Chapter 255: Swindon Town
The blank spot on the whiteboard didn't stay empty for long on Friday morning.
When the team filed into the meeting room for the final tactical briefing, the name was written in blue marker at the base of the midfield.
Kieron Marsh.
Kieron stared at it for a second, feeling a quick rush of adrenaline. A few seats away, Jamal looked at the board, gave a brief nod and opened his tactical binder.
There was no drama. The decision was made, and focus shifted straight to the County Ground.
Saturday afternoon in Wiltshire was freezing. The sky was dull, and the pitch at Swindon was hard and slick from a morning frost that hadn't completely thawed.
Niels stood on the edge of his technical area as the referee blew the starting whistle.
Kickoff:
He had picked Kieron because he expected a physical, chaotic scrap, and for the first fifteen minutes, Swindon delivered exactly that.
