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: Britwell FC vs. Hype Train FC
Date: Saturday 27th August 2022
Competition: Pre-Season Friendly (11:00am KO)
Opposition: Britwell FC
Location: 1878 Stadium, Burnham FC, Wymers Road, Burnham, SL1 8JG
Final Score: Britwell FC 3-3 Hype Train FC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Britwell FC was the team's 8th match in pre-season ahead of the 2022/23 season, with the team taking on fellow EBFL Premier Division opponents. This was the 3rd time we faced Britwell, with the team's final two games of the 2021/22 season coming against the eventual Premier Division champions.
In a lively encounter, which saw Britwell hit the bar in the opening 10 minutes after a deft lob that defied Robert Austin, to a downward header by the hosts that was instinctively saved by Austin, it was the travelling train in white who carved open the best chances in the first-half, which culminated in the opening goal on the stroke of 36 minutes.
After Cosmin Huhulea won a free-kick just past the halfway line, Chris Marshall delivered an absolute peach from the dead ball, with Phil Newport winning the duel in the box as the ball bounced off Newport and to an unmarked Josh Watkins in the box - as time stood still for the central defender, Watkins had time to settle the ball before smashing his left-footed shot past the Britwell goalkeeper to open his account for the club, as well as for the team on the day.
The score remain 1-0 going into half-time, though chances for Leon Mannion, Newport, Liam Bowbrick, and Huhulea, saw the team limited with our lead, though it was directly from Britwell's own kick-off at the start of the second-half that saw the train double our lead. Robbing a central defender of the ball, Newport collected the ball and saw the keeper off his line, firing a finish over the stranded shot stopper to double our lead - a cracking finish from the Number 11!
Britwell found a route back into the game during the 67th minute when build up play on their left resulting in an in swinging cross that was cleared wice in the head, though eventually to the head of a Britwell attacker, who poached a header home from 10-yards-out, to gift a way back into the game.
The 74th minute saw the game change again in the favour of the hosts as a powerful run down the left saw Britwell have a quick counter attack on. Holding our line well, the ball eventually falls out to an a winger on the left who flashed in a mid-ranged cross towards the back-post, which was converted from close range to tie up the game.
The comeback was complete for Britwell during the 80th minute when their Number 10 was fed the ball on the left, and eventually able to turn onto his right foot just inside the penalty area, the shot was high and beat Austin who got a few strong fingers on the ball, though was unable to divert it away from the goal.
Not letting our heads drop, there was a 6th and final goal on the day, which all started when Graham High combined with Yazeed Alanazi down our right flank, with Alanazi doing well to then find Newport, who freed Mannion through on goal - the Number 9 shrugged off his chasing defender before curling home a fine finish to the far-right post to tie the game up again at 3-3. There were chances for both teams as the game wrapped up, though no letting shot as both teams settled for a draw on a perfect day for football at Burnham FC's 1878 Stadium.
The result means that in our 8th pre-season outing, we managed our first draw and were able to get a good result against the EBFL Premier Division champions. The team were in action the following morning against FC Whitley Wood at Coley Recreation, so stay tuned for the report and photos from a dry morning in Reading.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"Our toughest test to date in pre-season had us go to Britwell with a limited squad and a lot of new players as we tested ourselves against the best the EBFL has to offer. Britwell had a few trialists in there and were slightly off gear, but I feel we have come away disappointed that we didn't win on the day. The team created a lot of opportunities and on another day we could have had six - it was only in May that we were pulverised by Britwell on the final day of the season when they won the league, so we have come a long way since that moment.
The game itself was end to end, full of scoring opportunities and a real attacking show from both teams. Britwell had a very strong period in the second-half where they mounted a comeback from 2-0 down, which then saw the team do well ourselves to recover and score an excellent goal to level the tie. For us, we had spells of playing with the ball really well and were compact throughout the game. Stood in goal, the defensive line ahead of me did excellently throughout the game and really helped snuf out their mounting attacks. Overall, I can be happy with the progress the team have made, we have a long way to go but given a bit of a grind and some familiarity with the team, we can get to a good position.
I'd just like to pass on my thanks for John Brennan at Britwell for organising the game. Playing at Burnham FC is always a pleasure and the team got a lot from the game - John's a top personality in grassroots football within the EBFL and best of luck for the season."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Management Team: George Champion
Starting 11:
GK: Robert Austin
DEF: Graham High
DEF: Chris Marshall
DEF: Josh Watkins
DEF: Nikhil Garg
MID: Leon Mannion
MID: Cosmin Huhulea
MID: Tom Williams
MID: Liam Bowbrick
MID: Yazeed Alanazi
FOR: Phil Newport
Substitutes:
SUB: Ash Ali
SUB: Owen Jones
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Watkins (goal), Newport (assist)
Goal 2: Newport (goal), no assist
Goal 3: Mannion (goal), Newport (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
Believe The Hype!
