Welcome aboard the home of Hype Train Football Club. Here, you can read the match reports from the train's outing across Saturday & Sunday League action throughout the 2023/24 season, with the team competing in the East Berkshire Football League (EBFL) and the Reading & District Sunday League (RDSL). All aboard.
Match Report: Hype Train FC
Date: Sunday 13th August 2023
Competition: Pre-Season Friendly
Opposition: FC Whitley Wood
Location: Coley Recreation Ground, RG1 6EJ
Final Score: FC Whitley Wood 4-5 Hype Train FC
Photographer: Sam Austin
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Whitley Wood was the team's 4th pre-season friendly ahead of the 2023/24 season, with the team making the short trip to Coley Recreation Ground in Reading. This was the 4th time the club has faced Whitley Wood, and the 2nd time we have faced the opposition in friendly action.
A 9-goal game took a while for the first effort to breach the keeper's line, though in a positive first-half, Usamah Choudhry missed from a few-yards-out after a cut-back bobbled at the wrong time, whilst Padraig Gorman forced the Whitley keeper into multiple saves, as did Mitchell Saunders and Phil Newport from range, as the team looked for the opening goal.
On the stroke of the 25th minute an opening goal arrived when Saunders won possession of the ball inside the centre circle before driving the team forward. Scooping a pass out right to Gorman, the winger flashed in a cross that was only half-cleared by a defender in blue, which allowed Nick Parfitt to calmly control the ball, turning so he faced goal, before popping the ball over the line to open the scoring.
With 30 minutes on the clock in the first-half, the team defended a deep corner kick and quickly countered when Newport played the ball over Whitley Wood's backline with Gorman running the left channel. Using skill and pace, Gorman eventually cut the ball back to Newport, who set before striking a low effort that flashed past the diving goalkeeper to double our lead heading into half-time.
With changes rung in the second-half, the hosts were able to get on the board too in the 58th minute when after some build up play a deep cross was hung up in the air with our goalkeeper unable to collect, allowing the loose ball to be converted into the net to bring the score to 2-1. Just 3 minutes later in the 61st minute, the team were caught on the break after we committed players forward for a set-piece, with a long ball seeing the Whitley player winning the foot race - the eventual shot was well saved by Follington but the seconds were tapped home to take the scores level.
The train's lead was record just minutes later in the 64th minute when patient build up play down the left wing saw the ball eventually play to Parfitt, who found the right angle to pass the ball through a crowded penalty area, with the shot bouncing in off and the post and in to restore a lead.
An open second-half saw a 6th goal and this time it was another equaliser for Whitley Wood. This time from a free-kick 40-yards-out, the deep set-piece travelled and curled to the six-yard-line and prodded home from close range. Whitley would then go ahead in the 73rd minute when a loose ball from a goal kick was collected by Whitley, before they rounded the goalkeeper and stroked home to take the lead.
At this point, the team changed formation and pushed players forward and were rewarded for our efforts in the 83rd minute with an equaliser of our own when good interplay down the right from Newport and Parfitt eventually saw Newport drive to the byline, cut the ball back for Parfitt to sweep home and complete his hat-trick!
There was time for one more goal and the match winner in the 87th minute of the game. The attack formed down the right when Callum Gibbons flicked on a throw in to Parfitt, who then fed Saunders to get to the byline. Cutting the ball back, Parfitt again swept home the ball into the net to give the team a high-scoring win in pre-season.
Next up for the train, the train have a final weekend of pre-season action before we take on Southcote FC in our maiden EBFL Premier Division outing on Wednesday 23rd August 2023.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"Today's pre-season game in Coley was a good opportunity for us to get back on track after some difficult games recently, and largely we stepped up a slight gear. Despite a shaky start, we largely dominated the first-half and went in at 2-0 knowing it could have been more. I was impressed that the team were able to keep the ball in the final third and be calm under pressure in an attacking sense. Across the whole game we did score some good and well worked goals too, it was nice not to rush it.
On the other foot, we did concede some soft goals and largely that's because one of our outfield players helped us out as we have injuries to both goalkeepers currently, so I am not expecting this to carry over into the season, though it gives us a few key areas to work on, particularly in transition, in the weeks ahead. Some good steps taken though and we're beginning to shape up ahead of our Sunday League campaign.
I'd like to thank the team at Whitley Wood for organising the game and the referee. I've always had a lot of time for them and they are a top bunch of lads who don't create any drama at Sunday League level. Best of luck in RDSL Division 4 next season!"
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Luke Follington
DEF: Anwar Mmanga (Ferreira 46')
DEF: Callum Gibbons
DEF: Jamie Carter (Longmatey 46')
DEF: Leo Periera (Carter 78')
MID: Usamah Choudhry (Boateng 46')
MID: Cory McManus (Langa 25', Parfitt 78')
MID:Â Mitchell Saunders (McManus 46')
MID: Nick Parfitt (Usamah 70', Gorman 78')
MID: Padraig Gorman (Saunders 70')
FOR: Phil Newport (Choudhry 86')
Substitutes:
SUB: Emmanuel Boateng
SUB: Will Longmatey
SUB: Taren Langa
SUB: Jose Fereira
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Parfitt (goal), no assist
Goal 2: Newport (goal), Gorman (assist)
Goal 3: Parfitt (goal), Gorman (assist)
Goal 4: Parfitt (goal), Newport (assist)
Goal 5: Parfitt (goal), Saunders (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
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