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 12th November 2023
Competition: RDSL Division 3 (Game 8)
Opposition: Reading Kites
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 7-4 Reading Kites
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Reading Kites was our 21st competitive match of the 2023/24 season, with the team hosting the Kites in Reading & District Sunday League's Division 3 at Calcot Recreation Ground. This was the first time we have played Reading Kites, who were bottom of the Division 3 table heading into the matchday.
An 11-goal game saw the first-half frontloaded with the majority of the game's goals, starting in the 4th minute when the team were able to open the scoring. Starting when George Townsend's far-post cross wasn't far from the head of full back partner, Anwar Mmanga, the ball remained in play as Mmanga closed the chasing Kites player, forcing a hurried clearance up their right channel. The ball was interceptioed by Padraig Gorman, who twisted and turned a trio of defensive players, before burying a calm shot to the bottom-left corner to give the team an early lead.
An equalising effort from Kites arrived shortly after during the 7th minute when the team saw a pass deflected on the right wing that went to an opposing central defender, who played a ball in behind our defensive line. Unable to reach the ball in goal, Kites attacker, Tobias Holloway, was able to poke the ball around Rubia in goal before having an unguarded net to poke him his finish. Arriving like buses, Kites then took the lead during the 9th minute when a 3-on-2 led to a cross from the left, which was controlled down before a finish to the far-right of the goal gave the visitors the lead.
A back-and-forth of goals wasn't ending there, with the game all tied up at 2-2 during the 12th minute in bizarre fashion. The goal all started when Jenson Mansel won back possession of the ball in the middle of the back, before the ball was worked out wide to Towsend, who spread the play to Mmanga on the left. Mannga drifted in-field before providing the killer through ball Ciaran Carolan wanted, with a shot on his left travelling goalwards, though the Kites goalkeeper hasn't looked at where he was, dragging the ball with him into the net when he collided with the right steel frame of the goal.
Another turnaround was completed in the 16th minute, with the team back in the lead. Patient build up play by a combination of attacking players led to Nick Parfitt-Bowers picking up the ball and playing the ball off of both Carolan and Mmanga - with the Number 10 faced up with a wall of Kites defenders on the left wing, the midfielder calmly bypassed all of them with good footwork, before a low shot saw the goalkeeper get fingertips on the ball while diving, but the deflection ended up putting the ball through the last defender on the line who was in a position to clear the ball away - a cruel deflection for the visiting team in pink as our lead was again restored.
20 minutes hadn't passed in the game when combination play between Mmanga and Carolan down the left resulted in Carolan bypassing a Kites defender with the ball at the edge of the box before being tripped up. After careful consideration the referee awarded a penalty, which Carolan buried to the shot stopper's right, giving the train some daylight in the game.
A 5th goal for the team arrived in the 24th minute, again originating from our left side when a through ball by Gorman was only half-cleared by a Kites defender, which allowed Mmanga the chance to claim possession of the ball, before providing a low cross for Taren Langa to convert home on the six-yard-line!
Kites weren't without their fighting spirit too, and it was from a couple of set-pieces that they brought the game back to the brink again. First in the 35th minute, a deep free kick bounced through and hit the inside of our right post, with the seconds scrambled home by alert Kites attackers, who lofted the ball in as our defensive line fell asleep to the second ball. Then a 4th for the visitors followed just before half-time on the stroke of the 45th minute when another deep cross was fumbled, allowing Kites to sweep home to take the half-time score to 5-4.
An improved second-half from the team, who were sharp and dominant, restricted Kites to virtually nothing in front of goal, whilst the team went close to scoring on multiple occasions, before Carolan was fouled inside the penalty area for a second time during the 65th minute of the game, before completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot to take the game to 6-4.
With the team chasing a 7th, Parfitt-Bowers struck the post twice, Joe Sawyer went close with a header, as did Carolan, whilst Ben Heinau forced a top save from a long-range effort. The Train had to wait until the 85th minute for the 7th goal, with the ball calmly worked from right to left, freeing Gorman to shoot on his left, and when the ball was only parried by the goalkeeper, veteran Walid Zaky was on hand to finish the attacking move off to sweep the ball home for his first goal of the season.
Next up for the train, the team will be hosting Southcote FC in EBFL's Premier Division on Saturday 18th November 2023, before we take on Rose & Thistle FC in the Last 16 of the RDSL Industrial Cup on Sunday 19th November on home soil!
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"Arguably the most Sunday League game we've been involved with as a club this season, if not ever, we come away with another needed win in RDSL Division 3, though the team will all admit we were really off our game this morning. Occasionally sloppy, and asleep at the wheel when defending, it took us a while to wake up to the fact that the Kites team had more energy and were really fighting for one another. Our lives were made harder than it had to be, but fortunately we also had found the net with some well worked goals, as well as some goals that will make the Hall of Fame for Sunday League goals.
We went into half-time with the game at 5-4 and really gave the team a shot of fire up their asses, it was really needed to get them to focus and put right the most up-and-down first-half I've been involved with for a long time, and where I will give credit to my team is having the application to have a very good second-half that we largely dominated throughout. Each day is a learning curve, and one we needed, to ensure we don't allow our standards to dip.
It was a pleasure to play Reading Kites, who were together throughout, fought and it was great seeing them score some good goals - we're wishing you the best in your search for a first league win this season - it's not too far away, so keep putting in the effort and it will happen sooner rather than later!"
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Marco Rubia
DEF: George Townsend (Mmanga 80')
DEF: Joe Sawyer
DEF: Kie Longmate
DEF: Anwar Mmanga (Austin 67')
MID: Taren Langa (Zaky 73')
MID: Jenson Mansel
MID: Nick Parfitt-Bowers (Heinau 80')
MID: Ben Heinau (Saunders 67')
MID: Padraig Gorman (Langa 84')
FOR: Ciaran Carolan
Substitutes:
SUB: Walid Zaky
SUB: Mitchell Saunders
SUB: Robert Austin
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Gorman (goal), no assist
Goal 2: Carolan (goal), Mmanga (assist)
Goal 3: Parfitt-Bowers (goal), Mmanga (assist)
Goal 4: Carolan (goal), no assist
Goal 5: Langa (goal), Mmanga (assist)
Goal 6: Carolan (goal), no assist
Goal 7: Zaky (goal), Gorman (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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