Pre-Season Team Report (16/08/2025): Hype Train FC vs. Harchester Hawks

Welcome aboard the home of Hype Train Football Club. Here, you can read the match reports from the Train's outings across Saturday League action throughout the 2025/26 season, with the team competing in the Thames Valley Premier League (TVPL). All aboard.

Match Report: Hype Train FC

Date: Saturday 16th August 2025

Competition: Pre-Season Friendly

Opposition: Harchester Hawks FC

Location: Waingels College, Woodley, Reading, RG5 4RF

Final Score: Hype Train FC 5-1 Harchester Hawks

Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk

Match Report:

The Train's encounter against Harchester Hawks was our 4th pre-season fixture of the 2025/26 season, ahead of our maiden season in the Thames Valley Premier League (TVPL), where the team will compete in TVPL Division One. This was our 4th encounter against Hawks, with all 3 previous outings being pre-season friendlies - with The Train boasting a 100% winning record against the team we groundshare with at Waingels College.

In a blistering first-half of chances for both teams, the opening goal arrived 13 minutes into the game, with The Train winning a throw in by our left back position. A quick throw into Kaao Ka saw the midfielder provide a delightful switch of play to Yacine Darsouni on the right wing. Darsouni allowed the ball to run across him, and with his first touch provided a deep cross towards the back post that was perfectly on the head of Luke Follington to score from close range.

The lead was doubled in the 21st minute when The Train countered from a corner kick, with Follington trying to find a forward pass, though the intercepted pass was collected by Connor Anderson, who fed the ball out left to Conall Gorman, who moved the ball forward to Darsouni, with the winger wriggling away from his marker before setting himself and scoring low past the goalkeeper to the far-left corner of the goal.

Ka would go close to scoring with a shot from range, whilst in the 33rd minute Hawks crashed a shot on the underside of the crossbar that potentially went in - though play continued - which led to the 3rd goal in the 38th minute. The team won a corner following Anderson cutting the ball to Follington, drawing a brilliant save from the Hawks goalkeeper. The resulting set-piece saw Ka deliver a floated header into the penalty area, with Rockall guiding the header in via the back post - a top header from the central defender.

The end of the first-half took the game away from Hawks further, when on the stroke of the 45th minute Mark Bush won the ball back with an interception and played a through ball for Follington, who when one-on-one with the goalkeeper finished delightfully with a deft outside-the-boot finish into the far corner.

During added time in the first-half, Bush and Rockall battled well to win the ball back for the team, finding the feet of Follington with the ball. The ball was then moved to left back with Robert Austin finding the feet of Gorman on the left, who then cut in and switched the play out to Anderson on the right. Anderson and Follington then traded a one-two, freeing Anderson to cut the ball on the six-yard-line to Darsouni to sweep home his second - a lovely team goal to end the half.

The second-half saw the 6th and final goal of the game arrive in the 47th minute and arrived when Hawks played a through ball forward down their right channel, before a cut back and finish brought the game back to 5-1.

The team in purple were when awarded a penalty in the 56th minute when the referee deemed that Bush had brought down his opponent, who was standing up and shielding the ball, but there was a reprieve for The Train as Jamie Halsall stepped up and saved the spot kick excellently to his right to preserve the 5-1 score - meaning that we have now won all 4 outings against Hawks in pre-season action.

Next up, The Train begins the 2025/26 season on 31st August 2025 at home at Waingels College, with the team hosting AFC Reading in Thames Valley Premier League's Division One.

Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad

Manager: Robert Austin

Starting 11:

GK: Jamie Halsall

DEF: Anwar Mmanga (Follington 72')

DEF: Mark Bush

DEF: Ashley Rockall

DEF: Daniel Mace (Austin 28', Gorman 84')

MID: Conall Gorman (Darsouni 72')

MID: Nadim Gharabli (Anderson 78')

MID: Connor Anderson (Ka 67')

MID: Kaao Ka (Osman 46')

MID: Yacine Darsouni (Anyiam-Osigwe 46')

FOR: Luke Follington (Akinbola 46')

Substitutes:

SUB: Nifemi Akinbola

SUB: Ahmed Osman

SUB: Alex Anyiam-Osigwe

SUB: Robert Austin

Goals & Assists:

Goal 1: Follington (goal), Darsouni (assist)

Goal 2: Darsouni (goal), Gorman (assist)

Goal 3: Rockall (goal), Ka (assist)

Goal 4: Follington (goal), Bush (assist)

Goal 5: Darsouni (goal), Anderson (assist)

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