Chapter 23: Solid Ground
Wednesday, 10 December 2009
The weather had turned colder.
It wasn't the dry, sharp cold from earlier in the month. This was damp and uncomfortable. The frost had melted into grey patches around the training ground.
Still, the mood at the club hadn't changed.
The win against Morecambe was still being talked about, but football didn't give them much time to enjoy it.
By Wednesday, everyone was focused on the next game.
Burton Albion away.
They were level on points with Crawley and had been in similar form. Both teams were sitting around the middle of the table.
For now, at least.
"It isn't a cup game," Niels told the players on Wednesday morning, "but it's just as important."
They were sitting in the cold meeting room. The heater rattled in the corner while steam rose from takeaway coffees.
There were no highlight videos or big speeches.
Niels showed them clips from Burton's recent matches and pointed out a few things on the whiteboard.
"They press early, then they drop back. They'll give you the ball, wait for a mistake and try to punish you."
The room stayed quiet.
Reece leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Nate spun a coin between his fingers. Max sat back with his arms folded, watching the screen.
Niels switched off the projector.
"This is where we find out if we're moving up the table or just staying where we are."
Thursday's training was sharp.
It wasn't loud or overly intense. The players just got through the work quickly and properly.
Reece led the warm-ups, giving short instructions whenever someone switched off. Luka and Dev worked on quick one-touch passing, moving the ball between them without saying much.
Nate looked uncomfortable at first. He rubbed his left hamstring a few times, but once the pace increased, he looked fine again.
The players who hadn't been starting were working just as hard. Korey, Qazi and Ellis all looked like they wanted to be in the lineup.
The confidence around the team was becoming normal.
During one of the final small-sided games, Max controlled a long diagonal ball with his chest. He let it bounce once before curling it into the far corner.
It was a clean finish.
Max simply jogged back into position.
Reece shook his head.
"Same boots. New week."
Saturday, Matchday 18
Burton Albion away
The bus ride was quiet.
Nobody was sleeping. Most of the players had their headphones on, going through notes or following their usual routines.
Nate sat with one earbud in, tapping his fingers against his leg.
Luka was looking through his messages but wasn't replying to anyone.
Dev kept watching the same clip of Burton's fullback getting beaten for pace. He replayed it several times.
Max had his eyes closed too, but he wasn't asleep. He was simply resting before the game.
Burton's ground wasn't anything special. The stands were low, the pitch looked worn and a cold wind was coming across from behind the car park.
As the players walked towards the tunnel, Luka leaned towards Reece.
"These are the games we used to mess up."
Reece looked ahead.
"Not anymore. We'll give everything we've got."
First Half
Crawley looked a little flat in the opening minutes.
Maybe the long trip had taken something out of them. Maybe the pressure of the game was starting to show. Whatever the reason, they weren't as sharp as they had been in training.
Burton pressed high from the start. They closed down quickly, blocked passing lanes and fought for every loose ball.
Crawley stayed calm, but they couldn't get into their rhythm.
In the 22nd minute, Burton took advantage.
Dev tried to clear the ball but slipped slightly and sent it back towards the middle.
Burton's number ten reacted first. He went past one player before finding their striker inside the box.
The finish was low and simple.
Burton 1–0 Crawley.
The home crowd applauded, but there wasn't much noise.
Reece turned towards the defence and clapped his hands once.
"Come on. We go again."
Crawley still didn't find their rhythm straight away.
They started keeping the ball better and moved it around more quickly, but the goal was still hanging over them.
At half-time, the dressing room was quiet.
There was no panic, but nobody was happy either.
"We've been here before," Max said while calmly taking off his boot. "We're one down. We know what to do."
Niels stayed quiet for a moment and let the players catch their breath.
Then he picked up the marker and went to the board.
"They've shown us what they're doing. Pressure out wide, early balls into the box and the midfield dropping back."
He turned towards the players.
"Now we show them how we're going to use that against them."
Second Half
Crawley came out better after the break.
They looked sharper and more organised. They slowed the game down when they needed to and started controlling the ball.
Luka dropped deeper to get involved. Reece pushed further up the left side, while Nate, who had been quiet in the first half, started finding space between the lines.
In the 61st minute, it finally came together.
Luka received the ball near the halfway line, turned quickly and played it out to the left.
Reece was already running.
He sent a low cross into the box first time.
Nate arrived at the right moment and guided it past the goalkeeper without breaking stride.
Burton 1–1 Crawley.
There was no big celebration.
Nate pointed towards Luka.
Luka pointed back.
They both knew where the goal had come from.
Crawley kept going.
Burton made changes and switched to a back five, trying to close down the space. Crawley stayed patient and kept moving the ball.
In the 87th minute, Max almost won it.
A loose ball came out of a crowded box and Max hit it first time on the half-volley.
The shot was clean.
It hit the post.
The away fans gasped as the ball bounced away.
Even the Burton goalkeeper just stood there watching it.
"Next one," Max said as he jogged back.
Burton started slowing the game down. Throw-ins took longer than they needed to, and their goalkeeper spent time on the ground.
Crawley didn't get frustrated.
They kept playing.
The final whistle went.
Full-time: Burton 1–1 Crawley.
It wasn't a spectacular game.
But Crawley had come from behind, stayed composed and taken a point away from home.
Sunday Morning
The local paper's headline read:
"Even Game, Calm Minds: Crawley Fight Hard in Burton Draw."
The photo showed Nate celebrating the equaliser, with Reece celebrating behind him and Luka smiling in the background.
Nobody called the result lucky.
It was simply another point.
Another step forward.
The players came in for a light recovery session. Their voices were quiet and most of them were still feeling the game in their legs.
They weren't walking around like they'd lost, but there was some frustration. They had wanted all three points.
After everyone had left, Niels stayed in his office.
He opened the same document he'd been writing in since August.
He scrolled past the old entries.
What comes after survival?
The climb becomes a run. And the run becomes belief.
He added another line:
The teams that move forward don't win every game. But they know which games they can't afford to lose.
Sunday Night
Later that night, Max walked out onto the pitch again.
He was wearing the same hoodie and coat as before.
The stadium was empty. Frost covered parts of the grass.
Max stood near the edge of the box and looked towards the far post.
He thought about the chance he'd had against Burton. The shot that hit the post.
He didn't say anything.
After a few minutes, he turned and walked back towards the tunnel.
Another important moment would come.
Maybe it wouldn't be dramatic.
But when it did, Max would be ready.