Welcome aboard the home of Hype Train Football Club. Here, you can read the match reports from the train's outing across Saturday & Sunday League action throughout the 2023/24 season, with the team competing in the East Berkshire Football League (EBFL) and the Reading & District Sunday League (RDSL). All aboard.
Match Report: Hype Train FC
Date: Sunday 10th September 2023
Competition: RDSL Division 3 (Game 2)
Opposition: Bramley United
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 5-3 Bramley United
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Bramley United was our 6th competitive match of the 2023/24 season, with the team hosting the league newcomers, Bramley, in Reading & District Sunday League's Division 3 at Calcot.
A hot weekend for the team saw us in action at home for the second this over the weekend, and it was another hot morning for Bramley's visit, though it wasn't ourselves at Hype Train that were warm for the stages of the game. Bramley started well and played with some confidence in the channels as they worked a few shooting opportunities, but nothing that ultimately tested Robert Austin in goal.
The team simply didn't wake up and were made to pay during the 23rd minute when Kie Longmate was adjudged to have fouled a Bramley midfielder just outside the box, with Longmate's strong tackle winning the ball, though the referee said it was using excessive force. Stepping up on his left foot was Bramley's left winger Billy Wilson, who stroke the ball past the ball on the floor and into into the wingers bottom right corner to open the scoring.
After a quick water break, Bramley took further advantage during the 30th minute when the team initially cleared their lines well, though Bramley central midfielder Lee Silk collected the ball and struck from 30-yards-out - the shot was on course to be saved by Austin, but the ball caught a fortunate deflection off of Longmate's head that rose the ball over the goalkeeper and into the far-right corner of our goal to extend Bramley's lead.
A poor first-half was compounded a few minutes after Padraig Gorman fired over the bar, and Luke Follington drew a save from Bramley's goalkeeper - when the team were caught on the counter in the 43rd minute and a lofted ball ball over our defensive line was fed to Bramley's right midfielder Joe Spalding was collected well, and when inside the right of the penalty area, firing home a wicked shot into the near-post as the team went in at half-time 3-0 down!
Needing some urgency and a fresh perspective in the game, we changed shape for the second-half and went for broke in search of goals, and little did we know at the time, that we were on course for the most two-sided game of football in the club's history. Though to begin the second-half, Austin was forced into an incredible close range save to deny Bramley of a 4-0 lead when on the counter.
The 49th minute saw the team given a lifeline in the match when the team recovered possession of the ball with debutant George Townsend doing well to find Longmate, who then played in Jamie Carter, with the Number 3 threading a lovely through ball to Mitchell Saunders, who would put the ball through the opposing goalkeepers legs as the team and low into the net - scoring our first home goal of the 2023/24 season!
After much probing, with shots from Gorman, Christian Freemantle, Waqar Janjua, and Saunders, all going close, our relentless pressure would pay off during the 75th minute when a worked thrown down the left flank saw Cory McManus feed the ball to Saunders, who showed some fine feet to beat his marker before calmly placing a shot at the near-post, with the team now in touching distance of an equaliser.
After the second-half water break, the momentum was much like a train in full flight on the tracks during the 82nd minute when after some battling between both teams for the ball, Townsend put a simple ball over the top of the tiring and injured Bramley defensive line, with Saunders on hand to glide into the penalty area and finishing his hat-trick in style with a well-placed effort to the right of the goalkeeper.
With so much additional time on the horizon for the team due to several forced changes from the visitors due to injury, the team had thought we had finally completed the turnaround in the 88th minute when the ball was worked from the left of the penalty area to the right, with Jon Watkins firing a hard drive narrowly wide of the mark.
The turnaround was nearly complete in the first minute of additional time when Bramley's attempted clearance from a throw down the left wing was only scooped up and collected by Saunders inside the penalty area, and when attempting to peel off, Saunders was taken down with the referee pointing to the penalty spot. In the lashing rain at this point, Gorman stepped up to the mark to bury his penalty down the middle of the goal as the team now lead for the first time in the game!
With 99 minutes on the clock now, the final play of the day sparked another special moment for the club as some amazing footwork and skill by Usamah Choudhry to beat a foursome of Bramley players, would eventually see Choudhry in the middle of the goal as he set up Taren Langa to calmly stroke home his first goal from the club - queuing great scenes of celebration for the team as we secured the most unlikely of wins at half-time - to preserve our 100% start in RDSL Division 3.
Next up for the train, the team have another busy weekend at home as we first host Chalvey FC Reserves in EBFL's Premier Division on Saturday 16th September, before we welcome Richfield Rovers in RDSL Division 3 on Sunday 17th September 2023.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"As a club owner, there are these amazing moments that I look back upon and I think today is up there among our best ever victories. Each season we have had a breakthrough victory that bonds and gels the team together during a game, and today this was that moment. In our first season we beat Cressex 5-2 in a cup quarter-final, in our second we beat Caversham 5-3 in a cup semi-final thriller, whilst the turning point in our 2021/22 Presidents Cup winning season was our 2-2 draw away at Singh Sabha. Last season the team came together on opening day as we purred to a 6-1 win against Farley Hill, whilst on Sunday I have had the same feeling - that the team is finally coming together in the right way.
Quite honestly, at half-time any result looked unlikely. We were second best across the field and weren't doing the basics right, but a change of shape and an amazing grit and belief after Mitchell's first goal sent us on our way to an incredible comeback. All the players believed, and we had Owen Jones and Callum Gibbons turn up to push the team on in the second-half that made a huge difference. What worked well was we finally figured out our passing combinations and became assured when moving the ball, and Bramley couldn't live with us when we hit our stride.
I've nothing but respect and praise for the players after the result, it's the first time we have ever come back from the dead at 3-0 down to win a game of football, and is a testament to their desire and belief, and I couldn't be prouder. We've got some big clutch league games coming up too, so we needed this momentum heading into the weeks ahead.
I'd like to thank Bramley for a good and open game of football. The people running the club are top guys and they're a positive addition to the RDSL this season and will do well this season, so this was an important win for us. Best of luck, and we're looking forward to the visit later on this season."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Robert Austin
DEF: George Townsend
DEF: Joe Sawyer
DEF: Kie Longmate
DEF: Jamie Carter (Choudhry 70')
MID: Taren Langa (Watkins 83')
MID: Cory McManus
MID:Â Mitchell Saunders
MID: Usamah Choudhry (Freemantle 46', Langa 90+1')
MID: Luke Follington (Janjua 46')
FOR: Padraig Gorman
Substitutes:
SUB: Christian Freemantle
SUB: Jon Watkins
SUB: Waqar Janjua
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Saunders (goal), Carter (assist)
Goal 2: Saunders (goal), McManus (assist)
Goal 3: Saunders (goal), Townsend (assist)
Goal 4: Gorman (goal), Saunders (assist)
Goal 5: Langa (goal), Choudhry (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
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