Hype Train FC will be playing across both Saturday and Sunday next season, with the team competing in the East Berkshire Football League and the Reading & District Sunday League. You can follow all of the team's pre-season coverage right here as we provide match reports and photo galleries from the start of our third season as a club! All aboard.
Match Report: New England vs. Hype Train FC
Date: 8th August 2021
Competition: Pre-Season Friendly
Opposition: New England FC
Location: Burghfield CSA, Burghfield, Reading, RG30 3RS
Final Score: New England 1-2 Hype Train FC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
Our pre-season encounter against Reading & District Sunday League Division 3 outfit, and fellow RSSL side, New England, took place with a 10:30am kick-off at Burghfield CSA on Sunday 8th August 2021 with the team featured in their green Kitlocker Power-Up strip!
The first-half saw a host of chances to take the lead, with Leon Mannion cleared through on goal several times before the eventual breakthrough just before the 20th minute when a flighted ball over the New England defence by Robert Austin at right back fell invitingly for Mannion to convert low in to the bottom corner.
With a lead established, Callum Fox-Spence nearly double the lead in spectacular fashion when he struck a sweet half-volley from 30-yards-out, only to be denied by the stand-in shot-stopper for the hosts. The team also threatened from several set-pieces, with Chris Marshall and George Holloway going close with headed efforts from Fox-Spence corners. A third low-cross from Fox-Spence fell to the feet of Mannion, whose poked shot was deflected to Austin at the far-post, with the defender's right-footed effort smothered well by the opposing keeper.
Mannion then turned near-provider as his cross to Jamie Carter at the far-post from the right of midfield was a matter of centimetres from connecting with Carter's head to double the lead.
New England weren't without their chances. They penned us to the edge of our box for large spells in the first-half, rattling the bar from range in search of an equaliser, before their Number 24 had time to fire at goal, though had an eventual shot cleared off the line brilliantly by left back, Stuart Stennard.
The second-half changed the dynamic of the game in the first five minutes when New England drew level when their Number 24 collected the ball after a defensive mishap and curled sweetly past Holloway to the far-left to level the score!
Trying to restore the team's lead, we were productive on the counter but had several near-chances and crosses go begging as we couldn't find a man in the box to finish some good crossing efforts. It was a cross though on the 65th minute that provided a third goal of the afternoon, when debutant Stennard floated in a corner from the left, which was slotted home by the head of Mannion for his second of the afternoon.
With the lead established, both teams mounted pressure for another goal, though the game drew to a close with the team defending their lead superbly to deny the hosts of many clear-cut chances. It means that for the first time in club history we secured a win on our first attempt in a pre-season match!
Match of the Match - Stuart Stannard (LB):
The team's first pre-season outing of the new season saw three debuts, including George Holloway at central defence and Stuart Stannard at left back. Stannard put in a solid, committed performance on the left on his first outing, assisting the winning goal in the second-half with his floated corner steered home by the head of Leon Mannion.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"It's been over a month since our last game as game against Hambleden in the Stewards Cup and it's been one of the busiest months behind the scenes for the club as we brace for our first season as both a Saturday and Sunday club. We're currently going through the process of adding in a lot of structure to the club, as well as a new Manager to oversee gamedays - Brian has come in this past week and impressed!
As for the game itself, the score could have been far higher, whilst New England were unlucky not to have two or three or their own on the day. The grass at the CSA hadn't been cut and was very, very long. It disrupted both teams with their weight of pass and decision making, though it didn't stop chance after chance arriving.
I thought New England did well with their passing game, and were stronger than when we played them in the RSSL, though we held our shape really well and exploited them on the counter - just was a day where it wasn't going in for us, or the final pass was caught up in the grass.
Best of luck to New England in Division 3 next season in the Reading & District Sunday League, here's hoping to a good season for you guys!"
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Brian Mullally
Starting 11:
GK: Jake Holloway
DEF: Robert Austin
DEF: George Holloway
DEF: Vincent van Lembergen (C)
DEF: Stuart Stannard (Carter 70')
MID: Jon Watkins (Griffin 35')
MID: Chris Marshall (Parr-Jones 82')
MID: Callum Parr-Jones (Fox-Spence 72')
MID: Callum Fox-Spence (Terry 46')
MID: Jamie Carter (Watkins 46')
FOR: Leon Mannion
Substitutes:
SUB: Scott Terry
SUB: Ant Griffin
Goals and Assists:
Goal 1: Mannion goal, Austin assist
Goal 2: Mannion goal, Stannard 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.
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!
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