Chapter 262: FA Cup Round Four (I)
The noise from the Broadfield crowd was overwhelming as the players walked out of the tunnel and into the freezing January wind.
Floodlights lit up the overcast afternoon, shining down on a pitch that already looked heavy. It was damp and cold, but the adrenaline of the FA Cup Fourth Round was enough to push it aside.
Niels stood at the edge of his technical area with his hands stuffed deep into his heavy coat pockets, watching his rotated squad take their positions.
The referee blew the whistle, the crowd cheered even louder and the reality of the match immediately set in.
Kickoff:
Notts County hadn't come to West Sussex to be part of a fairytale. They were a tough League One team and their manager had clearly studied Crawley's lineup.
Within five minutes, their strategy was obvious: they were going after Benji Cook.
