Hype Train FC will be playing across both Saturday and Sunday next season, with the team competing in the East Berkshire Football League and 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 third season as a club! All aboard.
Match Report: Give Back FC Reserves vs. Hype Train FC
Date: Sunday 13th February 2022
Competition: Reading & District Sunday League, Division 4
Opposition: Give Back FC Reserves
Location: Reading FC, Madjeski Dome Training Centre, RG2 0FL
Final Score: Give Back FC Reserves 1-1 Hype Train FC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
Our encounter against Give Back FC Reserves was the team's 10th outing in Reading & District Sunday League Division 4, with the team in 2nd place in the table with 10 wins and 1 defeat to our names (2 wins were walkover successes), with this being the first time we have encountered Give Back FC's Reserve outfit, and the second time we have faced their club after we faced their first team in January in the Berks & Bucks FA Sunday Trophy.
The first-half started with a barrage of chances for the team to add several goals, with several one-on-one's by Leon Mannion either well saved, or just going wide of the mark. Phil Newport also had a shot blocked from close range, as did George Holloway.
With multiple mouth-watering chances, the team in orange did open the scoring in the 26th minute when we won back possession of the ball in Give Back's defensive half. The ball was worked out right by Gino Izzo to Danny Basden, who fed George Holloway on the right. Holloway had acres to run and glided near the by-line, eventually cutting the ball back to Newport who took a touch before burying an effort to the far-post.
With the 1-0 lead established, several chances by the attacking players were unable to double the lead, with the team in orange struggling to gain that second crucial goal.
As the half wore on, Give Back did have a period before half-time when they were able to test the team. First came when a counter down their right wing resulted in their right winger cutting in and shooting low and hard to the right, with Robert Austin saving with his legs to his left. Give Back's pacey Number 5 then ran a good length of the pitch before playing in their left winger who cut in on his right, with Austin saving at his near-post again - the ball was parried to the other side, with Austin completing a double save when their opposite winger cut in again, saving to his right with the shot. A good spell of goalkeeping ended on the stroke of half-time when a Give Back free kick was cleared to the edge of the box, with an acrobatic shot going to the far-post, but is tipped away at the last by Austin for a corner.
The second-half saw Give Back start strongly and this was rewarded with a goal when a ball over the top was cleared away, with another cut in shot saved by Austin, with the rebound falling to a player 8-yards-out, who remained composed and finished calmly into the goal for the equaliser.
With the game level, Newport played in a good through ball to Owen Jones, who wasn't able to convert when one-on-one, whilst Callum Parr-Jones drew a good save from the Give Back keeper from range. Later in the game, Newport tested the keeper on two occasions, whilst Holloway from the right hit the side netting from another golden opportunity. Near the death of the game, Mannion cut back to Newport, who with the goal gaping, could only find the sprawling Give Back keeper from a shot at close range, before one final big chance saw the side netting hit again when attacking on the right - the ball just wouldn't go in.
The game ended on a sour note for the hosts, who had their Number 5 sent into the sin bin for repeated foul language used. Give Back had several yellow cards too for late challenges, with Callum Fox-Spence stamped on his head in the first-half, albeit accidently, After the scene calmed down with their player in the bin, the referee had enough of the abuse, called the game early, with both teams settling for a draw.
The draw keeps the team in 2nd place in the Division 4 table ahead of Give Back in 3rd, with the team having the best defensive record in the division, conceding just 7 goals in 10 matches. Next up for the team, we take on Barton Rovers Reserves in league action on Sunday 20th February 2022.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"The boys have come away from this morning's game feeling very frustrated, as we should in all honesty. We created a dozen golden chances to force a sizeable lead, but couldn't put the ball in the net. When we got the ball done and played, we did very well, and that's how our goal came about, we just need to learn to keep ourselves composed so we can finish our dinner and turn a draw like today into a win in the future.
Defensively, we did well to largely limit Give Back's quick, young attackers, too much at goal, though we made some crucial blocks and saves to frustrate the hosts in their best moments. They did have a few moments and flashes and battled just as hard throughout the game, growing into the game the more it went on, but largely they'll be very happy with the draw - the game should have been out of sight by half-time.
It means we have dropped points at a crucial point of the season, and the best we can do is battle until the very end to challenge Reading United at the top of the table. Largely though, besides an OK performance, it has been a frustrating day at the office and we need to bounce back after a bad week of results - it's football and it happens.
Lastly, all credit goes to James Mason at Give Back for reversing the fixture on such short notice given the state of our home ground, it was much appreciated and a very good run out of football for all those involved. See you in the return fixture later down the line!"
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Robert Austin
DEF: Daniel Basden (Sawyer (68')
DEF: Chris Marshall
DEF: Callum Gibbons
DEF: Stuart Stannard
MID: George Holloway (Jones 50')
MID: Callum Fox-Spence (Holloway 60')
MID: Gino Izzo (Fox-Spence 70')
MID: Callum Parr-Jones (Izzo 80')
MID: Phil Newport
FOR: Leon Mannion
Substitutes:
SUB: Walid Zaky
SUB: Joe Sawyer
SUB: Owen Jones
Goals and Assists:
Goal 1: Newport goal, Holloway 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.
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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