Love in extra time

6th minute

A harsh thumbing against Beth's skull was the first thing she became aware of as she awoke. The extra glass of wine she'd agreed to the night before proved to be a bad idea and she covered her eyes with the palm of her hand in an attempt to block out the dim light.

Her other wrist was controlled under the pressure of Leah's fingers as the skipper tried to drag her out of bed. The warmth and comfort beneath her duvet was much more appealing to Beth and she fought to stay put.

"It's gone nine. Get your ass out of bed Bethany Mead," Leah warned, "or you can explain to Sarina why you're late."

Her clothes climbed their way onto her body as she moped around the room, dragging her feet lethargically behind her. The darkness of the bathroom invited her headache inside with ease, but the click of the light switch under Leah's finger tricked her wickedly. Beth's eyelids squinted shut in a battle with the sharp pain that ricocheted through her brain, and she patted her hands around the bathroom sink in search of her toothbrush.

The soft bristles scraped over her teeth, a foam of mint brewing in her mouth. As she spat the liquid into the sink, a sharp sting embedded into a cut that lined her lip. She combed through her hair roughly, a lack of time preventing her from ironing it straight, and secured it in a ball on the back of her neck with a thin elastic tie.

Georgia pushed a mug of steaming coffee into her hand on their way out of the door, laughing gently at Beth's sluggish state. Her feet felt heavier with each step as they trudged down the corridor and her clothes hung like weights from her body. She was shattered. As they stepped over the boundary into the conference room, she willed the caffeine to kick start her system with a bit more haste.

Rows of chairs littered the carpet systematically as they faced a projected display of the England emblem. The title 'Austria Analysis' was spread underneath and Beth sighed. She hated analysis sessions. They always made her feel like she was back at primary school, expected to obey the seating arrangement in silence whilst people presented information to her that was not too different to what they said last time. The trio were among the last to trickle through the door, but thankfully Sarina was still busy organising her notes at the front of the room.

Sarina's introductions were followed by her droning on about their performance, a long spew of information that wasn't processed by the majority of her listeners. Soft snores caught their ears as the girls collectively jabbed enough elbows around to keep each other awake.

Beth slouched deeply into her chair, her shoulders tense as she gripped the warmth in her hand with desperation. The fatigue in her eyes slowly disappeared from Sarina's view as her arms twisted around themselves and locked against her chest. With each bitter drop that graced her tongue, Beth's eyelids felt a little lighter and her attention was captivated by Leah.

Everyone else, much like herself, radiated a significant lack of sleep. Leah, however, was tipped onto the edge of her seat. Her upper body henched forwards and her elbows rested firmly on her thighs. Both of her thumbs indented into the bottom of her chin as she focused on the intricate movements of Sarina's mouth. Beth was a little jealous that Leah could have so much energy when her own coffee hadn't fully kicked in yet and a small huff of frustration fell from her lips.

"Brian Clough once said, 'we were good on paper but unfortunately the game is played on grass.' That's how I would sum up your performance yesterday." A gulp of tension was felt throughout the room as Sarina's eyes darted around, snagging on the slowly deflating egos that followed their win.

Their statistics were high, but not as high as they could've been. Sarina knew what made each individual in the room tick, and she was skilled in how she used that to push them in a way that drew out success. She instilled a sense of self-belief but gave enough criticism that players didn't become complacent, and she'd proved time and time again that her approach won major tournaments.