Hype Train FC will be playing in Sunday League for the 2022/23 season, with the team primarily competing in the Reading & District Sunday League. You can follow all of the team's season coverage right here as we provide match reports and photo galleries from our fourth season as a club! All aboard.
Match Report: Hype Train FC
Date: Sunday 12th February 2023
Competition: RDSL Division 3 (10:30am KO)
Opposition: New England FC
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Off Highview, Calcot, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 9-1 New England
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against New England was the team's 15th competitive outing of the 2022/23 season, with the team at home down at Calcot Recreation Ground in RDSL Division 3. This was the club's first encounter against New England in the Reading Sunday League, with our previos competitive fixture arriving in the Reading Sunday Social League (RSSL) in April 2021 - on a morning the club won 5-0 at Linear Park.
The game started with a couple of chances from the visitors across the road, first in the 2nd minute when a loose giveaway at the back freed New England's left midfielder who was able to run through on goal and evade a challenge on the edge of the box, though his shot was saved by the extended foot of Robert Austin in goal. The resulting corner saw former Hype Train player, Clayton Holloway, rise highest for a second header in the penalty area, though Austin saved the header, before collecting in the air on the second time of asking.
With the team weathering an early storm, we grew into the game and the first goal didn't take too long to arrive. In the 13th minute, a long kick down the field by Austin in goal was flicked on into the left channel by Leon Mannion. Phil Newport did well to keep the ball in play, before gliding into the penalty area and cutting the ball back to Mannion, who hit the ball true and low, forcing a fine save by the New England goalkeeper with his feet at the team won a corner. From the resulting corner, Cosmin Huhulea's ball was dangerous as the ball hit Mannion's back and onto the bar, with the second ball won by Joe Sawyer who committed well to lunge with his head as the header broke the deadlock.
A good period for the team continued in the 18th minute when Callum Parr-Jones won the ball back in our attacking third after a loose pass. The team's midfield moved the ball before CPJ fed Newport - who took the ball before powering past half a dozen New England defensive players, before shooting low and hard past the opposition shot stopper to double the lead.
Less than 3 minutes on the 21st minute mark, a throw in down the right was flicked on by Owen Bowbrick to the feet of Mannion, who had the time to control the ball and pick out Brad Matthews. Marked closely by Holloway, Matthews rebounded the ball off of our former player and right into the path of Parr-Jones, who shifted the ball onto his left before firing in a wonderful strike from 20-yards-out - an absolute rocket on CPJ's weak foot from outside the box, another worldie to add to his collection!
Just past the 25th minute, New England had a corner kick, which was headed well away from danger by Sawyer, with a rapid counter attack freeing Mannion down the left wing to put on the afterburners. Mannion was tackled on the byline, winning a corner from the team, with Huhulea's resulting corner won in the air by Mannion and striking the bar in the process, with Mannion also winning the second header to ensure the team's Number 9 opened his account for the day.
The half-hour mark brought more goals for the team and it started when Phil Newport fought off a couple of New England players, moving the ball from left to right, with the ball eventually finding Anwar Mmmanga's feet, who passed into the feet of Parr-Jones via a deflection, before CPJ picked out a delicious pass to Owen Bowbrick to cross first-time on the right wing right into the path of Mannion - the Forward's first shot was saved excellently, though the follow-up was buried once again by Mannion as the team were running away with the game.
New England weren't without a goal for their troubles and they made the most of a defensive lapse at the back in the 35th minute. A throw from the left wing fell to Huhulea, with the ball taking a divot on the grass with the Romanian swinging nothing but air as New England Manager, Dan Newberry, had the entire goal to aim at and buried the shot, to take away the team's chances of a clean sheet.
The team's goal scoring wasn't done in the first-half, with the 28th minute bringing another goal for the hosts and it started when Mmanga was hacked down just inside his own half. The resulting free-kick by Huhulea was looped over the top of New England's defensive line, with Newport rushing onto the ball and sweeping the ball home with a first-time brushed finish - a fine goal indeed and Newport's 12th goal of the season.
The team's 7th and final goal of an action pack first-half arrived during the 44th minute when Owen Bowbrick was freed down the right channel and displayed excellent footwork to work the ball on his inside, before playing the ball to Parr-Jones at the edge of the box. CPJ initially took a shot, which was blocked by the feet of a New England defender, with CPJ then picking up the second ball and displaying his own excellent footwork as he took the ball around a host of defenders in close quarters before finishing into the bottom corner for his second goal of the game.
The team's goal output slowed in the second-half, though there was time for Mannion to complete a deserved hat-trick in the 68th minute, with the attack starting on the counter when Austin in goal collected another ball out of the air, before a long kick down field was flicked on by Mannion into Newport on the left again. Newport combined with Mannion, who took the ball into the penalty area before cutting on his left and finishing calmly!
The 9th and final goal came in the 73rd minute, and started when the team's Man of the Match, Jamie Carter, won the ball back well in a duel before finding Mannion down the left channel. Mannion went on his own, eventually gliding into the penalty area, before finishing with a top right-footed finish in off the post, for his 4th of the game.
New England weren't able to register a shot on target in the second-half, whilst more chances fell to the train without reward - most notably when a Liam Bowbrick cross towards Owen Jones was dropped by their goalkeeper before he smothered the ball across the goal line, with slight calls that the ball had gone over the line, though the referee Rob Pell had a good line of sight as the New England keeper just about recovered.
The result means that the team sit 4th place in RDSL Division 3 with 7 wins from 9 matches, behind table-toppers RE United, Woodley Saints Lowfield and Farley Hill. Next up for the team, we are on the road in league action again as we take on Core FC at The Forest School in Winnersh on 19th February 2023!
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"I'd like to be realistic with how the game went this morning. The team had our shooting boots on, and sowed some real class moving forward and it was a cathartic day for us as we shrugged off a couple of really frustrating defeats, so were exercising demons of recent results on a day which saw us have a challenge of missing several key players due to illness and injury. Nonetheless, we were able to score with some top finishers and the team worked really hard throughout the day on what was a confidence building day for the team.
In terms of how we played, we started slow out of the gates and were lucky not to concede within a couple of minutes, and rode out an early storm before we found our feet. Our first-half settled matters and we delivered a goal every 4-5 minutes in a really top period. The second-half slowed a lot and we relied more on individual capabilities than we did on focusing on the basics against a team that had the bare 11 players, which meant we weren't as effective in the final third - though again, we had really good stages where we put them under a lot of pressure.
Ultimately though, the scoreline was a fair result and much needed for us, whilst I wish Dan Newberry and his squad the best until we meet them in the reverse fixture later on in the season."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Robert Austin
DEF: Anwar Mmanga
DEF: Joe Sawyer
DEF: Jamie Carter
DEF: Emmanuel Boateng
MID: Owen Bowbrick (Jones 46')
MID: Callum Parr-Jones (O. Bowbrick 58')
MID: Cosmin Huhulea (L. Bowbrick 46')
MID: Brad Matthews (Huhulea 65')
MID: Phil Newport
FOR: Leon Mannion (Matthews 75')
Substitutes:
SUB: Owen Jones
SUB: Liam Bowbrick
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Sawyer (goal), Mannion (assist)
Goal 2: Newport (goal), Parr-Jones (assist)
Goal 3: Parr-Jones (goal), Matthews (assist)
Goal 4: Mannion (goal), no assist
Goal 5: Mannion (goal), no assist
Goal 6: Newport (goal), Huhulea (assist)
Goal 7: Parr-Jones (goal), no assist
Goal 8: Mannion (goal), Newport (assist)
Goal 9: Mannion (goal), Carter (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
Believe The Hype!
