EBFL Division One Team Report (22/02/2025): Caversham United vs. Hype Train FC

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 22nd February 2025

Competition: EBFL Division One (Game 11)

Opposition: Caversham United

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

Final Score: Caversham United 0-3 Hype Train FC

Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk

Match Report:

The Train's encounter against Caversham United was our 21st fixture of the 2024/25 season in the East Berkshire Football League, with the team competing in EBFL's Division One. This was our first-ever encounter against Caversham's Saturday team, with the team having battled numerous times against Caversham in Sunday League football throughout the last 6 years.

The opening 20 minutes of the game was a settling down affair for both teams probing and trying to get the ball down on a tough, sandy pitch at Mapledurham, with both teams creating chances. On the Train front, Phil Newport threatened several times with cut backs that were well defended, whilst Caversham's best chance of the game to break the deadlock fell to their Number 7, who when on the edge of the penalty area after racing onto a through ball, fired a top shot towards the roof of the net, but found his effort tipped over the bar by Robert Austin in goal.

The opening goal of the game did arrive in the first-half just shy of the 36-minute mark after Caversham were correctly flagged for offside. The resulting dead ball inside our own half was guided forward up the pitch by Ashley Rockall, and somehow the ball span around and ghosted past a dozen Hype Train and Caversham bodies, before falling at the feet of Newport, who did well to hold off a trailing defender, before calmly converting the ball for the opening goal of the game.

The team defended resolutely and were in good command of the game, though we did have to deny Caversham once more before the half-time break, starting when Rockall defended brilliant to deny their Number 20 a clean run through on goal. The resulting corner by their Number 7 was deep and dangerous, and had to be tipped over the bar by Austin, otherwise the corner was going to go directly in.

Into the second-half, the lead for the Train was doubled in the 54th minute and was the result of some determined pressing by the team to deny Caversham an out, which eventually led to their goalkeeper rushing a clearance that was blocked by Newport inside the penalty area, before Newport won the foot race and converted the ball into the net for the 2-0 lead.

The game, and Newport's hat-trick was completed just shy of the 70th minute, starting when the team defended and cleared two Caversham headers, with Josh Robertson's kneed clearance falling to Tom Dalgarno, who looped the ball over The Billy Goats' defensive line. Newport was again in a foot race with the goalkeeper and when the ball bounced at the edge of the box, headed the ball towards goal and the team watched as the ball eventually crossed the line - this was Newport's 3rd treble of the season, whilst a first assist of the campaign for Dalgarno!

The win means we secured our 9th victory in EBFL Division One from 11 games, whilst we recorded our second clean sheet of 2025 (we only managed one in total in 2024), shutting out Caversham for the first time since November 2024. Well done to the team on a superb squad performance, and best of luck to Caversham for the rest of the season.

Next up, The Train travel to HKRG United in the EBFL Division One on Saturday 1st March 2025.

Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad

Manager: Robert Austin

Starting 11:

GK: Robert Austin

DEF: Emmanuel Cudjoe (Zaky 81')

DEF: Josh Robertson

DEF: Ashley Rockall (C)

DEF: Leo Pereira

MID: Connor Anderson

MID: Lucas Coe (Dalgarno 66')

MID: Nadim Gharabli

MID: Mark Bush (Watkins 71')

MID: Obeydah Abdulwahab (Gorman 55')

FOR: Phil Newport (Abdulwahab 81')

Substitutes:

SUB: Conall Gorman

SUB: Jon Watkins

SUB: Tom Dalgarno

SUB: Walid Zaky

Goals & Assists:

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

Goal 2: Newport (goal), no assist

Goal 3: Newport (goal), Dalgarno (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

Believe The Hype!