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 2023/24 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 23rd September 2023
Competition: EBFL Premier Division (Game 6)
Opposition: Britwell United
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 4-3 Britwell United
Photographer: Paige Alexander
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Britwell United was our 9th competitive match of the 2023/24 season, with the team involved in the East Berkshire Football League's Premier Division. This outing was the 3rd time we had faced a Britwell side in competitive action, and the first time we have faced their new Britwell United outfit.
With the perfect conditions for another home game, it was Britwell who would open their account first during the 9th minute, and it came from a mistake when the team won back possession of the ball, until a pass by Callum Gibbons was intercepted in a dangerous area, allowing their right winger to race through clean on goal and score past Jamie Halsall from close range,
The train didn't let the early set back effect us though as we continued a decent start to the game with our opening goal too during the 16th minute, with Joe Sawyer tackling well to win back possession of the ball before moving the ball out to Hussein Radwan on the left. Radwan squared to Phil Newport, who had time to turn at the left of the centre circle, picking out Mitchell Saunders perfectly who made a diagonal run across Britwell's defence. The ball over the top was flighted well by Newport, with Saunders just left to lob a first-time shot over the Britwell goalkeeper to draw the game level.
The turnaround from the team didn't take long, with Newport winning a corner in the 18th minute when his cross following on from a low cross by Saunders, was blocked and cleared away. Jordi Ebanda's floated corner was then pin-point to Joe Sawyer to head home and into the net at the far-right of the goal, to go into the half-time period ahead.
Britwell started the second-half well, and forced Halsall into a diving save, whilst they were unable to make the most from their set-piece routines after we conceded several sloppy fouls. Britwell were also fortunate that a well worked move that resulting in Newport flashing a shot just wide of the right post, didn't put the team ahead, whilst Ebanda also struck the post from a free-kick in the 58th minute. Newport had also put the ball over the line and made the entire net ripple on the left-side of the goal, though the referee was unable to see clearly from his vantage point - despite the entire net rippling where the ball rested against, before being cleared from behind the goal line.
As the game headed into the final 30 minutes of action, the game was there for the taking for both teams with the game somehow 2-1, though on the 62nd minute the game we level when Halsall's goal kick was collected by Britwell and they broke on their left flank, working a shot that was deflected off the leg of Anwar Mmanga who was trying to make the last-ditch block, though the shot was only looped over and into the led for the equaliser.
A 5th and crucial goal did arrive in the game during the 69th minute of the game when a throw on the left by Robert Austin was collected well off the chest of Ebanda, who then found Newport, who turned out of danger well, before the through ball sent the team to the left wing. Nathan Mindomba retrieved the ball, teeing up Ebanda to cross to Saunders, with the winger then cutting the ball back to Joe Sawyer to cross. Sawyer's cross nearly saw an acrobatic finish from Ebanda at the far-post, though the midfielder collected the ball, squared to Newport, who checked in past a defender before finishing well inside the six-yard-box to restore our lead.
With the team on top again, the 4th goal for the team would arrive in the 74th minute when following a Britwell throw, Ebanda won back possession of the ball and gave it to Newport, who deep in hi own half on the left, picked out an incredible through ball to Saunders on the other side of the pitch, who ran through on goal and finished into the far corner to score the team's decisive 4th - and Saunders' second of the day!
With the clock running down, there were also chances for Nifemi Akinbola to sore his first goal, who toed the ball at the wrong moment when released one-on-one to miss the target, before Saunders fired over the bar on the right to deny him a second treble in September.
With the last action on the clock, after the team put the ball in the corner for the final minute, Britwell won the ball back and their central defender, who went up top in the second-half, shoed nice composure to sit a defender down before lofting a shot into the net to bring the game to 4-3, though seconds after the goal the referee blew for the full-time whistle, securing the team's 3rd win in EBFL's Premier Division this season.
Next up for the train, we are in cup action for the first time in the East Berkshire Football League, with the team visiting Division One outfit, Real Saracens, in the EBFL League Cup first round on Saturday 30th September 2023.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"A game against Britwell is also an entertaining affair and I've nothing but respect for John Brennan at the club for being able to get a second team up and running, and for them to go straight into the Premier Division. The game was competitive from first to last, though it is great to be able to say that we are the first team to outright beat them this season.
After a start here we had to chase after an early goal conceded, once we equalised the game shifted entirely and I thought we were largely the team in the ascendancy that would go on to secure the win. We had the depth on the bench to come on and change the game in our favour, which we were able to do well, and we finished off our chances at crucial stages in the game.
My only reflection is that the team need to start burying more of their chances - we scored none against Chalvey and could have scored 6, whilst we were wasteful with a handful of chances here against Britwell too, so it's about time we start putting more away, which we all hope can come with time.
I wish Britwell all the best, and am looking forward to the return leg at the Chicken Ranch later on in the season."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Jamie Halsall
DEF: Anwar Mmanga (Marshall 68')
DEF: Joe Sawyer (Mmanga 87')
DEF: Callum Gibbons
DEF: Robert Austin
MID: Mitchell Saunders (Laryea 90+1)
MID: Nathan Mindomba
MID: Shiloh Nduilor (Janjua 63')
MID: Jordi Ebanda
MID: Hussein Radwan (Laryea 17')
FOR: Phil Newport
Substitutes:
SUB: Chris Marshall
SUB: Waqar Janjua
SUB: Jeffrey Laryea
SUB: Nifemi Akinbola
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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