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 23rd April 2023
Competition: RDSL Division 3 (10:30am KO)
Opposition: FC Woodley
Location: Calcot Recreation Ground, Calcot, Reading, RG31 4XD
Final Score: Hype Train FC 2-1 FC Woodley
Photographer: Sam Austin (@HypeTrainSam)
Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk
Match Report:
The train's encounter against FC Woodley was the team's 24th competitive outing of the 2022/23 season, with the team at home down at Calcot Recreation Ground. This was the club's second competitive outing against Woodley, beating the visiting team 2-0 last season in the John Lusted Cup thanks to a brace from Scott Terry.
The game's opening minutes were defined by both teams on top defensively, particularly from defending set-pieces. Callum Gibbons and central defensive partner, Rob Walsh on his full debut for the club, cleared a hatful of set-pieces away from Jamie Halsall's goals, whilst at the other end besides half a dozen corners of our own, our closest moment arrived in the 30th minute when Jamie Carter rifled a shot on his left from range on the left wing to force the Woodley keeper into a strong save.
Forcing the issue from a series of corner kicks during the 34th minute, Brad Matthews was delivering in some top corners that were causing real danger, with his 4th corner in a sequence angled towards the back post - attacking the ball was Gibbons, who was being held with the referee deciding to award a penalty kick. Stepping up to the mark was Leon Mannion, who calmly slotted home the spot-kick to give the team the lead.
A second goal in the half would arrive for the train a minute prior, and this time a Matthews corner kick would find its mark, as a weighted ball inside the six-yard-box was laid perfectly on a plate for Mannion to head home from close range.
Taking a 2-0 lead into the second-half, the team spent a period of time not capitalising on several killer chances, with Mannion forcing the Woodley goalkeeper into some good collections and saves. This led to a moment in the 68th minute which allowed Woodley back in to the contest, when a corner kick was flicked on in a dangerous area, and prodded home on the six-yard-line to bring the score to 2-1.
The game finished with both teams probing, though a late Woodley flash across goal, and wasted chances for the train, means we had to see out a 2-1 win to maintain a good patch of form for the team.
The result means that the team rise to 3rd in RDSL Division 3 after our win over Woodley with 18 games played in the division. Next up, the team were on home soil yet again, hosting Sanctuary Strikers in Division 3 on Tuesday 25th April 2023!
Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:
"The honest truth about our game on Sunday against Woodley is that we ultimately made it a harder game than we needed to be. What we failed to do was to capitalise on the many chances we had throughout the game, and what happens in football when you don't kill off games is that is leaves you potentially exposed to being caught on an off day. Woodley really for us in the latter portions of the game, and we rode our luck with them on the counter, but largely they didn't have many chances to test us on goal so we managed.
Talking of the positives, as there were many, is that we won without being convincing, defended set-pieces well for most of the game, and at the other end Brad Matthews was delivering some top class corners, which in this case led to both of the team's goals. We found a way, created a lot of chances, and were just a few goals shy away of the game being a reflective score, but giving respect to our opposition, they gave us a good game and might be looking in hindsight that it was a missed opportunity to nick a point.
We're looking forward to the return league fixture on the final day of the season, Woodley are a friendly bunch, and are wishing them the best until the end of the season."
Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad
Manager: Robert Austin
Starting 11:
GK: Jamie Halsall
DEF: Jon Watkins
DEF: Rob Walsh
DEF: Callum Gibbons
DEF: Tom Dalgarno (Carter 62')
MID: Eme Boateng (Zaky 73')
MID: Sam Bolwell (Parr-Jones 62')
MID: Josh Watkins
MID: Brad Matthews
MID: Jamie Carter (Jones 46')
FOR: Leon Mannion
Substitutes:
SUB: Walid Zaky
SUB: Callum Parr-Jones
SUB: Owen Jones
SUB: Robert Austin
Goals & Assists:
Goal 1: Mannion (goal), Gibbons (assist)
Goal 2: Mannion (goal), Matthews (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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