The struggle

Part 3

Kelly POV
It was 3pm the next day and I hadn't done much but walk around aimlessly. I could've got a train back to London but I wanted to see this football match later tonight. It was the talk of the town, the match for 1st place. It started at 5pm and was roughly a 30 minute walk so I got myself my favourite English food, fish and chips with gravy of course. The wait was long so I assumed it was good and ordered. When it can I can see why everyone was here. By the time I was ready to leave it was 4:10pm, more than enough time to get there.

4:45pm was the time I arrive so I caught the backend of the warm ups. When the players started walking back inside I spotted the girl from the astroturf yesterday whose name I was still yet to learn. I was shocked to see her in the women's team and not a youth squad but based off what I saw yesterday she seemed like she was good enough. Not wanting to spook her I looked down at my phone until she had gone to the her dugout for the final talk.

Ella POV
M coach was finishing his up his last talk before the beginning of the match but my mind seemed to drift off imagining scoring that final goal and lifting the trophy. I was snapped out of my trance by my teammate who had  accidentally nudged me. I adjusted the CAPTAIN armband and lined up with rest if the staring 11 before before getting into formation on the field. Our team got to choose side therefore The Tigers kicked off. The game started off very high pressured and tense, it was obvious that both teams were eager to win this. Everything depended on this performance. Both team were playing rough but didn't stop my team, Wentworth FC from being determined from breaking their defence. In the 36th minute I received the ball in the edge of the box from my right back before crossing it in first time. It looked like it would go straight over the box but it dipped allowing our striker to head it into the goal. The team and I sprinted off to follow the striker towards the fans on the side lines. After a few minutes as captain I felt like I had to pull the girls heads out of the cloud "let's pretend that it's stil 0-0, 1-0 isn't exactly a lot so keep you heads screwed on we're not even at half time."

The half time whistle went and our team jogged off the bench for our half time team talk. "Congrats on the goal girls but we can't let it get to our head there's still 45 minutes." He went over some more tactics and how we could break through their back line, he then turned to me and told me "your faster than their left back Ella, use that pace to get past her then cut in and shoot. Show everyone you I picked a 17 year old to play right winger in the women's league." This fuelled a fire inside me. I felt like I had so much energy, like I didn't just run for a full half.

As we kicked off I could feel the fire in my stomach. I felt so alive, I couldn't wipe the smile of off my face. I was not going to let us loose this. The rest of the team didn't look like me, they looked fatigued and the other team could definitely see that. Only minute after kick off we lost the ball and the tigers pounced into the attack. They played to ball around our defence making us look stupid before hitting the ball and it deflecting into the goal. Fuck, no. Please no.

I asked the ref how long was left and he said "20 minutes." "20 minutes" I whispered to myself "You got this Ella." Once celebrations were done the match reset and the two team were back battling each other. After many denied opportunities I received the ball and was just above the half way line. I looked up for some options yet there was no good ones so I begun to dribble towards the woman defending me. Coaches voice was repeating in my head 'use your speed Ella' and so I listened to him. I did a few step overs confusing the left back before bolting down the side line. I knew she wouldn't be anywhere near me, not just because I was fast but she was flat footed, and had her back to me. I cut in from the wing and shot with my left foot, that's one things I'd always thank myself for because being able to use both feet was unbelievably helpful. The shot felt like it was going in slow motion, it looked like it was going wide before it curled into the top left corner and the keep was to late. I sprinted to the corner flag before doing my signature celebration of a cartwheel then showing myself to the fans. As everyone began to get off the pile which was on top of me I kissed my taped wrist which says JOSIE.

There was 5 minutes left of the game, that was it. All we had to do was hold on for 5 more minutes. We slipped into a more defensive formation as a late goal would not be great right now and everyone was to exhausted to play an extra 30 minuets. The Tigers also seem tired but were to determined to give up that easily. I knew they put up a battle so I put pressure on the back line who was currently passing the ball around trying to find a way to score. Their centre back wasn't aware I was right behind her and turned straight into me. I comfortably collected the ball off her, and despite my achy legs, ran toward their goal. Their keeper came down toward the ball taking my legs out in the process.