1Saturday, 24 January 2026 — Valley Parade
The clouds hung low, a blanket of slate smothering the late afternoon sky. No rain yet, but the kind of moisture in the air that clung to skin, settled into jackets, made you feel soaked even when you weren't.
Floodlights buzzed faintly overhead—warm amber against a day that refused to wake fully.
Jake stood in the technical area, coat zipped halfway, one boot toeing the edge of the paint. Arms crossed loosely, not defensive—just waiting. Not tense. Just tuned.
The stadium was near full. Not loud. Not yet. The kind of hush that knew how quickly days like this could bloom into memory or disaster. FA Cup. Home ground. Momentum. But football didn't care about script.
He didn't watch the ball.
He watched the shape.
How Lowe dropped between the centre-backs on goal kicks. How Roney tilted a touch too wide on early overloads. How Rin ghosted half a step behind his fullback and then tucked central—testing.
