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 season coverage right here as we provide match reports and photo galleries from our third season as a club! All aboard.
Match Report: Hype Train FC vs. BAS FC Allstars
Date: Sunday 26th September 2021
Competition: Berks & Bucks FA Sunday Trophy
Opposition: BAS FC Allstars
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Calcot, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 3-0 BAS FC Allstars
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
Our encounter against Bracknell & District Sunday League Division 4 outfit, BAS FC Allstars, was the team's first cup action of the season, with the team in the first round of the Berks & Bucks FA Sunday Trophy, a cup featuring teams outside of the top divisions within the BBFA counties.
There were no goals to report on in the first-half, though the visiting BAS did start the brighter of the two sides and forced Jack Roche into several saves from long-range efforts. The visitors also couldn't convert after a giveaway at the back prevented the team in orange with a chance to shoot on goal, though captain, Vincent van Lembergen, swept away the danger. Largely though, the distribution from the BAS keeper, and the lively nature of their midfielders nad wingers, did caused the team a few headaches as we woke up to the pace of the game.
As the first-half wore on we began carving chances open, and none more unfortunate after Phil Newport saw his header crash against the bar following a whipped corner from Callum Fox-Spence, with Chris Marshall's headed rebound being cleared excellently off the line to keep the score goalless. Also keeping the score goalless was the BAS linesman, who in the 35th minute adjudged that the ball had gone out for a cut-back when Leon Mannion beat his defender down the line, with the pass to Fox-Spence smashed home into the bottom-right corner. The referee sided with the linesman, with the half ending with the team in need of some regrouping.
Coming out the second-half as an improved, disciplined unit, another set-piece saw van Lembergen his the post after a near-post corner from Fox-Spence, with the Belgian's flicked effort crashing off steel to deny the club captain his first goal.
The deadlock was finally broken just before the 60th minute when the BAS keeper launched a ball into our half, which was headed to safety by Marshall. Newport then flicked on the resulting ball with his head, with Mannion racing onto the ball and lifting the ball over the keeper and back down into the net - a worthy lead given our pressure in the second-half.
Looking for an equaliser, BAS's best opportunity came when their lone forward was able to run to the six-yard-line after some good pressure, but lashed at the shot with the effort spinning far wide of Roche's right post.
With BAS needing a goal, the game did open up, which exploited space for the team to double the lead in the 79th minute when another flicked header by Newport following a dead-ball by Roche fell invitingly for the persistent Mannion in the penalty area, who took one touch to round the keeper, and a second to finish the job, to double the lead and our Number 9's goal count.
The final nail in the coffin arrived in the 84th minute when Roche went long again, with Mannion collecting the deep kick by the keeper. Supported by Fox-Spence, Mannion ended up choosing to go alone, beat his defender and then cut back, with an unfortunate toe seeing the ball go into the net off a BAS player to finish the scoring for the day.
The win means that the team ended September with a 100% record in competitive action, scoring 21 and conceding 2 goals, and means we advance through to the second round of the BBFA Sunday Trophy.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"Today was the club's first cup outing of the season and it provided us with our best opposition to date in a competitive game against a side that pushed us until the end. With teams in the basements divisions of Sunday League football you often have no idea what is being thrown your way, so we were gladly surprised when the team were given a good test against a new and young side full of runners.
After we weathered the storm in the first-half, each minute that passed by saw us grow into the contest. We eventually got them on the back foot when Jack's kicking in goal penned them deep into their own half and we exploited the wide pitch. Based on our second-half performance - the confidence in attack combined with good game management - we ultimately produced a cultured cup performance, something our visitors will one day be able to do once they have more game time with their squad over the next few years.
This club has always done well in cup competition and we can't wait for the next round, be it against any opponent left in the Sunday Trophy. Onwards and upwards into October after a perfect run of competitive Sunday games though, there isn't much more you can ask for to begin the season."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Jack Roche
DEF: Colins Akemche
DEF: Vincent van Lembergen
DEF: Federico Martorell
DEF: Stuart Stannard
MID: Dany Setiawan (Izzo 57')
MID: Chris Marshall
MID: Callum Fox-Spence
MID: Scott Terry (Jones 80')
MID: Phil Newport
FOR: Leon Mannion (Austin 85')
Substitutes:
SUB: Gino Izzo
SUB: Owen Jones
SUB: Robert Austin
Goals and Assists:
Goal 1: Mannion goal, Newport assist
Goal 2: Mannion goal, Newport assist
Goal 3: Own Goal, Mannion 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
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