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: FC Whitley Wood vs. Hype Train FC
Date: Sunday 28th August 2022
Competition: Pre-Season Friendly (10:30am KO)
Opposition: FC Whitley Wood
Location: Coley Recreation Gorund, Reading, RG1 6EJ
Final Score: FC Whitley Wood 1-1 Hype Train FC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Whitley Wood was the team's 9th match in pre-season ahead of the 2022/23 season, with the team taking on RDSL Division 4 opponents. This was the 3rd time we faced Britwell, with the team's competing twice in league action during the 2021/22 season.
A game divided by a trio of 30 minute third's, the first period of the game was a back and forth encounter which saw chances at both ends. For the train in orange, Joe Saywer did well to win the ball back high against his former team in the 9th minute, with his eventual shot going wide. Minutes later, Sawyer rose highest for a header but drew a save from the keeper. As the third wore on, Jamie Carter had a dangerous run at goal, which led to a cut back that was missed by our attackers, whilst Phil Newport drew a save from the Whitley Wood shot stopper too.
At the other end of the pitch, Whitley had the most dangerous chance as they had a powerful runner with the ball who exploded down the left wing, cutting the ball back across the box, with the shot somehow going over the bar from just six-yards-out from Rob Bateman's goal.
The breakthrough did arrived for the hosts in the 28th minute when a Whitley midfielder ran towards goal, but was tackled brilliantly by captain Vince van Lembergen, with the perfectly timed tackle falling inviting for an on-running Whitley player to strike sweetly from range at the first time of asking - an ultimately unstoppable finish that was buried from range from 20-yards-out.
The game remained 1-0 and was largely broken up, though the team did eventually get rewarded for a lot of mounting pressure in the 87th minute when the team played the ball wide on the counter to Walid Zaky. The Egyptian fed the ball to Owen Bowbrick, who provided some nice footwork around the opposing defenders, before slotting a finish low and hard beneath the Whitley goalkeeper, to draw the team level.
The result means that in our 9th pre-season outing, we managed our first draw and were able to get a second draw of the weekend, drawing 3-3 against Britwell FC the day prior. The team would fnish our pre-season schedule the following Sunday against Brothers United at the Burghfield CSA.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"Our game against Whitley from our perspective was one that started as a sleepy encounter which saw us grow more and more into the game as we progressed. A game split by 3 periods of 30 minutes helped break the team's flow, and due to the constant stoppages and slowing of the game by the opposition, we struggled at times to get into any form of rhythm.
We largely controlled the ball, defended well when required, and had the opportunities to be out of sight in the game, we must have had half a dozen wasted opportunities and nearly moments. As for their goal, it was a wonder strike that was struck beautifully, whilst our goal right near the death of the game, was a well worked counter that had some nice footwork.
I know what the team needs for the start of the season, and games like this against stubborn opponents will eventually wake us up ahead of our Sunday League season.
I'd just like to thank Nigel and the team at Whitley for a good outing this morning, hopefully if they can keep up some of their performances they should be able to climb the ranks in the division below - best of luck for the season ahead."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Robert Batemen
DEF: Joe Sawyer
DEF: Vince van Lembergen
DEF: Josh Watkins
DEF: Nikhil Garg
MID: Yazeed Alanazi
MID: Sam Bolwell
MID: Owen Bowbrick
MID: Jamie Carter
FOR: Phil Newport
FOR: Owen Jones
Substitutes:
SUB: Rob Walsh
SUB: Walid Zaky
SUB: Eme Boateng
SUB: Robert Austin
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: O. Bowbrick (goal), Zaky (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!
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