Hype Train FC were back on the road in our home blue Kitlocker kit as we continued our return to the field, continuing our 2020/21 pre-season campaign by visiting EBFL Division 1 outfit, Iver Heath FC. Read the match report from our fourth away trip in the off-season as we made the visit to Iver Heath Recration Ground in Iver. All aboard.
Match Report: St Peters Iver FC vs. Hype Train FC:
Date: 29th August 2020
Competition: Pre-Season Friendly
Opposition: Iver Heath FC
Location: Iver Heath Recreation Ground, Church Rd, Iver, SL0 0PN
Final Score: Iver Heath FC 4-3 Hype Train FC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
Hype Train FC's pre-season tour of the East Berkshire region continued as we travelled out to fellow EBFL Division 1 rivals, Iver Heath FC and it was the home side who started the strong of the two sides when they took the lead in the 7th minute of the game. Recovering possession in their left-back position, a long floating ball beat our defence with Liam Connor racing on and lobbing an advancing Jack Roche to open the scoring.
Iver Heath took just five minutes to extend their lead when Connor was set through on goal again after nice build up play from the home side, with their attacking outlet calmly stroking his effort past Roche to double his own goal haul.
Growing into the game, we began carving out chances to score. Dom Clarke's back-post cross couldn't be converted by Phil Newport a few yards out from goal, before Sammy Seville's effort just before the half-hour mark was dragged inches wide.
The home side found themselves with a player in the Sin Bin at the 30-minute mark when their right-winger protested a throw-in and mouthed off at the referee. From the resulting throw, Robert Austin collected the ball and wasn't closed down as he inched with the ball into opposing territory. Austin eventually picked out Newport, who peeled off a central defender, who chested down and powered home an effort with his weaker left-foot to half the deficit.
The old adage of still celebrating a goal proved true for the squad as Connor completed his hat-trick just a minute later when a flighted ball beat our offside trap and the attacker glided into the penalty area and finished his dinner to claim the match ball.
The second-half saw the team come out fired up and we threatened on several occasions, with Seville going close again with a low-cross to the keeper's right, with Clarke imitating Seville on the opposite flank just minutes later.
Iver Heath went close when one of their substitutes put a header over the bar from a couple of yards out, before substitute left-back Hugh Slater was forced off the field less than twenty minutes into his debut after taking a wicked shot to the head from the match ball from just a couple of yards, flattening the full-back.
Connor, already on a treble, sealed a fourth goal for himself and Iver Heath when he ghosted into the penalty area and prodded home a back-post effort to see the game begin to run away from the Blue and Gold.
With a change of shape, a counter-attack down the right-wing saw the team eventually win a corner, with Rod Stevens floating in the set-piece which was met by the rising head of Callum Fox-Spence, with our Number 7 planting an inch-perfect header in to the top-right corner to give us life in the game.
After continued pressure, the game was a flurry of counter-attacks for both teams and it was ourselves that capitalised on the 82mind minute, with Roche delivering an 80-yard ball down the field with Clarke chesting the ball down and lobbing Iver's keeper, with the ball bouncing off the side of the right-post and in to the net for Clarke's first goal for the club.
As the minutes counted down, we rallied for an equaliser, with Dany Setiawan appealing for a penalty before Clarke went close again from distance, though we were unable to secure a draw at the death.
Thoughts from Player Manager, Robert Austin:
"The nature of pre-season is to bed in new players, understand the strengths and fitness levels of everyone and to reinforce the club's playstyle. Despite a slow start and a loss, we tried to stick to our principles and had large spells where we were comfortable on the ball and threatened out wide. Both teams created a dozen chances and on another day the game finishes 10-10 or maybe 11-10 either way.
I have deliberately chosen a tough route throughout pre-season so my players can get experience playing the sides we've yet to encounter in the East Berkshire league, just so we can wake up to the heightened challenge that is on offer next season. There will be no easy game and every point we will have to claw and fight for - this is a physical league and teams in this division only need one chance to stick the ball in the back of the net - teams are generally more ruthless than our Thames Valley Premier League counterparts.
The result doesn't matter, but the manner of the performance does. That's why I can't be at all upset or frustrated with the scores as we are adjusting well and creating a lot of chances in games - we just have to start taking them when it matters.
I'd like to personally give credit to Iver Heath's Liam Connor on a superb performance against us. Liam scored all of Iver Heath's goals and had legs on us all afternoon. He'll be a big player for Iver next season and I hope he plays against us when the league campaign starts so we can exact our revenge. Well done on a good win, Iver, and see you down the line in competitive action."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Starting 11:
GK: Jack Roche
DEF: Rod Stevens
DEF: Martin King (C)
DEF: Robert Austin
DEF: Jamie Carter (Slater 45', Carter 63')
MID: Sammy Seville (Saleh '60)
MID: Chris Marshall
MID: Sami Azad (Setiawan 55')
MID: Callum Fox-Spence
MID: Dom Clarke
FOR: Phil Newport (Seville 80')
Substitutes:
SUB: Hugh Slater
SUB: Dany Setiawan
SUB: Omar Saleh
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Newport (goal), Austin (assist)
Goal 2: Fox-Spence (goal), Stevens (assist)
Goal 3: Clarke (goal), Roche (assist)
Iver Heath Goals: Liam Connor (4x goals)
Want to know more about The Hype Train?
The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in 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.
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.
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All aboard.
