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The new East Berkshire Football League season got under way on Saturday with a strong contender for Game of the Season as Hype Train beat newcomers FC Bracknell 6-5 in Division One.
There is always fireworks in the EBFL and spectators at Waingels College in Woodley were entertained by a spectacular display, bookended by a blistering start from Hype Train before a spirited late comeback from a young Bracknell side.
Hype Train welcomed back both goalkeeper Jamie Halsall and striker Phil Newport, two key players that spent time out with injuries last season as the club were relegated from the Premier Division. Player-manager, Robert Austin, has also recruited some new talent too, and he would have been delighted that The Train steamed into a three goals lead inside the opening eight minutes of the match.
It took just four minutes of the new season for the opening goal to be scored; Newport passing the ball to Ilyas Abdulwahab who found space inside the box to turn and face goal before shooting low into the net from 10 yards.
Hype Train utilised a high press well to win back possession on numerous occasions in the opening exchanges and this led to the second goal in the sixth minute. Newport finishing with all the composure one would expect from a leading talisman that would be a favourite for the top goals scorer award in Division One this year.
The hosts would have been in absolute dreamland when a third goal was scored inside eight minutes. Captain, Newport, raced onto a through pass by Tyrese Weekes and into the left side of the penalty box before finishing powerfully across Bracknell goalkeeper, Kai Rock, and into the far corner of the goal.
Bracknell managed a half-chance when Bracken Sharp, running away from goal inside the box, attempted a difficult and audacious lob, but his effort was well over the goal. And, it was Hype Train that created the best of the chances as the first period reached the halfway point.
There would have been some fortune involved had Abdulwahab scored a second goal, his back flip looping towards the goal but Rock backtracked in time to catch the loose ball. The Bracknell stopper was beaten soon after as Mitchell Saunders raced down the right side of the pitch but his early effort was narrowly wide of the far post.
Despite being three goals behind in their EBFL debut, FC Bracknell never let their heads drop or threw in the towel and they started to create chances of their own after 25 minutes. Luke Garton showed fantastic pace, control and footwork to beat four or five defenders in a dazzling run with the ball, but his shot at goal lacked power and was too close to Halsall, who saved easily.
Hype Train goalkeeper, Halsall, showed exactly why he was missed during the last campaign with two tremendous saves moments later. He first saved low down at his right-hand post to keep out Calvin Grainger before racing across goal to push a powerful follow-up shot heading for the roof of the net over the crossbar.
The home team came close to a fourth goal in the 29th minute as Newport beat Rock to a high ball but his header to the near post dropped narrowly wide of the near post.
FC Bracknell pulled a goal back through their player-joint-manager Bailey Gandolfi on the half-hour. The impressive defender was left unmarked at a corner from the right-hand side to head powerfully into the net and get his side back into the contest.
Hype Train were able to restore their four-goal advantage seven minutes later and thanks to a mistake from Rock. The Bracknell stopper was first to a cross into the box by Mitchell Saunders and should have held onto the ball, but he could only parry it against Abdulwahab and the midfielder was left to roll the ball into the empty net.
The visitors tried to haul themselves back into the match as George Leakey saw a low shot from the edge of the box parried by Halsall, who recovered to dive onto the loose ball at the second attempt. Grainger then failed to hit the target with a free-kick 20 yards out and on the left-side of the box.
You would have thought the match was over as a contest when Hype Train scored a fifth goal before half-time - Newport completing his first-half hat-trick on 43 minutes. Rock suffered a massive lapse in concentration when picking up a back pass and conceding a free-kick on his own six-yard box. Newport drilled the resulting set-piece low and into the net at the near post and thanks to a deflection.
Hype Train made a steaming start when breaking the deadlock inside four minutes and their sixth goal was scored even quicker in the second period of the game - direct from the restart. The ball was played forward from the kick-off by Newport to Saunders, who beat both Bracknell central defenders and fired into the top right-hand corner of the net from the edge of the box.
FC Bracknell had a little bit less than 30 minutes to stage one of the best comebacks of all time, and Gandolfi and his young stars came so close to pulling it off as the home team began to suffer with injuries and tiredness on the big pitch.
The visitors scored the best goal of the game just past the hour, a brilliant one and two-touch passing move involving Gandolfi, Grainger and Dylan Mackeller. The ball was crossed from the left to substitute Andre Jardim whose first effort was saved by Halsall, but his second attempt at the near post hit the back of the net.
Bracknell started to play their best football of the match although Leakey was continually denied by Halsall in a personal dual with the Train keeper. The midfielder had two long range efforts pushed behind for a corner, the second an acrobatic diving stop to his right at full stretch.
Leakey finally got the better of his nemesis in the 72nd minute when Hype Train failed to clear a free-kick into the box. Bracknell won the ball back and Leakey shot low into the net from six yards out.
The Bracknell fightback went up another level as captain, Grainger, scored the fourth goal on 75 minutes. A cross came into the box from the left and sub Chris Oliver saw a close range effort blocked but, the skipper was first to the loose ball and fired in.
There were scenes of jubilation and disbelief when Bracknell scored again to make it 6-5 with eight minutes still to play. For the second time, Hype Train could not clear the ball from inside the own box and in the ensuing scramble for the ball, Grainger netted his second of the match.
The visitors came close to an unimaginable equaliser when a cross from the right wing picked out Mackeller un-marked at the far post but, his well struck volley was straight at Halsall who showed all his composure to hold onto the effort.
FC Bracknell should have drawn level as the game edged towards the end of the 90 minutes. Another successful attack down the right wing resulted in a shot being blocked and the loose ball rolling to Oliver however, he leaned back too much and fired over the crossbar with the goal gapping.
Hype Train had the chance to make sure of the points in time added on as Newport broke from the halfway line in a counter-attack and with as many as four chasing defenders not being able to recover. The striker rounded keeper, Rock, but shot wide of the near post from the edge of the six-yard box.
It was an incredible 11-goals thriller to start the new season; ultimately Hype Train will be both delighted and a little bit relieved to have secured all three points. Full credit must be given to the young FC Bracknell side that fought back so bravely, and with so much spirit and effort, after such a disastrous opening eight minutes to the match.
HYPE TRAIN: Jamie Halsall (GK), Jamie Carter, Ajuyah Akatomisan, Nadim Gharabli, Tino Chindaro, Ilyas Abdulwahab, Phil Newport (C), Christian Freemantle, Kishawn Dorman, Mitchell Saunders, Tyrese Weekes, Anwar Mmanga, Raj Benawra, Bradley Burles-Nash and Robert Austin
FC BRACKNELL: Kai Rock (GK), Bailey Gandolfi, Riley Wilson, Calvin Grainer (C), Ben Clarke, Henry Walters, Andre Jardim, Dan Pawson, Shahid Bhatti, Dylan Mackeller, George Leakey, Chris Oliver, Bracken Sharp, Luke Garton, Antonio Pitter and Kayden Bloomfield
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Phil Newport (Hype Train, three goals and two assists)
ENTERTAINMENT RATING: *****
To enter the East Berkshire Football League ahead of the 2025/26 season, or for further information about the league, or becoming a league sponsor, please email the team at info@eastberksfl.co.uk
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