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: Sunday 17th September 2023
Competition: RDSL Division 3 (Game 3)
Opposition: Richfield Rovers
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 3-4 Richfield Rovers
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Richfield was our 8th competitive match of the 2023/24 season, with the team hosting the RDSL John Lusted Cup winners in Reading & District Sunday League's Division 3 at Calcot Recreation Ground.
A tight first-half saw a pair of goals in quick succession, one for each team, as both teams battled well. The first goal arrived in the 33rd minute when Cory McManus retrieved the ball from a goal kick, before finding midfield partner, Mitchell Saunders, who fed Ciaran Carlan through on goal. Carolan took his time as he cut the ball to Phil Newport to sweep home at the near-post and over the Richfield keeper to give the team the lead.
Richfield were quick to equalise though just 3 minutes later when a throw in on the right side would see a pass into the penalty area to Richfield's Number 8 in the middle of the goal, with the player setting his angle before finishing comfortably with a low shot to equalise.
The second-half was more open for both teams, with the train going ahead for a second time in the 60th minute when Carolan provided a perfectly timed through ball to Usamah Choudhry to race through on goal and finish calmly when one-on-one.
A quick fire third would arrive in the 64th minute when the team broke from left to right, with Carolan cutting back for Newport at the edge of the penalty area, with the shot deflected back to Carolan, who then set Newport again to cut onto his left and calmly finish into the bottom right corner for a 3-1 lead.
The game turned on its head though in the 70th minute when Leo Pereira has clattered into a Richield player inside the penalty area, which led to the spot-kick being converted to Robert Austin's left with a low drive. Richfield were then awarded a controversial second penalty when Austin initially fumbled a connection and recollected, with a Richfield player colliding into Austin as the ball dropped again. The referee awarded a penalty to the team's frustration, which again was converted to tie the game up at 3-3.
Then within the final minute, the team lost the ball at the halfway line and this set up a Richfield counter that fell to their Number 8 at the edge of the box, who on the turn, hit an excellent shot into the far-right corner of the goal, securing a win for the visitors.
Next up for the train, the team had a 3rd consecutive weekend of home games with the team hosting Britwell United in EBFL's Premier Division on Saturday 23rd September, before hosting Farley Hill FC in RDSL Division 3 the following day on Sunday 24th September 2023.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"A game of comebacks in an open Sunday League game, we ultimately came on the losing side of matters and the loss is definitely a hard one to take as the team should have been out of sight before we gifted Richfield a way back into the game. We'll have to be accountable for our mistakes that ultimately cost us, as well as not being able to take the game to 4-1 when we missed some crucial chances - this all built belief into the visitors as we gave them every opportunity to get back into the game.
We'll pick ourselves up and aim to to again quickly as we have a lot of quality in the team, it's just about making sure we are in a good position to respond in the weeks ahead."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Robert Austin
DEF: George Townsend
DEF: Joe Sawyer
DEF: Kie Longmate
MID: Taren Langa (Mmanga 65')
MID: Cory McManus (Choudhry 81')
MID: Mitchell Saunders
MID: Usamah Choudhry (Gharabli 71')
MID: Jamie Carter (Pereira 58')
FOR: Ciaran Carolan
FOR: Phil Newport
Substitutes:
SUB: Leo Pereira
SUB: Nadim Gharabli
SUB: Anwar Mmanga
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Newport (goal), Carolan (assist)
Goal 2: Choudhry (goal), Carolan (assist)
Goal 3: Newport (goal), Carolan (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!
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