Ascot & Fielden Charity Cup (Last 8): AFC Cressex 2-5 Hype Train FC

Hype Train Football Club competed in our fifth match of 2020 as we took on EBFL Premier Division side, AFC Cressex, in the Last 8 of the Ascot & Fielden Charity Cup. Read our match report as the Blue and Gold secured a place in our first semi-final as a club. All Aboard.

Ascot & Fielden Match Report: AFC Cressex vs. Hype Train FC

The majority of the squad made the journey from the Reading area to High Wycombe to take on EBFL Premier Division outfit, AFC Cressex, in the quarter-final of the Ascot & Fielden Charity Cup for a 2pm kick-off.

With the squad featuring just the eleven player for our away day, we started the game the brighter of the two sides, going ahead after probing down our right channel on several occasions, with Callum Fox-Spence driving a low ball in to the six-yard-box for Jon Watkins on his first start to convert home from close range.

With the game in our control, we doubled are lead with a Puskas worthy strike from range, when a Robert Austin set-piece was cleared out to Martin King, who volleyed a beautiful curving effort from 25-yards out to double our lead - with this being King's first goal for the club, having featured in every competitive game for the club to date.

In an eventual first half an hour, the team saw themselves pegged back with a couple of quick-fire goals. The first came from a clipped ball from Cressex's left-channel beat our flat-footed defence, with the resulting header powered in to the roof of the net. Shortly after, a bobbled cross fell invitingly to a Cressex midfielder in the box, who dispatched his effort clinically to Jack Roche's left post.

With the scores level at 2-2 at half-time, the team held a higher line in the second-half and as the game opened up we found ourselves breaking down our opposition with more fluidity. Our third goal of the afternoon was played out from the back, with Watkins eventually finding Sam Paddon high up the field. Paddon's perfectly weighed pass fell to Callum Parr-Jones, with the ball bobbling past the onrushing Cressex custodian, with an open goal for Parr-Jones to score his fourth goal of the season.

Our Number 14, CPJ, doesn't often score tap-ins and made sure that his fifth of the season, and out fourth of the game, was another goal of the season contender. Winning the ball back deep in midfield, Man of the Match Joan Clemente fed Parr-Jones, who drove with power into the opposing half, with the midfielder lobbing the Goalkeeper from 35 yards out after a fortunate bobble.

Getting in on the action to finish our goal-scoring exploits was Roche in goal, with his goal kick hitting Cressex's penalty area, with Paddon running through, touching the ball down well, before calmly slotting in from a one-on-one position.

With the game over, tempers boiled over with Cressex and Callum Fox-Spence, with a spat after the full-time whistle seeing Fox-Spence and a Cressex player sent off for a confrontation.

The win means that we have reached our first semi-final as a club, with the team at home in our Last 4 outing on Saturday 28th March 2020. Next up for the club, we return home to Calcot Recreation Ground in a first round EBFL Presidents Cup outing against Phoenix Old Boys!

HTFC Man of the Match:

Our first international registered player, Joan Clemente, was a rock in defensive midfield, showing no fear in his tackles and overall play, providing a good shield for our defensive line. Clemente also got the assist for our fourth goal, on what is only his second appearance for the club and his first start.

Thoughts from General Secretary, Robert Austin:

"I'll be open and honest and say that the last few weeks of running the club have been incredibly difficult. A few members of the team left without giving me or our management team any heads up, leaving us short changed for players. Our top goalscorer who we built our formation around was among them to pack his bags, so it's taken some time over the last two matches to adapt our style of play in a way that involves getting more players into attacking areas to help bridge the gap for goals.

We've had to start aggressively recruiting for new players during the midpoint of the season and at times this has caused us to almost reset as a collective squad, and in truth, I honestly think we're better off for it. The team morale has been boosted greatly and the boys showed massive fight and character, especially today against a Premier Division side, to get to our first semi-final as a club.

The three new players that have had to quickly embed into the team today, Jon Watkins, Joan Clemente and Josh Cox, the latter of whom who only found out about the club early last week, done a tremendous job this afternoon, applying our tactics and formation perfectly in what was a baptism of fire in their first starts. They were all hungry to prove a point and really stepped up to the occasion, got on as part of a team and have really given me positive headaches for when some members of my squad return in the coming weeks.

The spirit shown by everyone today was superb and we scored a couple of wonderful goals today, so it is nice to be on the right end of a few brilliant strikes for once. We've not won anything yet though, so we'll keep applying ourselves in training and take this season one game at a time.

Overall though, this was by far our best team performance of the season and we have a lot of positives to build on in our two upcoming cup matches that close out February. I'll end on another positive note, as Cressex were another good side that are a credit to the East Berkshire Football League and we wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season."

Hype Train FC: Matchday Squad

Date: Saturday 8th February 2020

Opposition: AFC Cressex

Starting 11:

GK: Jack Roche

DEF: Rod Stevens

DEF: Martin King

DEF: Alex O'Keeffe

DEF: Robert Austin

MID: Callum Fox-Spence

MID: Joshua Cox

MID: Joan Clemente

MID: Callum Parr-Jones

MID: Jon Watkins

FOR: Sam Paddon

Substitutes:

None

Goals and Assists:

Goal 1: Watkins (goal), Fox-Spence (assist)

Goal 2: King (goal), no assist

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

Goal 4: Parr-Jones (goal), Clemente (assist)

Goal 5: Paddon (goal), Roche (assist)

Discipline:

Yellow Cards: Rod Stevens

Red Cards: Callum Fox-Spence

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.

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All aboard.