TVPL Division One Match Report (13/12/2025): Caversham United 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 2025/26 season, with the team competing in the Thames Valley Premier League (TVPL). All aboard.

Match Report: Hype Train FC

Date: Saturday 13th December 2025

Competition: TVPL Division One (Game 9)

Opposition: Caversham United

Location: Mapledurham Recreation Ground, Upper Woodcote Road, Caversham, RG4 7EZ

Final Score: Caversham United 0-3 Hype Train FC

Request Photos: contact@thehypetrain.co.uk

Match Report:

The Train's encounter against Caversham United was our 11th competitive fixture of the 2025/26 season, with the team competing in Thames Valley Premier League (TVPL) Division One. This was our 4th competitive match against Caversham, with our opposition also in EBFL Division One alongside ourselves last season.

After a scrappy and settling first 20 minutes for both teams, in which Caversham would miss a golden opportunity to take the lead after 2 minutes when they flashed a shot wide of the right post after a knockdown from a long throw, the opening goal of the game would arrive in the 22nd minute. The goal started when a stray forward pass by Caversham was intercepted by Kieron White into the path of Aiden Iqbal, who with his first pass forward found Sam Rodriguez in the middle of the park unmarked. Rodriguez would then control the ball down before feeding Luke Follington, who saw the opposition goalkeeper off his line and finished delightfully with a dinked lob attempt from 35-yards-out!

The second goal would see us take a 2-0 lead into the half-time interval, with the same connection striking again in the 42nd minute. After unfortunately losing Daniel Plummer to injury just minutes before, his replacement Conall Gorman started off the goal sequence by intercepting a Caversham pass, before finding Rodriguez. On the turn, Rodriguez picked out Follington again, who this time took an exquisite touch, before sizing up and sitting down the goalkeeper, and then comfortably rolling the ball into the back of the net.

Caversham's biggest chance in the first-half arrived prior to our second goal, when their Number 8 showed good footwork inside the penalty area before firing an attempt across goal wide, whilst on the stroke of half-time Connor Anderson forced a good save out of the Caversham shot stopper when Follington cut the winger the ball, who then waited to move the ball onto his left before striking down the middle of the goal.

The game was rounded off in the 90th minute when Kaao Ka pinched the ball off the last man at the halfway line, gliding forward into the penalty area before being dragged back. Off the pitch, Follington was subbed on to take the final kick of the game and to take the penalty, with the hat-trick sealed with a composed finish into the bottom corner, sealing the points in a crucial away encounter for the team!

Next up, The Train start 2026 with a home encounter against Marlow United FC on January 10th 2026, in Thames Valley Premier League's Division One.

Thoughts from Club Secretary, Robert Austin:

"Having not played for a month, the squad were buzzing to get one final game in before the end of the year, and it was a great way for us to end the year with a win that moves us up to second in the table.

Our warmup wasn't the best, and it took us 20 minutes to get to grips with the game, but as we grew into the game and got the first goal, we never looked back and were on top for the remainder of the game. Luke Follington scored a brace of well taken goals in the first-half and was a great confidence boosting performance for him, whilst the midfield behind were top class in winning the physical duel in midfield against a competent and dynamic midfield trio that Caversham started with.

The best takeaway from the game besides Luke's hat-trick, was the manner of our defending. In goal, I had a front row view of the defence ahead of me putting their bodies in front of everything with block after block, winning every header from set-pieces, and reducing us into one save and chance all game. The defensive players did a tremendous job and limited the hosts to virtually nothing, in what was our best defensive performance of the season.

Let's roll on the new year, as we look to build on our good patch of form in the league, and would like to wish all the players and volunteers have a brilliant break over Christmas.

We'd like to thank Caversham for the game, and for another top encounter between the teams. They're a class act, both on and off the field, and we wish them the best of luck for the season!"

Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad

Manager: Robert Austin & Sam Austin

Starting 11:

GK: Robert Austin

DEF: Mark Bush

DEF: Kieron White

DEF: Ashley Rockall (Follington 90')

DEF: Anwar Mmanga (Maulaz 73')

MID: Daniel Plummer (Gorman 40')

MID: Nadim Gharabli

MID: Aiden Iqbal

MID: Sam Rodriguez (Hassanali 58')

MID: Connor Anderson

FOR: Luke Follington (Ka 63')

Substitutes:

SUB: Jabal Hassanali

SUB: Kaao Ka

SUB: Rafael Maulaz

SUB: Conall Gorman

Goals & Assists:

Goal 1: Follington (goal), Rodriguez (assist)

Goal 2: Follington (goal), Rodriguez (assist)

Goal 3: Follington (goal), Ka (assist)

For more from Hype Train FC, follow the team on Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss a single moment on or off the field.