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 19th November 2023
Competition: RDSL Industrial Cup (Last 16)
Opposition: Rose & Thistle FC
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 5-2 Rose & Thistle FC
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Rose & Thistle FC was our 23rd competitive match of the 2023/24 season, with the team hosting The Rose in Reading & District Sunday League's Industrial Cup, with the team competing in the Last 16 after a 13-0 away win against AFC Reading in the first round of the competition.
In a turn up for the books, Hype Train came steaming out of the gates with a quick start in our Last 16 encounter against The Rose, scoring within 3 minutes on the clock! Mitchell Saunders and Waqar Janjua combined play in midfield when they won back possession of the ball, which would tee up Jenson Mansel to collect centrally for the team before quickly threading a through ball to left winger, Jamie Carter. The ball bounced over the trailing leg of a chasing Rose defender, which allowed Carter the time and space to set himself, before unleashing a low drive into the far-left corner of the goal to open the scoring - a rocket of a strike for Carter's first goal of the season!
Less than 2 minutes after the opener, Hype Train player Chris Marshall was probably wishing he was playing for the train, when we were able to extend our lead on the 5-minute mark. Starting with a throw on the left by Tom Dalgarno, the ball travelled all the way to Ciaran Carolan's feet, with the Number 9 combining with Saunders before calmly picking out Luke Follington, who on the stretch at the back post, was able to connect with the ball to sweep home the team's second!
There was to let up for Rose as the team largely dominated the opening half hour, with Saunders threatening with several crosses, whilst Joe Sawyer headed over from a corner routine, before the lead was eventually extended during the 33rd minute via a lovely team goal. The move began when Sawyer won back the ball at right back, playing a back heel to Carolan, who then in turn played a one-two with Waqar Janjua to free himself driving forward with the ball - Carolan then laid the ball to Saunders, who produced a delicate and inch-perfect through ball for Follington to be one-on-one with the keeper before tucking home the ball in the net with a low, calm shot.
For the visitors, they were relying on long throws by Craig Farrell and set-pieces to cause a stir as they had very tall players, and it took them until the 44th minute to create an avenue back into the game, with The Rose kicking into a better gear either side of the half-time break. In defence, Marshall collected the ball and started a chain of passes that led to midfielder Fred Kirby finding space 25-yards-out to turn unopposed in a central area and dinked the ball over Austin and into the net. Rose had the ball in the net, but what we haven't stressed is the quality of the goal - the lobbed goal was perfectly positioned in the top right of the goal frame, a top goal to close the door on our clean sheet hopes.
Galvanised at half-time, Rose & Thistle pushed hard for another goal, and they were rewarded for their efforts during the 51st minute when a counter down the right saw the ball cut back to Chris Atkins on the right wing, who all alone set himself and finished calmly, to bring The Rose back from the brink with over 40 minutes left to play in this Industrial Cup encounter.
The game's 6th goal would prove crucial, with Robert Austin denying Rose on several occasions when collecting set-pieces out of the air, whilst during the 71st minute the team believed they had scored a legitimate goal when Saunders fed the ball round a Rose defender to Carolan, who finished an attacking move by putting the ball in the net, but the Rose club linesman ruled the goal out for offside - with VEO footage confirming the goal should have stood.
Not to worry, just minutes later during the 73rd minute that crucial 6th goal arrived in the favour of the team in red as we grew back into the game. Similar in execution to our 2nd goal, a Dalgarno throw to Carolan saw the Number 9 display some good hold up play as the attacker began the ball shifting across the pitch, with both Saunders and Janjua feeding the ball to the opposite winger, Anwar Mmanga. With a first-time low cross, Mmanga was able to nab his 4th assist in 2 Sunday League games as Saunders prodded home the cross from a yard out to reestablish control over the match!
Straight from kick-off, Rose had their moment to draw a goal straight back when another well worked move down their right saw the ball cut back to Kirby 8-yards-out, though the Rose midfielder was denied with a fine save by Austin to keep the game a 4-2. The resulting corner would see Austin claim the ball and start a sequence that led to Mmanga winning a corner for the team, which was headed home at the back post by Saunders after another good set-piece delivery by Carolan - ensuring the win and our 5th goal of the day!
Next up for the train, the team will be making the short trip out to Palmer Park in Reading as we visit FC Riverside in the Last 16 of the East Berkshire Football League's League Cup, whilst in the next round of the competition we will be away at Give Back FC Reserves on Sunday 6th January 2024.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"As long as I've been running Hype Train, we have always been a cup team at heart, and on Sunday we had one top cup game. Not only were we up against some of my personal favourite people in the grassroots scene in Reading, but we also got to play against our own player, Chris Marshall.
We really took to the game in the first 5 minutes, scoring twice in quick succession, really catching Rose out cold. At 3-0 the team were purring and playing confident, comfortable football with the ball at our feet, though Rose did pick up a few gears and preyed on a couple of sloppy moments as they got back into the game. With the game at 3-2 there was a few nervy moments, but when we needed too, we put the sword to The Rose and secured a good win. The quality of football at times was great to see, we moved the ball about well all game, largely dominated possession, and could have had a few more goals to add to a good haul too.
We've had a top run in the competition so far, knocking out a brace of Division 2 teams and now we're faced with a trip to the bookie’s favourites, Give Back Reserves, to start the new year. We will relish the challenge and hope to get a great result away from home as we look to book a spot in the semi-finals!
Thank you to Craig and Liam for the game, they're top people and know how to run a Sunday League team the right way. Best of luck to The Rose for the rest of the season, and here's hoping for some good wins between now and the end of the season."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Robert Austin
DEF: Joe Sawyer (Small 46')
DEF: Callum Gibbons (Sawyer 77')
DEF: Kie Longmate
DEF: Tom Dalgarno (Mmanga 27')
MID: Luke Follington (Dalgarno 64')
MID:Â Jenson Mansel (Gibbons 80')
MID: Waqar Janjua
MID: Mitchell Saunders
MID: Jamie Carter (Gorman 52')
FOR: Ciaran Carolan
Substitutes:
SUB: Anwar Mmanga
SUB: Lewis Small
SUB: Padraig Gorman
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Carter (goal), Mansel (assist)
Goal 2: Follington (goal), Carolan (assist)
Goal 3: Follington (goal), Saunders (assist)
Goal 4:Â Saunders (goal), Mmanga (assist)
Goal 5:Â 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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