Strikers Instinct (26 page)

Sandy had never been so glad to see half time before. The game wasn't going badly but Sandy had this feeling of oncoming disaster that he couldn't shake off. He tried his best not to pass his feelings on to the men sat around him in the changing room.

“OK,” he said, “you've done very well. We made it to half time and they haven't been able to break us down. Our defence has played as well as you have all season and I'm really proud of you – but now we need to make our move. In the second half it's our turn to attack – if we don't start scoring some goals then we can forget about promotion so we need to start getting the ball forward.”

Around the room heads were nodding in agreement and Luke was happy that the team seemed to be responding. As Sandy had indicated, the first half had gone well, it seemed that Fulham had thrown everything at them but couldn't break through – so now it was Wishton's turn.

An even bigger bonus – that no-one wanted to actually come out and say – was that there had been no injuries in the first half, which meant that none of the subs were needed. Luke wasn't worried – if he had to go on then he would do his best but he was concerned about the two younger substitutes – they both seemed as if they were going to be sick.

Soon it was time to start the second half and the Wishton players ran out full of confidence – but it didn't last for long. Within minutes one of the Wishton midfield players came out of a tackle limping badly. He tried to run it off but after a few minutes it was obvious that he couldn't continue. Sandy sighed.

“OK Joe – on you go.”

Joe was the last of his first team squad – if there was another injury then it would have to be Luke or one of the kids. Sandy crossed his fingers as the game continued and for the next ten minutes or so things seemed to improve. Joe's fresh legs seemed to provide some encouragement to the rest of the team and they surged forward in wave after wave – but they couldn't break through. Fulham began to panic and dropped further back into their own half – leaving only their centre forward up field.

Another Wishton attack came close to scoring and the Fulham goalie was glad to get his hands on the ball. Without pausing he booted the ball as far as he could towards the solitary target who was being watched by Andy and his defensive partner.

“My ball!” Jez Brown called as the ball dropped from a great height. Andy moved into the penalty area to cover the goal. As the ball dropped lower, both Jez and the Fulham centre forward jumped together and Andy gasped as he saw the centre forward catch Jez between the eyes with his elbow. The two players seemed locked together as they fell into the penalty area and the ball bounced free to the goalkeeper. The referee ran forward – blowing his whistle furiously as he moved and Andy ran towards a prone Jez. He could see blood oozing from a deep cut but at least Jez seemed conscious. Andy leapt to his feet and squared up to the centre forward.

Before he could say anything he noticed in amazement that the referee was pointing to the penalty spot!

“Are you mad?” Andy screamed. “This goon's nearly killed him and you've given a penalty! Are you blind?”

“Shut it Tiler – or you'll be in the book with your mate!” The referee barked.

The official didn't seem to care that Jez was badly injured – he stood over the prone player brandishing a yellow card. Andy looked towards the bench for guidance and noticed that Luke and some of the others were struggling to hold back Sandy from running on the pitch to confront the referee. It took some minutes to restore order – and Wishton were now facing big trouble. It became obvious that Jez couldn't continue and they also had to face a penalty.

Reluctantly Sandy turned to Luke.

“Just get on there and do your best son. I know you won't let us down.”

Luke shook Jez's hand as the bloodstained player was helped down the tunnel and then he jogged onto the pitch. Seconds letter the Fulham centre forward thumped the ball from the penalty spot into the Wishton net and the home fans went wild. Andy continued to protest to the referee and finally received a yellow card. Luke tried to calm his captain and the rest of the Wishton players down but the incident had unsettled the team and it was Fulham's turn to apply the pressure. For the next few minutes the Wishton goal seemed under siege and only a goal line clearance from Luke kept the score at 1-0.

“Well done dad!” Tom screamed from the stand.

But Luke had no time to celebrate because Fulham were attacking again and they finally forced another corner. Andy and Luke lined up together in the heart of the Wishton defence but as the ball started to swing into the centre, Luke started to run towards the edge of the penalty area. He had no idea why he did it – his instincts seemed to take over and just as he burst out of the area the Wishton goalkeeper got a fist to the ball and it bounced over Luke's head and landed just in front of him – without pausing he pushed it forward towards the Fulham half. Glancing up he saw that the Fulham goalkeeper was stood outside his own penalty area – just like the keeper in the Middlesbrough game – and a mad notion swept over Luke. Without breaking stride he lofted the ball high into the air over the goalkeepers head and the ball soared towards the goal. The ground fell silent as the ball landed and began to bounce towards the open net. It seemed to take forever and Luke was sure that the goalkeeper would struggle back and save the day but one final bounce took the ball over the line just as the goalkeeper stretched towards it.

The Wishton players and supporters went mad! Luke disappeared under a scrum of bodies and when he reappeared he pointed his new goal celebration towards his family in the stand. Sue was screaming and the kids were hoarse with cheering. Down on the touchline Sandy was running up and down like a teenager – even Ed in the directors box was raising the roof. The goal changed the game completely – it was now Wishton who were in the ascendency.

Andy and Luke were driving the team forward and Rae came close a couple of times but infuriatingly the ball would just not go in for a second goal. Finally – there were just a couple of minutes to go when it was Wishton's turn to win a corner kick. Andy and Luke moved forward to try to help in the penalty area but the incoming ball was easily cleared by one of the defenders – however it was picked up by a Wishton player who moved quickly forward. Luke was just moving back towards his own half when he realised that he was unmarked on the edge of the Fulham penalty area. He called for the ball and the pass rocketed towards him.

Suddenly – he knew that Rae was stood behind him – he couldn't see him, he just knew he was there.

“Rae!” he bellowed and then allowed the approaching ball to pass through his open legs. The Fulham team moved towards Luke as they assumed he was going to shoot but they were completely wrong-footed when the ball slid through Luke's legs to an unmarked Rae. Luke glanced back over his shoulder and held his breath and Rae struck the ball towards goal. Seconds later the ball was nestling in the back of the net and it was Rae's turn to be buried under a ruck of players.

Minutes later the game was over and Wishton had won for the first time in weeks. It wasn't enough to move them into the top two positions but at least it stopped the rot and everyone was delighted. Luke was in much demand for interviews but as usual he tried his very best to shun the limelight. All he would say was that he “was very lucky” and he left the interviews to Sandy and Rae. Sandy just took the opportunity to rage at the referee whereas Rae was just happy to be back on the score sheet.

The following day the Premier League was pushed off the back pages for the first time all season. Headlines of “Lucky Linden” were above photographs showing Luke scoring from his own half. The video of the goal went viral – showing all over the world on the net.

It had taken so long to get away from the ground after the game that the Lindens missed the theatre but no-one minded, they were all so proud of Luke. The following day they got their first taste of minor stardom when a small number of people recognised Luke as they were shopping in London. Luke thought it was ridiculous but his family were really pleased. On the train back from London, Luke even had a couple of autograph requests! They finally arrived back home and soon Sue and Luke were sat in the kitchen – Sue with a glass of wine and Luke clutching a much needed beer.

“What the hell happened this weekend?” Luke asked – seemingly in shock.

Sue laughed.”Well you have certainly opened a can of worms.”

“It'll soon all blow over.” Luke stated confidently. “Today's newspapers are next week's chip papers!”

“You may think you know it all but sometimes you are so naive.” Sue giggled.

“Why?” Luke frowned.

“Do you really think that Ed and Sandy are going to let you off so easily? Sandy may now have a possible solution to some of his problems and Ed will see you as a publicity dream! He'll want to squeeze you dry!”

Luke grimaced as Sue laughed. He knew she was joking – or was she?

On Monday morning, Sue's words came back to haunt Luke. The first hour or so at training had been very pleasant, everyone at the training ground had greeted Luke with a smile and some of his new-found friends had good-naturedly teased him. He had arrived to find a big sticker on his locker – “Lucky Linden Lives Here” – written in big letters. Luke took it all in his stride – he knew that footballers were a superstitious bunch and they all wanted to be associated with anything to do with luck.

The players seemed to have an extra spring in their steps today, they didn't seem to mind the repetitive routines or laps of the pitch – it was as if a cloud had been lifted – but as far as Luke was concerned, it didn't last. Just before lunch he was called into Sandy's office.

“Hail the conquering hero!” Ed gushed as Luke walked into the office. Luke remained silent but smiled at Sandy who was the other occupant of the small room.

“I think that setting up the fans competition was the best idea I have ever had.” Ed continued to ooze.

“I thought it was Fran's idea?” Luke murmured.

“Yes, well she did help with some of the details but that's not important.” Ed smiled. “The most important thing is – what we are going to do next?”

“I'm afraid you will have to elaborate.” Luke said.

“Come on Luke – don't be modest – you saved the day on Saturday and we can't keep ignoring you.” Ed explained “And I have just been making sure that your name will be first on the team sheet for the next game!”

Luke couldn't stop himself – he just laughed out loud. “Are you mad? I keep telling you that I'm a 46 year old amateur footballer. We won't get the same good fortune every week – you must be really clutching at straws!”

Suddenly Luke noticed that Sandy wasn't laughing along with him. In fact he didn't even seem to be disagreeing with the chairman.

“Boss,” Luke pleaded, “you don't agree with this nonsense do you?”

Sandy hesitated for a second before replying. “Well,” he said thoughtfully, “the Chairman and I aren't in total agreement on this matter but there is some common ground.”

Before Luke could protest any further Sandy threw him a warning glance. “Please Luke,” he asked, “just bear with us whilst we work out what to do next. This situation isn't going to just go away and the most important thing here is that we do what is best for the club.”

Ed nodded pompously and once again Luke laughed aloud. “You're both mad!”

Sandy raised his hands. “Please Luke – just carry on training as normal today – and then you and I can talk again before you go home this afternoon.”

Luke walked out of the office – it was unnerving to see Ed and Sandy in agreement and he decided that nothing good would come of it. He didn't have long to worry about the situation however, as he walked into the canteen he was greeted by more good-natured ribbing and soon he was laughing along with the rest of the players.

Once lunch was over Sandy called the players over to one of the outdoor pitches. The early morning frost had cleared and the ground had now lost its firmness. First of all Sandy checked once again with some of the players who had been sick on Saturday – they all seemed to have recovered very quickly but they had been warned to report to Harry if they still felt any ill-effects. Once Sandy had checked them out he split the majority into two teams for a practise game – then he pulled Luke and Rae to one side.

“I want to try an experiment,” he said, “I want you two to play together up front in this session.”

Luke started to protest but Sandy cut him short. “I know, I know but just give me a chance – let's play twenty minutes each way and then you can talk till you're blue in the face.”

Luke shrugged then ran away to join the rest of the players. Sandy and the rest of the backroom staff watched intently for the next forty minutes as the players went through their paces. The players were instructed not to be too rough in the tackles but apart from that they had to put in 100% effort. Both Luke and Rae seemed to enjoy the game – both managed to score a goal each.

After the practise session finished the players headed back to get changed and Sandy asked Luke to walk to his office with him. Neither man spoke as they walked – Sandy seemed deep in thought. Inside the office he finally broke the silence.

“Well I've never come across anything like this before.” he said quietly.

“Like what?” Luke asked.

“Like the situation we find ourselves in now.” Sandy grunted. “Our beloved Chairman seems to think you are going to ride to our rescue like a knight in shining armour!”

Luke grinned. “I'm glad we both agree that he's bonkers!”

Sandy seemed both excited and uneasy at the same time. “Well…” he said. “That's just it – I think for once he may just have a point – and you know how much I hate agreeing with Ed Tierney!”

Luke didn't know what to say so he just waited for Sandy to continue.

“I was quite honest with you when you first arrived Luke – I didn't want you here.” Sandy said without a trace of apology. “But you have proved me wrong time and time again. You train harder than any of the professional players and you have actually turned into a half-decent footballer. And then there was Saturday.”

“Come on boss.” Luke protested. “That goal was a total fluke – nine times out of ten I would have missed the target”

Sandy waved away Luke's protests. “I agree,” he said, “that goal looked spectacular and I wanted to kiss you when the ball hit the net but it was pure luck. That wasn't what got me excited – it was Rae's goal that grabbed my attention.”

Luke seemed confused.

“Ed and all the media are just concentrating on your “wonder” goal but they missed the real piece of skill.” Sandy said smoothly. “When that ball was passed to you – you instinctively knew Rae was stood behind you didn't you?”

Luke nodded miserably.

“That's the kind of partnership that Adi and Rae had!” Sandy said triumphantly. “They could each sense where the other player was – or was going to be – and that's why they worked so well together. You can't explain how you knew Rae was going to be there can you?” Sandy asked.

This time Luke shook his head.

“That's why I wanted the practise game today.” Sandy explained. “I wanted to see if Saturday was a fluke – and I'm now quite happy that it wasn't. I know it was only a practise game but you two made quite a combination out there. And that leaves us with a big problem.”

Luke agreed. “What are you going to do boss?” he asked.

“Well in one way we have nothing to lose.” Sandy announced. “We have too many points already to get relegated – but if we don't start winning games we won't have a chance of promotion. It may already be too late to get back into the top two so we may have to resign ourselves to the play-offs. But the one thing we desperately need is goals! We had a great chance with Adi and Rae but that's gone now so maybe we need to look at this from another angle.”

Luke seemed doubtful but Sandy continued.

“I wanted to see you and Rae together today before I made any decisions but I think I have the basis of a plan now. I'm going to name you as a reserve again next Saturday. But I don't want you to play at the back in the centre of defence – I want you up front alongside Rae.”

“I don't think that's a good idea!” Luke argued.

“What's wrong – don't you want to play for Wishton?” Sandy seemed confused.

“Course I want to play,” Luke said hurriedly, “but let's face the facts. We've already established that I'm a 46 year old amateur footballer who is slower than a cart horse. We got away with it on Saturday but I don't want to turn this into a sad joke – I won't make Wishton into an object of ridicule.”

“And I applaud your sentiments,” Sandy replied, “but you just listed some of the minus factors – let's look at some of the plus points. For an old man – you can actually run all day – plus you are not a bad footballer. Your colleagues are very supportive – even that fool of a chairman wants you to play. But do you know the most important reason?”

Luke shook his head.

“I think you can do it – and if I say you can do it – then there's nothing to stop you.” Sandy announced defiantly.

Luke had to laugh. “OK – you've convinced me – but we need to set some ground rules.”

“Agreed. What did you have in mind?”

Luke thought for a moment before he replied. “Well,” he began, “if we are winning then I don't think we should rock the boat by dragging someone off just to give me a game. Also – I want to do as little as possible regarding interviews – I'll leave that to the professionals. And finally – make sure you have plenty of oxygen available after each game – because I think I'm going to need it.”

Both men laughed and shook hands. Luke walked off into the changing room which was almost empty when he arrived – apart from Andy Tiler.

“Well?” Andy grinned.

“Well what?” Luke parried.

“Did he talk you into it?” Andy asked eagerly.

“Course he did,” Luke said, “and I should have guessed that you would know all about it!”

Andy stopped smiling. “Luke – this is serious.” he said. “We could still get promotion and we wouldn't ruin it by throwing you into a situation you couldn't handle. We've all watched you and we agree that you can do it – and you won't be by yourself you know!”

Luke nodded his head. “I won't let you down.” he promised.

Later that evening Luke was telling Sue all about what had happened during the day.

“Told you so!” She said with a smug expression. “But why do you seem so worried? I thought you would relish being thrown in the deep end like this?

Luke hesitated for a minute then replied uneasily. “I've just realised that I made someone a promise today – what if I can't keep it?”