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The Train's encounter against Taplow United was our second fixture of the 2024/25 season in the East Berkshire Football League, with the team competing in EBFL Division One. This was our 201st match as a club, and our first against any Taplow United outfit, who made the jump from the Thames Valley Premier League for the new season.
The game, which was played under thick cloud cover of grey skies, took a while to liven up, though a first real opportunity for a chance arrived in the 15th minute when Mitchell Saunders helped to win the ball back in the middle of the park, before feeding Phil Newport through on goal. With the Taplow goalkeeper rushing out and sweeping Newport's legs on the edge of the penalty area, the team were awarded only a free-kick, with the referee being lenient on the positioning of the goalkeeper. Newport's eventual free-kick was cleared away, but a first chance for the team.
With 20 minutes on the clock a first goal would arrive and started when Ilyas Abdulwahab showed great determination to win the ball back inside our own half before striding forward with the ball. Eventually laying the ball right to Jon Watkins, the winger fed the ball infield to Saunders, who turned on his left and provided a guided cross which was won in a foot race by Newport to prod down and into the goal, just away from the Taplow goalkeepers' hands.
Taplow were in the game though and an equaliser struck just 10 minutes later during the 30th minute, starting when a throw down the right hand side saw a Taplow attacker holding the ball up looking for support, eventually laying the ball off to a player who tried to cut in and shoot, though was snuffed out by Eme Boateng with the ball going out for a corner. The resulting corner flashed through the penalty area, evading many players along the way, and nodded home and in via the head of their Number 10 who glanced his effort to the far-right corner of the goal to draw the game level.
With the game back level, it was the visitors that would spring into a lead, and again their Number 10 was on the mark. An attack down the right saw a Taplow winger dispossessed by Boateng, who then cleared the ball down the left channel, though the clearance was retrieved by Taplow's captain, who then delivered a brilliant cross to the six-yard-line to the Number 10, who again used his head to turn the game around for the visitors during the 39th minute.
Taplow's lead lasted all of a minute as the Train drew level directly from the restart, with several member of the team passing the ball nicely before Nadim Gharabli picked up the ball and drove deep into our attacking third, finding the feet of Newport with a lovely pass. Newport, turning on his left, then threaded a delightful through ball on his left foot between Taplow's central defender and right back, freeing Christian Freemantle - with the left winger on his left calmly finishing on the first time of asking to equalise for the team - a lovely team goal to see the team go into level at half-time.
The game was there for both to win, with Taplow starting the second-half with a big miss which should have seen them go ahead early into the half, though weren't able to capitalise on a giveaway at the back, with a rushing Taplow attacker sending a one-on-one effort high and wide over the bar, a big let off for the team.
The game did shift into a positive gear for the Train from that let off, with a 3rd goal looking likely and that would arrive during the 57th minute. Defending a throw down our left, Robert Austin won the ball and then fed a pass to Abdulwahab, who moved the ball down the line to Saunders, though an interception was only half cleared and allowed Saunders to nick the ball and ghost past the Taplow backline - when running towards the byline, Saunders who take his time before finishing calmly at the back-post to restore the Train's lead!
Like buses, two goals would arrive at the same time, with a 4th goal not waiting around to arrive during the 59th minute. Abdulwahab was quick to get the ball in play from a throw, with the ball reaching Newport's chest, who then gave the ball to Callum Parr-Jones, who had Jon Watkins ahead of him in an offside position, as well as a deep run from Gharabli, allowing CPJ the task of calmly prodding the ball forward to Gharabli creating a one-on-one, and with good composure the midfielder finished calmly to take the game to 4-2.
The cherry on top of the game arrived at the close of the game in the 89th minute, a few minutes after another dead certain penalty was waived away, with Saunders taken down clearly inside the penalty area to no avail. This 5th goal started when Saunders carried the ball down the left flank, passing back to Boateng, who set and delivered a wonderful cross towards the back post, allowing Freemantle the freedom of the goal to head a second goal and to take the game away from Taplow, to help secure the trio of points in EBFL Division One.
Next up for the Train, we continue our campaign with a first outing in East Berkshire Football League's Division One with a trip to Eton Wick FC at Eton Wick Recreation Ground on Saturday 7th September 2024!
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"After a win on opening day, we're thrilled to have opened the season with back-to-back wins against teams that we think both have a real shot of finishing inside the top-half of the table this season, so on the scale of things we are very happy and are looking forward to what we hope will be a positive season in the East Berks, following a really tough campaign in 2023/24.
As for the game, this was an encounter of two halves from our perspective. The first-half for us was slow and essentially a warm up as it took us a while to get into the game, whilst Taplow started strong as they were looking to start their season in a strong fashion. Taking a breath and resetting at the half-time internal with the game at 2-2 was essential for us to push on in the second-half. We knew that they were slowing in the game having had to rotate a few players already, whilst we could push on strong, which essentially happened as we got out of sight with good time to spare.
In terms of our football, we played some good football at times, should have had two penalties that on another day are given, and took control of the game when it mattered to get the points, so it is something to build upon for the weeks ahead as we settle and aim for consistency heading into September and October.
I'd like to wish Taplow the best for the remainder of the season, they are a top bunch of players and are going to be a very positive addition to the EBFL!"
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Jamie Halsall
DEF: Anwar Mmanga (Follington 57')
DEF: Ajuyah Akatomisan
DEF: Robert Austin
DEF: Eme Boateng
MID: Jon Watkins (Dorman 62')
MID: Mitchell Saunders (Akinbola 68')
MID: Nadim Gharabli
MID: Ilyas Abdulwahab (Freemantle 80')
MID: Christian Freemantle (Parr-Jones 46', Saunders 78')
FOR: Phil Newport
Substitutes:
SUB: Nifemi Akinbola
SUB: Luke Follington SUB: Kishawn Dorman
SUB: Callum Parr-Jones
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Newport (goal), Saunders (assist)
Goal 2: Freemantle (goal), Newport (assist)
Goal 3: Saunders (goal), no assist
Goal 4: Gharabli (goal), Parr-Jones (assist)
Goal 5: Freemantle (goal), Boateng (assist)
Want to know more about The Hype Train?
The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in general football and Fantasy sports reporting, starting with Fantasy Premier League (FPL), before expanding to MLS Fantasy coverage in 2018.
We pride ourselves in providing beautiful graphics, statistics, in-depth analytical reporting and free weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb rankings tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review games, live sport, and professional wrestling.
In 2019, Hype Train Football Club was formed, becoming the first Fantasy Football website to take to the field. HTFC is a socially active team across social and web channels, providing regular match highlights, match reports, comprehensive player statistics and unique player profiles. We won both Goal of the Season Awards in the Berkshire and County FA regions, with Callum Parr-Jones winning the Berks & Bucks FA award, whilst Martin King won the PlaySport UK award.
In 2021, we formed the Reading Sunday Social League (RSSL), a competitive Sunday League involving 8 teams in its debut season. During the 2021/22 season, we won our first-ever trophy, lifting the East Berkshire Football League's Presidents Cup!
The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog' in 2016 by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), and were again shortlisted as a finalist in 2019 in the 'Best Fantasy Football Blog' category.
You can follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, follow Hype Train FC on Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive content, visit our club's dedicate website, or visit our website here at www.thehypetrain.co.uk
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