Hype Train FC played returned to the field after the second national UK Lockdown, with the team making the trip to fellow East Berkshire Football League outfit, Wokingham & Emmbrook FC, in what was our second mid-season friendly outing of the season. Read the match report from our trip to The Emmbrook School. All aboard.
Match Report: Wokingham & Emmbrook FC vs. Hype Train FC:
Date: 12th December 2020
Competition: Mid-Season Friendly
Opposition: Wokingham & Emmbrook FC Development
Location: The Emmbrook School, Emmbrook Road, Wokingham, RG41 1JP
Final Score: Wokingham & Emmbrook FC Development 3-0 Hype Train FC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The team's 1:30pm kick-off against Wokingham was at the same venue and team which saw us win 1-0 in the opening game of the Legea Ultimate X1 Cup group stages, though it was an afternoon which didn't replicate a result in the win column.
We started the slightly brighter of the sides, moving the ball well, and created several headed chances for Chris Marshall to convert, with one header flashing just inches past the post as we sought an opening goal.
Wokingham took the lead a few minutes before half-time when their right-winger ran off our defensive line, collected a floated ball before rifling in the top bins of the net to give the hosts the lead.
The first-half was mostly cagey and probing, with the second-half opening up as changes were at hand with both sides and it was Sam Paddon, returning from injury after six months out, was played through on goal, but was unable to cut back with green shirts lining up.
Callum Parr-Jones went on to hit a free-kick over the bar before Phil Newport tested the Wokingham keeper, before the hosts were able to add a second goal when a blocked shot fell to a midfielder who scooped home an effort to double their lead.
Chasing a goal in the encounter, Phil Newport raced through one-on-one and was wiped out by a central defender, who only saw yellow, with Newport's landing in the late challenge resulting in a hand injury to the attacker.
Wokingham rounded off a good performance by scoring a sweetly struck low free-kick in to the bottom-left corner to cap off a good day at the office for this strong development team. Well done on the performance and victory, Wokingham!
Thoughts from Player Manager, Robert Austin:
"Was it the result any of us wanted? Of course not. Was it the performance that we wanted? Of course not, we were off the pace. You can point questions to our performance, but in truth we just got bested by a team who learned from their defeat against us.
Wokingham corrected their mistakes against us and built on their previous performance and were clinical in the right areas. We played a very good development side that are already good enough to mix it with teams in the upper senior divisions and we hope to see them play in higher divisions as soon as possible.
We welcomed back Clayton Holloway from injury and Sam Paddon from a long-term knee injury, whilst also providing a debut to Vince van Lembergen, and combined that with losing our Goalkeeper due to a hand injury and another forward due to a big fall in the game, it wasn't the worst outing.
We're just happy to be competing in any form right now. Heading in to 2021 though, we have had to take some hard knocks and lessons in this stop-start season and it is my aim to ensure that if and when we're allowed to play football again, we can actually really begin our development cycle as a club."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Jack Roche
Starting 11:
GK: Callum Parr-Jones (Marshall 52')
DEF: Rod Stevens
DEF: Clayton Holloway
DEF: Vince van Lembergen
DEF: Robert Austin (Boateng 77')
MID: Jon Watkins (Seville 46')
MID: Sam Bolwell
MID:Â Colins Akemche (Paddon 46')
MID: Callum Fox-Spence (Parr-Jones 52', Setiawan 80')
MID: Emmanuel Boateng (Setiawan 46', Fox-Spence 60')
FOR: Chris Marshall (Newport 40')
Substitutes:
SUB: Sam Paddon
SUB: Phil Newport
SUB: Sam Seville
SUB: Dany Setiawan
Want to know more about The Hype Train?
The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in 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.
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, or visit our website here at www.thehypetrain.co.uk
All aboard.
