Hype Train FC will be playing across both Saturday and Sunday next 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 16th October 2022
Competition: RDSL Division 3 (10:30am KO)
Opposition: Caversham AFC
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Off Highview, Calcot, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 3-1 Caversham AFC
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against Caversham AFC was the team's fifth competitive outing of the 2022/23 season, with the team at home at Calcot Recreation Ground RDSL Division 3. This was the club's first encounter against Caversham AFC in any competition, with this the team's 86th competitive outing as a club.
The first-half of our encounter against Caversham was without goals, but not without nearly moments for either team. Within 10 minutes of kick-off, Jamie Halsall was called into making a trio of diving saves to keep the team level. Phil Newport hit the post twice, both following set-piece sequences, before late in the half hitting the top of the crossbar after some fine trickery from Owen Bowbrick to beat a helping of Caversham players, with Newport picking up the ball on his left before smashing against the upright.
A game without goals saw the second-half open up, with the first goal arriving in the 50th minute after Tom Williams has picked out O. Bowbrick with a lofted ball over the Caversham defensive line, which is then controlled excellently by Bowbrick, who cuts in and fires a shot that is saved well by the feet of the keeper - though, only out to Cosmin Huhulea who cuts onto his left just inside the penalty area before lashing a vicious strike past the shot-stopper and into the net to give the team the breakthrough at last.
Having taken the lead, another opportunity presented itself to double the lead, this time from the penalty spot, when Newport was dragged down in the penalty area following a set-piece that saw a defender hold Newport hold when jumping. The Number 11 stepped up to take the penalty, but saw his effort saved, and then collected, by the opposing goalkeeper, as the game remained 1-0 with 58 minutes on the clock.
Fortunately for the team, the penalty miss was all forgotten during the 67th minute when Liam Bowbrick flighted a deep free-kick to the six-yard-line, which was collected expertly by Williams, who controlled the deep ball before calmly finishing in the bottom-left corner to double the team's lead.
The lead was then further extended in the 73rd minute when Leon Mannion, on as a substitute in the second-half, collected a ball from O. Bowbrick, put it through the legs of an opposing defender, before lofting a ball over the Caversham keeper and into the roof of the net, for Mannion's first goal of the season from the club's record goal scorer.
Caversham did pull one goal back and it arrived during the 82nd minute when their Number 24, who had a good game at right midfield, was able to dribble the ball through a few of our defensive line from the right wing, before calmly finishing in the bottom right corner with his left-foot, to give hope for a comeback, but it was too little too late for the visiting side.
The result means that we have recovered from a loss last weekend to go back up to 2nd place in the Division 3 table, in what was our 50th competitive victory as a club. Next up for the train, we face Bracknell Saint-Germain in the Berks & Bucks FA Sunday Trophy on Sunday 23rd October 2022.
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"After a ridiculous weekend of football last Sunday, it was nice to return to league action against a well-mannered and proper team as we enjoyed a good morning of football down at Calcot. Both teams played a solid game of football, at times cagey and frustrating on the sidelines sure as the first goal took its time to arrive I'm sure on both ends, but ultimately we were able to reset at half-time and had the squad depth on the day to really positively impact the game to force our will on the game - and scored some very well taken goals to relieve the burden on a game that wasn't straight forward.
Our visitors were quick and decisive on the counter and caused us some issues, which forced Jamie in goal to make some good saves, and was called upon a lot to collect the ball from dead ball situations, whilst on another day with some more calmness in front of goal, we score a few more on the day to give the team some form of a safety net. I was very pleased though with the response in the second-half in particular - we had a strong spell, put some chances to bed and ultimately were the correct winners on the day, though as I'm used to saying both online and to my players - every day is a learning experience and we have to keep improving on the minor details that mean we don't ever get complacent in games as a long season progresses.
Caversham are a true credit to the league, got on about their football and played some good stuff at times, and put the team under periods of pressure, particularly in the first-half, and I wish them nothing but the best until we meet in the return fixture later this season."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Jamie Halsall
DEF: Joe Sawyer (MacDonald 65')
DEF: Liam Bowbrick
DEF: Josh Watkins
DEF: Nikhil Garg (Carter 46')
MID: Owen Bowbrick (Zaky 70')
MID: Cosmin Huhulea (Bolwell (75')
MID: Tom Williams
MID: Sam Bolwell (Matthews 46')
MID: Alvin Mugabe (Mannion 55')
FOR: Phil Newport (Mugabe 70')
Substitutes:
SUB: Walid Zaky
SUB: Leon Mannnion
SUB: Brad Matthews
SUB: Jamie Carter
SUB: Daniel MacDonald
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Huhulea (goal), O. Bowbrick (assist)
Goal 2: Williams (goal), L. Bowbrick (assist)
Goal 3: Mannion (goal), O. Bowbrick (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!
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