The ball rolled as the whistle echoed across the pitch. The second half was underway.
Walsall started fast. Their winger, Josh, immediately pushed down the right flank. His boots slapped against the turf as he burst past the halfway line. Harry chased, legs pumping, but Josh was already a stride ahead.
A quick one-two with his midfielder cut Harry out completely. Ollie Waters stepped up to meet him, but Josh whipped the cross in before Ollie could close.
The ball curled dangerously into the box. Dean Halberg rose high, body twisting, and headed it clear. The ball spun out toward midfield, where Kai Moreno battled to control it.
He got a toe on it, but Liam from Walsall was on him in a flash, pressing hard. The two clattered shoulders, and the ball squirted loose.
Jayden Rowe slid in, strong and clean, hooking it away before Walsall could build again. His clearance found Noah Perring, who spun sharply, body low, and carried the ball forward.
The crowd's cheers rose as Noah lifted his head and spotted Riley darting into space on the right.
"Noah! Switch!" Riley shouted, waving an arm.
Noah drove the pass long and flat. Riley took it in stride, his first touch smooth, and cut inside, his pace pulling the fullback off balance. He darted toward the box, eyes scanning for Nathan.
Nathan raised his hand, slipping between the two center-backs. Riley whipped the ball low and hard across the face of goal. Nathan lunged, boot stretched, but the defender got there first, stabbing it behind for a corner.
The Salford bench clapped, Frank shouting encouragement. "That's it! Keep going!"
Harry jogged over to take the corner. His breath misted in the cold night air. He placed the ball, stepped back, and swung it in deep.
Danny Mills powered through the crowd, leaping above everyone. His header cracked against the bar, bouncing back into the six-yard box.
Bodies scrambled. Boots swung. The keeper threw himself into the chaos and smothered the ball just before Nathan could poke it in.
Groans echoed from the Salford fans. Danny slapped his hands together in frustration, sweat dripping down his brow.
Walsall didn't wait. The keeper punted the ball long, turning defense into attack. Their striker chased it, Dean and Danny sprinting back to cover.
The striker tried to cut inside, but Dean timed his tackle perfectly, sliding in with a crunch and knocking the ball clear. The referee's whistle stayed silent.
"Brilliant, Dean!" Frank yelled from the touchline.
The game turned into a back-and-forth battle. Salford pushed, Walsall countered. Tackles flew in. The midfield was a warzone. Every loose ball had three bodies flying at it.
Noah started to grow into the game. He found pockets of space, slipping passes between lines. Kai worked tirelessly beside him, linking play. Jayden mopped up danger, breaking down Walsall's counters with crunching tackles and smart positioning.
Then it happened. In the fifty-second minute, Harry got his chance.
Noah picked him out with a clever pass, threading it between the fullback and center-back.
Harry burst through, the ball at his feet, the goal opening up ahead. His heart hammered as he reached the edge of the box. The keeper rushed out, arms wide.
Harry struck low, aiming for the far corner. The crowd held its breath.
The ball skimmed past the keeper's gloves and rolled centimeters wide of the post.
Harry dropped his hands to his knees, gasping. A groan swept through the stands. Nathan clapped him on the back. "Next one, mate. Next one."
Frank paced the sideline, jaw tight but eyes sharp. "Keep believing! It'll come!"
[DING!]
[-1 XP – Big Chance Missed]
[Current Experience: 136/400]
This was the first time he'd been deducted points. The system wasn't forgiving. Harry felt the weight of it, but pushed it aside. No time for regrets.
---
Walsall, smelling blood, came forward again. Josh targeted Harry's flank, just as their coach had ordered. He burned down the wing, skipping past Harry before whipping another cross into the danger zone.
This time, Tommy Henderson had to dive full stretch, punching the ball clear as a Walsall forward closed in.
The Salford keeper jumped back up, barking orders. "Mark up! Stay tight!"
But Walsall's plan was working. Every time they attacked down Harry's side, they created danger.
In the fifty-sixth minute, Josh beat Harry again with pure pace. His momentum, combined with Harry's static defending, played a major role as he cut back a cross that forced Danny Mills to make a desperate sliding clearance.
Frank saw it happening. "Harry! Tuck in more! Don't let him get behind you!"
Harry heard the instruction but his legs were starting to feel heavy. The Christmas break had been nice, but his match fitness wasn't quite there yet. Every sprint back felt harder than the last.
In the fifty-ninth minute, disaster nearly struck.
Josh received the ball wide again. Harry was late getting across. Josh knocked it past him and was away, charging into the box. Ollie Waters scrambled to cover, but Josh was already pulling his foot back to shoot.
The striker threw himself at it, boot connecting cleanly. The shot was heading for the bottom corner.
Tommy Henderson threw himself across the goal, getting his fingertips to the ball. It deflected onto the post and bounced clear.
The Salford fans gasped in relief. Tommy rolled on the ground, clutching his shoulder from the impact.
"Tommy!" Danny ran over, helping him up. "You alright?"
The keeper nodded, grimacing. "I'm good."
Frank made his decision. "Marcus! Get ready to come on!"
On the bench, the young winger, Marcus Thompson started warming up more intensely.
---
The tempo stayed fierce. Both sides traded chances, neither giving an inch. Every tackle was cheered, every pass forward urged on by the crowd.
In the sixty-second minute, Noah almost put the game to bed.
A cleared corner fell to him on the edge of the box. He took one touch to set himself, then struck it cleanly with his right foot. The ball flew toward the top corner, the keeper beaten.
It smacked against the crossbar and bounced away.
"Unlucky!" Frank shouted, though his face showed the tension building.
Walsall broke immediately. Their midfielder drove forward, spreading the ball wide to Josh again.
This time, Harry didn't let his guard down. He held his position, forcing Josh inside where Jayden Rowe was waiting.
Jayden won the tackle cleanly, driving the ball forward to Kai.
[DING!]
[+1 XP – Good Defensive Positioning]
[Current Experience: 137/400]
Small victories. Harry was learning from his mistakes.