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 24th September 2023
Competition: RDSL Division 3 (Game 4)
Opposition: Farley Hill FC
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 4-5 Farley Hill FC
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Farley Hill was our 10th competitive match of the 2023/24 season, with the team hosting Farley in Reading & District Sunday League's Division 3 at Calcot Recreation Ground.
Starting the game with the bare 11 players, the team started slow on the morning and conceded a brace of early goals as Farley Hill made advantage of the squad being out of sorts - first when they ran at the defensive line after a turnover in midfield, before chipping the ball over Robert Austin in goal during the 16th minute, and then capitalising on the team being unable to clear their lines in the 28th minute, with a comfortable finish to double their lead.
With the arrival of Padraig Gorman and Mitchell Saunders, business picked up for the team and we were able to draw level before half-time. First, during the 37th minute, Saunders found room inside the penalty area to draw a save from the Farley shot-stopper, with the rebound prodded home by Nick Parfitt-Bowers to bring the score back to 2-1.
On the stroke of half-time, the game was level when Saunders was freed down the right wing after picking the pocket of Farley's left back, before crossing to Gorman to tap home into an empty net.
The second-half saw more an open contest between both teams, though Farley Hill were awarded a penalty when their attacker was bumped into by Kie Longmate, with the resulting spot-kick low and hard to restore Farley's lead.
With the team putting the pressure on again, Parfitt-Bowers combined well with Ciaran Carolan to be sent through on goal, with the attacking midfielder dragged down inside the penalty area before the eventual shot from inside the penalty area could be unleashed. Parfitt-Bowers stepped up to calmly stroke home the penalty to take the game to 3-3.
Then a calamity from Austin in goal occurred in the 82nd minute when the ball somehow bobbled between his legs and into the net, a really soft goal to concede, before Farley scored a 5th when their right winger was first to the ball to sweep home a tidy finish after a good through ball, took the game away from the team.
With the game in its closing minutes, Carolan turned provider again for the team when he played through Saunders on goal, to convert his 3rd goal of the weekend with a cool slot past the goalkeeper, though our attempts to draw level once more ran out of time, securing the win for the away team.
Next up for the train, the team turn its attention to cup action on both days of football next weekend, travelling to Real Saracens in the first round of the EBFL League Cup on Saturday 30th September, before making the short trip to the Berks County Sports Club to take on AFC Reading in the first round of the RDSL Industrial Cup on Sunday 1st October 2023.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"As much as I want to be frustrated with some sketchy linesman calls made throughout the game to frustrate us, the only thing we should be looking at is the team internally. The morning was a complete non-starter and was our worst showing in Sunday League, arguably ever. We weren't at the races, and had players making long journeys to turn out for us and we ultimately all let ourselves down. Personally, I'll look at myself in the mirror as I've made a horror error for their 4th goal, whilst the lads know where they need to be made more accountable in the future.
I'm very glad we've got a week away from league action, and take take the pressure off after a couple of draining league losses, and can mentally reset as we go for it in cup action. I've got nothing but the expectation that my team will pull through in a good condition though - we have such a good bunch of players and the potential is there for a top, top season, we just need to work hard to ensure we bounce back stronger and with that grit to see us through games."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Robert Austin
DEF: Joe Sawyer
DEF: Callum Gibbons (Saunders 27')
DEF: Kie Longmate
MID: Anwar Mmanga (Gorman 27')
MID: Callum Parr-Jones (Gibbons 74')
MID:Â Taren Langa
MID: Nick Parfitt-Bowers
MID: Jamie Carter (Mmanga 87')
FOR: Ciaran Carolan
FOR: George Townsend
Substitutes:
SUB: Mitchell Saunders
SUB: Padraig Gorman
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Parfitt-Bowers (goal), Saunders (assist)
Goal 2: Gorman (goal), Saunders (assist)
Goal 3: Parfitt-Bowers (goal), no assist
Goal 4: Saunders (goal), Carolan (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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