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 8th February 2025
Competition: Slough Town Junior Cup (semi-finals)
Opposition: Taplow United Swans
Location: Waingels College, Woodley, Reading, RG5 4RF
Final Score: Hype Train FC 4-2 Taplow Swans
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The Train's encounter against Taplow United was our 19th fixture of the 2024/25 season in the East Berkshire Football League, with the team competing in the semi-finals of the Slough Town Junior Cup. This was our second encounter against Taplow this season, with the squad running out 5-2 winners during our second game of the season in EBFL's Division One.
The game didn't start well for ourselves at Hype Train, finding ourselves behind after just 5 minutes played. After a contested throw in down Taplow's right, they won the throw and the ball went to the feet of their Number 11, who set the ball for the right back to provide a deep cross, with Taplow's Number 9 peeling off our defensive line and scoring with a looping header.
Working our way into the game, an equalising effort on goal would arriving during the 32nd minute, which started when Mitchell Saunders was fouled when receiving the ball on the turn just past the halfway line on the left side of the pitch. Stood over the set-piece, Chris Marshall delivered a deep cross towards the back post that was put on a plate for Mark Bush to finish comfortably on the volley, with the game heading into half-time with the scores level.
The second-half started with The Train having to battle with 10-men for 10 minutes when Bush was sent to the sin bin after reacting to the referee after being fouled, meaning we had to absorb a lot of pressure, though it was within these 10 minutes that we actually made the breakthrough! During the 62nd minute a set-piece was flashed out towards Connor Anderson, who took his man on, though the Taplow captain did well to half clear. The ball was cleared, though intercepted by Nadim Gharabli, who then cut infield and squared the ball to Ashley Rockall 25-yards-out from goal - the central defender then took one touch to set, before unleashing a rocket into the far-right of the goal to force the issue and put the team 2-1 up!
The game was taken further away from Taplow in the 72nd minute, starting with a long kick forward by Robert Austin in goal after the visitors had been ruled offside, with the ball bouncing before being held up well by Anderson. Turning on the ball, Anderson popped a lovely pass behind the Taplow left back allowing Saunders to run onto the ball, before cutting the ball back to Anderson, who had to turn on his left - the eventual shot was only parried away by the opposition shot stopper, allowing Luke Follington to follow up and bury the ball into the roof of the net for the crucial 3-1 lead.
Within 2 minutes of doubling our lead, Taplow found life in the game when a deep cross on the left hit the edge of the penalty area, with their winger Alex Seymour shouldering the ball in expertly right into the top corner, to bring the game back to 3-2.
The game was on a knife edge for both teams until in the 81st minute Saunders won a penalty for the team after collecting a deflected pass by Eme Boateng, with Saunders flicking the ball over the Number 14's head, and eventually wrestled to the ground. Saunders stepped up to take the spot kick, converting the penalty low and away from the goalkeeper to take the game to 4-2, booking our place in the showpiece final this April.
The win means that we will face Slough Heating FC Reserves in the Slough Town Junior Cup final at Slough Town FC's Arbour Park, with our opposition overcoming FC Bracknell 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw away from home. More details regarding the final will be release in due course.
Next up, The Train host Bracknell Aces in East Berkshire Football League's Division One on Saturday 15th February 2025.
Hype Train's Route to the Slough Town Junior Cup Final:
First Round: Hype Train 1-1 Eton Wick (Hype win 7-6 on penalties)
Quarter-Final: Hype Train 3-2 Langley FC U18
Semi-Final: Hype Train 4-2 Taplow Swans
Final: vs. Slough Heating FC Reserves
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Management: Brad Burles-Nash & Sam Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Robert Austin
DEF: Anwar Mmanga (Boateng 70')
DEF: Kie Longmate
DEF: Ashley Rockall
DEF: Leo Pereira
MID: Connor Anderson (Watkins 74')
MID: Nadim Gharabli
MID: Chris Marshall (Robertson 78')
MID: Mitchell Saunders
MID: Conall Gorman (O. Abdulwahab 57')
FOR: Mark Bush (Follington 69')
Substitutes:
SUB: Jon Watkins
SUB: Luke Follington
SUB: Emmanuel Boateng
SUB: Josh Robertson
SUB: Obeydah Abdulwahab
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Bush (goal), Edwards (assist)
Goal 2: Rockall (goal), Gharabli (assist)
Goal 3: Follington (goal), Anderson (assist)
Goal 4: Saunders (goal), no 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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