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 pre-season coverage right here as we provide match reports and photo galleries from the start of our third season as a club! All aboard.
Match Report: Burghfield FC Reserves vs. Hype Train FC
Date: Saturday 21st August 2021
Competition: Pre-Season Friendly
Opposition: Burghfield FC Reserves
Location: Burghfield CSA, Burghfield, Reading, RG30 3RS
Final Score: Burghfield FC Reserves 1-0 Hype Train FC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
On the day of the club's first end of season awards night, we were look to go into the night with a good performance away against Burghfield FC Reserves - the team we ended our pre-season schedule last year too.
The opening half an hour saw the team, kitted out in orange and black, largely defending as the hosts started the stronger of the teams, with Sam Bolwell making a series of incredible first-half saves to frustrate Burghfield. The first came from a through ball that freed their lone forward, who took a turn before rifling a shot from ten-yards-out, with Bolwell doing excellently to palm the shot away from goal. The second was a crucial double-save when he gifted away possession a few minutes later, then the best was a great reflex dive to his left after a cross was deflected off Robert Austin and goal bound, with the custodian tipping away the danger.
Our best chances in the first-half came when a long set-piece by Austin was headed down by Vince van Lembergen into the path of Phil Newport, who from six-yards-out, couldn’t generate enough power on his header to beat the opposing keeper. Just before half-time, Sam Paddon had his chance to break the deadlock, though his left-footed effort after a cut-back was wide of the mark.
We did start the stronger of the two sides in the second-half, with Brian Mullally coming off the bench and missing a truly golden chance to take the lead when Newport raced through on goal, eventually squaring the ball to Mullally, who somehow only could find the keeper despite the entire goal being free reign.
The only goal of the game arrived in the 77th minute when van Lembergen cleared a low-cross, with Burghfield's right winger tussling with Austin on the left, and was able to eventually get in a cross that was poked home past the inspired Bolwell.
Chasing an equaliser, Newport squared back for Callum Fox-Spence from eight-yards-out, though the midfielder couldn't sort his feet out quickly enough, who then played in Paddon, with the attack breaking down - like watching Arsenal after Robin van Persie moved to Man United, we couldn't pull the trigger in the penalty area.
Burghfield kept the pressure on, whilst we battled to the last, but eventually ran out of time in search of the goal - congratulations on the win, Burghfield!
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"Our 4th pre-season game and by far our toughest test to date. Burghfield have improved since we played them this time last year in pre-season and they had a good bunch of guys turn up on the day and played the game in the right spirit. On the balance of play, they edged their victory for sure, so well done to them on the effort and win.
For us, it was the classic case of not being able to finish multiple clear-cut chances. We spent a large part of the first-half defending, and doing very well in that department, with most of our chances coming from set-pieces and quick counters. On another day this result is 5-5 due to the nature of the chances created, was just a day where both keepers were in exceptional form - all credit must go to Sam Bolwell too, he has done a fantastic job as our stand-in keeper on Saturday's as we remain on the lookout for a new shot stopped.
The big difference was the fact that Burghfield had a much larger squad for the day, whilst we had a few players that unfortunately had to pull out from the game, meaning we had bare bones to contend with. The hosts used that to their advantage and made it difficult for our tiring legs.
We still have a lot of work to do before the start of the season, though it will be nice to take a week off next week to get players fit and ready for the challenge of Premier Division football.
Thank you is in order to both Hambleden FC and Burghfield for helping to arrange this fixture on such short notice. Goodluck to all of Burghfield's teams in the Thames Valley divisions next season and I'm sure we'll get another game booked in down the road!"
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Brian Mullally
Starting 11:
GK: Sam Bolwell
DEF: George Fradgley
DEF: Joe Sawyer
DEF: Vincent van Lembergen (C)
DEF: Robert Austin
MID: Paul Hatfield (Mullally 45', Paddon 75')
MID: Callum Fox-Spence
MID: Phil Newport
MID: Ryan Knott
MID: Jamie Carter
FOR: Sam Paddon (Hatfield '65)
Substitutes:
SUB: Brian Mullally
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
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