PRE-SEASON MATCH REPORT: Hype Train FC 4-5 New England

Hype Train Football Club were back in action this past Sunday as we welcomed Reading & Sunday District League outfit, New England, to the Madjeski Dome. We returned to action in our home blue and gold home kit, so please enjoy our match report of our first victory as a team as we look to build on our first success with 3 more pre-season games still on the horizon. All Aboard.

Match Report: Hype Train FC vs. New England

With a 10:30am kick off, we started off at a mild pace against New England and went back and forth for 2- minutes before our opponents took the lead after a save from George Hunter was followed up for a tap-in. We equalised shortly afterwards after nice work from Sam Seville found Noah Hodge in the box for an easy finish from 8 yards out.

New England re-took the league shortly after in a hectic 15-minute period after a long ball stopped dead due to the wind to the detriment of Hunter, with their forward picking up the scraps and scoring well. Hodge shortly levelled the game again after good pressing from Elliott Simson, with the midfielder winning the ball back and squaring for another easy finish.

With the score at 2-2, we missed a host of one-on-one chances from Simson, whilst the ball fell favourable to Robert Austin in the box following a set-piece, with Austin neatly turning the defender, though his resulting shot found the palms of the New England keeper.

New England then went ahead before half-time after working their right channel, with their winger finishing neatly after a long ball that cut us open at the back. With the game in the balance, we made a host of changes but went 4-2 down after a cut-back finish, before our opponents found a 5th after they struck a worldie effort that flew in to the top-corner.

We clawed ourselves back in to the game after we won the ball in a high area, with Jamie Carter teeing up Callum Parr-Jones, who dodged the advances of the defence and netting past Martin King. We then scored a 4th after a neat one-two with Austin and Simson at the top of the box saw Simson's cross turned into the net by a New England defender.

Good work from Simson on the right channel provided Austin, full-back in the second-half, to equalise at the death, but his (my) finish was spooned wide.

HTFC Man of the Match:

Noah Hodge was our first goal-scorer for the third match on the spin and play up top today in Leon Mannion's absence. Hodge was full of pace and energy, scoring both our goals in the first-half, whilst leading the line well in the second.

Thoughts from General Secretary, Robert Austin:

"Today was the definition of a Sunday morning fixture - some sloppy football, dodgy defending, worldies from outside the box and a few players from both sides struggling to wake up.

We have been experimenting with different shapes and formations and found ourselves caught flat-footed on a few occasions. We played on a 3G pitch for the first time too, and it occasionally held the ball up, something we've not been used to in pre-season.

We missed some crucial chances at crucial times to turn the tide in our favour, so we've only got ourselves to blame for not taking our chances when we had them.

As a unit, we're still figuring each other out, so as I've been saying all pre-season, results are secondary and don't mean anything as we aim to strike a good formula for our first game against Langley Hornets in a few weeks.

Myself and a few others actually play for New England and it was a spirited game against a good group, so thank you for giving us a good game today."

Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad

Date: Sunday 11th August 2019

Opposition: New England

Starting 11:

GK: George Hunter

DEF: Joe Sawyer (Casey '45)

DEF: Alex O'Keeffe - (C)

DEF: Robert Austin

DEF: James Carter (Payne '45)

MID: Rod Stevens (Sawyer '75)

MID: Sebastian Barton

MID: Elliott Simson (Parr-Jones '45)

FOR: Sam Seville (Carter '60)

FOR: James Harris (Simson '60)

FOR: Noah Hodge

Substitutes:

SUB: Callum Parr-Jones

SUB: Colm Casey

SUB: Tommy Payne

Goals & Assists:

Goal 1: Hodge (goal), Seville (assist)

Goal 2: Hodge (goal), Simson (assist)

Goal 3: Parr-Jones (goal), Carter (assist)

Goal 4: Own goal, Simson (assist)

Want to know more about The Hype Train?

The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in 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.

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, or visit our website here at www.thehypetrain.co.uk

All aboard.