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. Iver Heath FC
Date: Saturday 29th January 2022
Competition: EBFL League Cup (Second Round)
Opposition: Iver Heath FC
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Calcot, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 1-3 Iver Heath FC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
Our encounter against Iver Heath was our third encounter against the side from Slough this season after we have played them twice in EBFL Premier Division competition already this season, with the team winning our home outing 3-1, before drawing 3-3 away from home in our first game in 2022. This latest outing was in EBFL League Cup action, a cup competition featuring every club within the East Berkshire Football League.
A windy overcast day saw the team battling against the wind for the first-half, with much of the half penned in as the ball spun back in our direction - and that's exactly how the first goal panned out on the 21st minute. After clearing our lines from a corner kick, the ball spun high in the air and back towards goal, with their Number 5 instinctively chasing the ball that changed direction and hit a first-time finish on the spin that was buried low and hard into the net for the opening goal.
It was a slow half for the team and we found our performance compounded in the 34th minute when a long throw-in met the head of their Number 8, who nodded home to the bottom right corner to give Iver Heath a solid lead to open the game. Prior to these goals, Iver wasted several chances and hit the post from a cross, so were good value for the lead.
The boys in blue did find a goal back in the 38th minute and it started when a Joe Sawyer cross was handled by an Iver central defender just outside the penalty area. Phil Newport stepped up to mark to hit a low and hard free-kick to the left of the wall, with the Iver goalkeeper not quick enough to react to the strike at goal.
The second-half was a gritty, battling affair though Iver were able to extend their lead in the 60th minute when Robert Austin was unable to clear his lines, gifting the ball to the Iver right midfielder, who eventually cut back the ball for an easy finish to restore Iver's two-goal lead.
With the game winding on, we pressed and created several chances, though were unable to convert from several throws, free-kicks and corners, with Iver seeing out the game to advance to the third round of the cup.
The loss means that we exit the competition at the first hurdle, with the club still in the EBFL Presidents Cup, facing Harts of Bracknell next up in the competition away from home on Saturday 5th February 2022.
Thoughts from Club Manager, Robert Austin:
"Our cup outing against Iver was on a really windy day on a home pitch that was cutting up and bobbly, with both teams engaged in a physical game that was more a battle than anything else. What we did well was try to compete and stifled the visitors where we could, but our downfall was a slow start and making the same mistakes we made the last time we played them in league action.
For us it was just a slow day at the office and I don't think we really got going, lacked quality going forward and despite our best efforts, just couldn't get to grips with going behind. We have a lot to learn from and build on, which is always a positive, so we'll take this time to be able to hopefully learn moving forward as we have some big games coming up this month against opponents that will punish us if we're not at the races.
All credit goes to Ricky Aldridge and his team on a good afternoon, they were worth their win, played the game in the right manner and will give their next opponents a good game in the cup - good luck in the rest of the competition!"
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Chris Marshall
DEF: George Fradgley
DEF: Joe Sawyer (Knott 70')
DEF: Ryan Knott (Basden 30')
DEF: Robert Austin
DEF: Stuart Stannard
MID: Gino Izzo
MID: Callum Parr-Jones
MID: Callum Fox-Spence (Bolwell 80')
FOR: Sam Bolwell (Ali 30')
FOR: Phil Newport
Substitutes:
SUB: Danny Basden
SUB: Ash Ali
Goals and Assists:
Goal 1: Newport goal, Sawyer 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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