The corner kick was quickly taken by Connor Davis. He didn’t wait for the defenders to get set. The ball was whipped in toward the back post, curving away from the goalkeeper.
Marcus Price was already moving. He had used a clever pick-play, hiding behind a teammate to lose his marker, Will van Drunen.
[> "PRICE IS FREE!" "OFF THE POST!" "How did that stay out? The luck is with Northcastle for once!" "BLOCKED!" "Stones with a crucial intervention! That is captain’s defending right there!" "Cleared!" "Rising Stars survive. That was a two-minute onslaught that could have ended their night." "Navarro with the ball," "Rising Stars need to capitalize on any given opportunity. They won’t get many more like this." "Bhatt further forward," "That’s a tactical change from Rising Stars. Maddox is pushing his creative spark closer to the goal." "Suleiman cutting in," "He’s dangerous from this position. He has that low center of gravity that makes him hard to tackle." "Mitchell gathers," "Routine save for the Hastings keeper in the end, and a timely block from Clarke. If that hadn’t been deflected, it might have been a different story." "Hastings keeping it calm," "No rush to go forward. They are happy to let the clock run." "Davis in space," "Hastings looking to stretch the game again. They are playing with a lot of composure for such a young side." "PRICE IS THROUGH!" "This could be game over!" "Price has the chance to put his team two goals clear!" <]
Marcus steadied himself. He looked at the goal, then at the keeper. He had all the time in the world. He chose his spot, aiming for the top corner where Booth couldn’t reach.
But Will van Drunen was chasing back with a desperation that was terrifying to behold. The Dutch defender had ignored the burning in his muscles, putting every ounce of his will into his sprint. He was closing the angle, his presence a shadow in Price’s peripheral vision.
Marcus shot early, feeling the pressure. The ball left his boot and began to rise, heading toward the top corner.