EBFL Division One Team Report (12/04/2025): Hype Train FC vs. Old Windsor FC Reserves

Welcome aboard the home of Hype Train Football Club. Here, you can read the match reports from the Train's outings across Saturday League action throughout the 2024/25 season, with the team competing in the East Berkshire Football League (EBFL). All aboard.

Match Report: Hype Train FC

Date: Saturday 12th April 2025

Competition: EBFL Division One (Game 18)

Opposition: Old Windsor FC Reserves

Location: Waingels College, Woodley, Reading, RG5 4RF

Final Score: Hype Train FC 6-3 Old Windsor FC Reserves

Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk

Match Report:

The Train's encounter against Old Windsor FC Reserves was our 28th fixture of the 2024/25 season in the East Berkshire Football League, with the team competing in EBFL's Division One. This was the reversal of the league encounter last December, with the hosts winning 1-0 on the road.

The visitors opened the scoring in quick time, only taking 5 minutes to find the back of the net and it came from a set-piece. After defending one corner, Old Windsor won a second corner, with the ball played low and to the edge of the box, which resulted in a first-time finish with a curling right shot bouncing in front of Jamie Halsall in goal, and into the net.

Responding well to the early deficit, The Train responded well, and an equalising effort arrived 13 minutes into the game. After a loose ball from Windsor was collected by Halsall in goal, route one football at its finest took effect as a long launch down the pitch saw Halsall's long kick bounce off the head of a Windsor player, but only to Phil Newport through on goal, who took one touch to set himself, and a second to bury the ball into the back of the net.

Building on the leveller, less than 2 minutes later in the 15th minute the quick turnaround was complete. On the right side, Mark Bush's ball was cut out by an intercepting leg of a Windsor central defender, though when an opposition midfielder found the ball at his feet his first touch saw him robbed of the ball by Lucas Coe, with the ball ricocheting to Newport. In a central position, Newport waited for the run of Connor Anderson on the left, with Newport playing a lovely through pass to Anderson - who on an angled run, finished first time in style with the ball curling in via the back post beautifully - to give the team a 2-1 lead heading into half-time.

The start of the second-half in the 49th minute saw the team's lead extended, and was all due to Eme Boateng's work on the left side, first to pinch the ball off the foot of Windsor's right midfielder after a pass, and then laying the ball to Newport, who turned and waited for Boateng to overlap a run forward before playing the ball in behind the travelling defensive line, which resulted in Boateng using his pace to get behind the lines, and finish expertly on his right foot - a terrific goal by the left back to extend our lead.

During the 58th minute of the game, Windsor reduced the deficit and again came from a set-piece. From a corner, the initial header was won by Ashley Rockall at the back, though the ball fell invitingly to a Windsor player at the edge of the box, who controlled well and lashed the ball into the top of the net - a good finish by their Number 14 to take the game to 3-2 with half an hour to play.

Immediately from the restart, the team kicked on and re-established a 2-goal lead in the 59th minute. The ball from the centre circle found its way to Mark Bush, who found Nadim Gharabli in the middle of the pitch with a lovely inside pass. Gharabli's touch was lovely as he fainted around an onrushing Windsor player, before playing a through ball to Anderson on the left. Much like his first goal, the inside run was good, with Anderson collecting the ball before finishing calmly for a double on the day.

Compounding our position with a good second-half, the 62nd minute saw our 5th goal, and this time our other full back got in on the action in front of goal. Starting from Halsall playing the ball to Bush after collecting the ball, a forward pass into Conall Gorman was taking well, who turned his marker well before playing the ball down the right to Anwar Mmanga. The full back's first touch was a through ball for Newport to run onto, with the Number 9 gliding into the penalty area before cutting the ball into the path of Mmanga, who won the foot race to the ball before shooting, with the shot deflecting off the chasing defender and into the back of the net - securing Mmanga's 2nd goal of the season!

There was a 3rd goal for the visitors, and it arrived in the 71st minute thanks to another set-piece. A set-piece on Windsor's left wing was swung in and flicked towards goal, though Halsall did well to move the ball onto the bar, before the second ball fell invitingly for their Number 7 to rifle home the rebound, taking the game back to 5-3.

The 9th and final goal of the game settled the affair once and for all in the 80th minute, starting when Obeydah Abdulwahab picked up the ball in the middle of the park, and picked a lovely through ball that evaded Windsor's left back and to Mmanga, who took one touch to move the ball into the penalty area, and a second to cut the ball back towards the edge of the penalty area, with Abdulwahab side footing the ball with some real force low and hard past the Windsor shot stopper, sealing the points at Waingels in EBFL Division One.

Next up, The Train are in cup final as we take on FC Bracknell in the Slough Town Junior Cup at Slough Town FC's Arbour Park on Wednesday 23rd April 2025.

Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad

Manager: Robert Austin

Starting 11:

GK: Jamie Halsall

DEF: Anwar Mmanga (Watkins 70')

DEF: Mark Bush (Robertson 81')

DEF: Ashley Rockall (C) (Mmanga 85')

DEF: Emmanuel Boateng

MID: Conall Gorman (Follington 65')

MID: Lucas Coe

MID: Nadim Gharabli

MID: Ilyas Abdulwahab (O. Abdulwahab 56')

MID: Connor Anderson (Burles-Nash 82')

FOR: Phil Newport

Substitutes:

SUB: Obeydah Abdulwahab

SUB: Josh Robertson

SUB: Brad Burles-Nash

SUB: Luke Follington

SUB: Jon Watkins

Goals & Assists:

Goal 1: Newport (goal), Halsall (assist)

Goal 2: Anderson (goal), Newport (assist)

Goal 3: Boateng (goal), Newport (assist)

Goal 4: Anderson (goal), Gharabli (assist)

Goal 5: Mmanga (goal), Newport (assist)

Goal 6: O. Abdulwahab (goal), Mmanga (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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