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: Reading United vs. Hype Train FC
Date: Sunday 5th December 2021
Competition: John Lusted Cup (Quarter-Finals)
Opposition: Reading United
Location: The Oratory School, Woodcote, Reading, RG8 0PJ
Final Score: Reading United 5-0 Hype Train FC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
Our encounter against fellow RDSL Division 4 outfit, Reading United, was in the quarter-finals of the John Lusted Cup, a cup competition featuring teams from Division 3 & 4 of the Reading & District Sunday League.
Starting the stronger of the teams, Reading won a penalty in the 5th minute of the game when their Number 5, Kaine Page, went down in the penalty area after Chris Marshall went for the ball. A soft penalty, but nonetheless one that was converted by Page to the right of Jake Holloway - with the keeper getting a hand on the effort, injuring his shoulder in the process.
A second for the hosts followed shortly afterwards during the 11th minute following a goal kick, which was won by a player in blue, with their Number 7 put through on goal, calmly finishing to the far-right corner.
By the 25-minute mark the hosts had raced away after an impressive start, nabbing a third just a few-yards-out from goal when a flashed cross from their right side was flashed across the penalty area, beating everyone. Falling out to an attacking player, he hit the post with a follow-up effort, with the rebound smothered home.
Our best chances for a goal in the first-half came when Phil Newport forced the Reading keeper into a good save from a free-kick from twenty-yards, whilst minutes later Newport dragged the ball from the by-line, with the ball finding its way for Gino Izzo to fire over.
The second-half was more productive from the team, but got caught on two counter-attacks that led to the drubbing being completed. The first happened in the 51st minute when a counter saw a forward player put the ball through Robert Austin's legs, before rifling a shot in off the crossbar to further extend Reading's lead. Then, during the 86th minute their Number 7 was played through one-on-one and placed a strong effort past Marshall in goal to complete a good day at the office.
Our best chances came from two Austin set-pieces, the first which flashed towards Jon Watkins at the back-post, with Watkins hitting the post, before Austin picked out Newport at the far-right post from a free-kick, with Newport heading narrowly wide. Watkins did had a second chance to find the net, though was unable to convert from Leon Mannion's cut-back from the left as the winger was stretching for the cross.
The loss means that we bow out of the competition at the quarter-finals stage, with the team returning to league action next week in Division 4 as we take on MAC FC at South Reading Leisure Centre on Sunday 12th December 2021.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"Last week saw a couple of wins, and arguably two of our better performances as a club. Today though, the opposite happened as we just were not at the races. It's a humbling reality check for the team, and the first match we have come away from being second best, and a massive chance for my players to reflect and learn after a tough morning at the office.
The referee didn't help matters this morning either - drawing frustrations from our players during an incident that should have seen the hosts reduced to 10-men, and booking us for two first-time challenges, with the hosts getting away with 4-5 bad fouls before anything was given. That doesn't excuse what was our worst performance of the season by quite some distance though.
All credit to Reading and their coaching staff. They were collectively pumped up for the game, started very well, were hungry for every challenge and fully deserved their win - we wish them the best of luck in the competition - they'll take some stopping for the teams left in the hat."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Jake Holloway (Watkins (46')
DEF: George Fradgley (Akemche 46')
DEF: Chris Marshall
DEF: Joe Sawyer
DEF: Robert Austin
MID: Graham High (Jones 65')
MID: Colins Akemche
MID: Gino Izzo (Zaky 80')
MID: Phil Newport
FOR: Callum Fox-Spence
FOR: Leon Mannion
Substitutes:
SUB: Walid Zaky
SUB: Jon Watkins
SUB: Sam Paddon SUB: Owen Jones
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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