Slough Town Junior Cup Final Team Report (23/04/2025): FC Bracknell vs. Hype Train FC

Welcome aboard the home of Hype Train Football Club. Here, you can read the match reports from the Train's outings across Saturday League action throughout the 2024/25 season, with the team competing in the East Berkshire Football League (EBFL). All aboard.

Match Report: Hype Train FC

Date: Wednesday 23rd April 2025

Competition: Slough Town Junior Cup (Final)

Opposition: FC Bracknell

Location: Ascot United, Arbour Park, Stoke Road, Slough SL2 5AY

Final Score: FC Bracknell 2-1 Hype Train FC

Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk

Match Report:

The Train's encounter against FC Bracknell was our 29th fixture of the 2024/25 season in the East Berkshire Football League, with the team competing in the final of the Slough Town Junior Cup. This was our latest showpiece event, with the team having beaten Eton Wick (1-1 draw, 7-6 on penalties), Langley FC U18's (3-2 win) and Taplow United Swans (4-2 win) enroute to the final against FC Bracknell.

The team in Gold and Black started the game well, with several chances available for The Train to open the scoring. Phil Newport forced the Bracknell keeper into several saves from range, whilst an Obeydah Abdulwahab cut back across the six-yard-box was ever so close to reaching Connor Anderson, who eventually fired wide of the near-post on the left flank. Mitchell Saunders also found space twice on the right, scooping two shots on the byline over the bar.

The opening goal of the final arrived in the 24th minute when Bracknell played the ball out left. Someone a clipped ball into a central area phased through several defensive players, allowing their Number 9, Ben Poynter, to bury a low effort into the back of the net.

Both teams continually probed for the rest of the half, though ended with the referee correctly calling two clear dives, one on Newport, who went down six-yards-out from goal when inside the penalty area, and then for an FC Bracknell winger who threw himself to the ground when defending against Eme Boateng.

Into the second-half, the crucial game winner was provided on the 55-minute mark, albeit with some controversy. Following a Bracknell corner which was whipped into the near-post and cleared away by the head of Anderson, the second ball fell to the corner taker who has delivered a ball into the penalty area. Both of Bracknell's central defenders were clearly offside, with their Number 6 chesting the ball forward to his defensive partner, Bailey Gandolfi, who was 6-yards ahead of the final Hype Train player as the last man, eventually smothered the ball home. We have no clue what the linesman on the far side was looking at, but he wasn't in line with play and allowed the most clear-cut offside goal to stand - in a cup final no less.

With 70 minutes on the clock, there was a lifeline in the game and came via courtesy of a counter attack. After defending well, the ball fell to Anderson on the left, who found Saunders in the middle of the park, who drove forward with the ball before poking the ball left to Nadim Gharabli, who then again moved the ball left to Anderson. After sizing up the full back, Anderson cut in and crossed the ball in, which was flicked on by Newport into the feet of Saunders, who finished well from close range to take the game to 2-1 with 20 minutes left to play.

With momentum with The Train, Anderson had several chances down the left, whilst directly after the goal by Saunders, Ashley Rockall came so close to equalising from range when a powerful shot was just wide of the left post. With the team in ascendancy, and despite chances to draw us level, the referee saw it fit to add just 2 minutes of additional time (when 7-8 should have been added), with Bracknell doing well to game manage the remaining minutes to secure the trophy.

Congratulations to FC Bracknell on a first trophy, enjoy these special moments.

We would like to thank the overwhelming support of our entire squad on the evening, everyone came together, be it in part of the squad or not. We're incredibly proud of the character of our players and their application this season. They gave a good account of themselves in the final, and even though we collectively fell just short, we are incredibly proud of our run in the Slough Town Junior Cup and of our players on the evening.

Next up, The Train were in more cup final action as we took on Old Windsor FC Reserves in the EBFL Presidents Cup final at Burnham FC's 1878 Stadium on Friday 25th April 2025.

Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad

Manager: Robert Austin

Starting 11:

GK: Jamie Halsall

DEF: Anwar Mmanga

DEF: Mark Bush (Watkins 83')

DEF: Ashley Rockall

DEF: Emmanuel Boateng (Pereira 53')

MID: Mitchell Saunders

MID: Lucas Coe (Marshall 77')

MID: Nadim Gharabli

MID: Obeydah Abdulwahab (Gorman 53')

MID: Connor Anderson (I. Abdulwahab 75')

FOR: Phil Newport (C)

Substitutes:

SUB: Ilyas Abdulwahab

SUB: Conall Gorman

SUB: Leo Pereira

SUB: Chris Marshall

SUB: Jon Watkins

Goals & Assists:

Goal 1: Saunders (goal), Newport (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!