| |
The ref flipped the coin.
“Heads it is.”
Crowny clenched his fist in celebration.
“Yes.”
The ref looked at him.
“Do you want to go first or second?”
Crowny knew the answer without asking his teammates.
“We’ll go first.”
Charlie shrugged.
He had expected that decision.
They wanted to score first and pile the pressure on the younger team.
Joe stepped into the goalmouth and ignored the usual chanting from Page Boys supporters.
One of the big Page Boys defenders stepped forward and placed the ball on the edge of the area.
Two steps back and he was ready.
He looked at the referee who blew the whistle.
The defender strolled forward and toe-punted the ball towards the corner.
As quick as a flash, Joe dived to his right. His gloved hand reached the ball and sent it wide of the post.
Miss!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
For the first time in ages, the upstairs windows began to rattle again.
The defender put his head in his hands as he walked back to the silent fans of The Page Boys.
They could not believe it.
Annie was first penalty taker for You Know The Score.
Super confident, she plonked the ball down and waited for the whistle.
The ref blew.
Four steps and....
Annie hit it so sweetly.
It went like a rocket along the floor ... but straight into the gut of the shocked goalkeeper.
He never moved an inch and seemed winded by the sheer power of the shot.
Nonetheless, the ball stayed out.
The Page Boys bench erupted while You Know The Score groaned with disappointment.
0–0.
Ryan Cage was next up for The Page Boys.
As he placed the ball, Charlie turned to his dad.
“Dad, I’ll take the next one. Swap me with Harry.”
Harry was due to take the next penalty, then Bradders with Charlie taking the final one.
Liam raised his eyebrows.
“Why?”
Cage waited for the whistle and calmly slotted the ball past Joe’s outstretched arm into the bottom left corner.
1–0.
Huge cheers from The Page Boys end.
Charlie replied: “We need to get a goal on the board.
“If we don’t, this shootout could be over before I even get to take one.”
Charlie did not wait for an answer.
It was the right thing to do.
He grabbed the ball and placed it on the spot.
No run-up was needed.
A blink of his eye and the target locked on to the corner – exactly where Cagey had scored.
The whistle blew.
The target locked green and Charlie laced the ball into the corner.
Again the keeper didn’t move – but he did not get lucky for a second time.
1–1!
The pounding on the windows started again as Charlie returned to the rest of the team with a huge smile on his face.
One of The Page Boys midfielders was next up.
He strode up and side-footed the ball calmly towards the opposite corner that Charlie had scored in.
But he had hit it too softly.
Joe’s outstretched leg stopped the ball in its tracks.
Miss!
“YESSS!”
Every member of You Know The Score was up cheering together – even an exhausted Peter was on his feet.
Bradders marched up full of determination.
“Keeper’s crying! Keeper’s crying! Keeper’s crying!”
Charlie could see a shadow of doubt across Bradders’ face as he paced away from the ball.
Immediately he knew what was going to happen.
Bradders ran full pelt at the ball – too fast.
He crashed into the shot and sent the ball flying past the post.
Miss!
The Page Boys team and fans burst into laughter.
It was an awful shot and poor Bradders looked gutted as he walked back to the rest of the team.
He dropped down on to the bench unable to look at anyone.
Joe raced to take his place in goal for the final time.
The singing started again.
“Keeper’s crying! Keeper’s crying!”
Crowny swaggered up and pointed.
“I’m going for that corner, goalie.”
He smirked and took two paces back.
The ref blew.
Crowny began his run-up ... and then stopped.
The unexpected shimmy fooled Joe, who had guessed the ball was going to his right and fell to the ground helplessly.
With a grin, Crowny hammered the ball towards the top corner in the opposition direction to the way Joe had dived.
Crash.
The ball struck the bar and rocketed back out again.
Miss!
Crowny’s mouth fell open as the banging began again. The centre’s upstairs windows sounded as if they would break at any moment.
Joe turned and put his finger to his lips towards the silent Page Boys fans.
Crowny had missed.
It was still 1–1.
Only one kick remained.
Harry Fry.
“Concentrate on the ball. Nothing else.”
Liam Fry whispered to his youngest son as he began the long walk to the penalty spot.
The Page Boys goalkeeper was jumping around to try to put Harry off. Their fans were also singing some silly chant too.
Harry ignored everything.
He followed his dad’s advice.
Charlie knew where Harry would put it.
His favourite shot was always across the goalkeeper, low and to the right of the keeper.
Everything stopped.
They all waited for the ref to blow his whistle.
The singing died off.
The banging of the windows ceased.
The keeper crouched as he waited for the whistle.
Charlie could see Harry bite his lip with nerves.
“Come on!” Charlie murmured to himself. He felt more nervous watching his brother than taking his own penalty.
Finally the ref blew.
Harry took three steps and struck the shot cleanly – exactly where Charlie had predicted.
The goalkeeper dived but could not reach the ball.
It hit the inside of the post and rebounded into the net.
GOAL!
Harry Fry – the youngest player in the competition – had scored the deciding penalty to win the trophy.
“YEESSSS!”
Harry jumped in the air as the rest of You Know The Score leaped from the bench with joy.
They had done it.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Charlie looked up.
He could see Wrecka, the Blinder brothers and Tightline all thumping the glass in celebration.
Charlie gave them the thumbs-up.
When he turned round again, his brother was buried under the rest of the team who had caught up with him.
Charlie began to make his way to join them but was stopped by a strange hand tapping his shoulder.
Simon Crown stuck out a hand: “Well played.
“You deserved that today.”
Charlie was lost for words but accepted the handshake.
“Thank you. It was a hell of a game.”
Crowny chuckled.
“You could say that.
“This is the first indoor tournament that we’ve lost in three years – and it appears we were beaten by a nipper.”
It was Charlie’s turn to laugh.
He was right: Harry was years younger than the rest of them.
“He’ll probably end up better than any of us.”
Crowny nodded his agreement and turned away, leaving Charlie to pull Harry free from the pile of bodies.
His brother beamed with excitement.
“I scored Charlie! It was just like we had always practised!
“We did it. We’re the champions.”
Charlie heard a laugh behind them.
It was their dad.
“I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?”
“NEVER!” shouted his boys together.
And they meant it too.