Chapter 55: The Final Push at Burnley
The halftime whistle still echoed through the stark away dressing room at Turf Moor, the scoreline 0-0 against Premier League Burnley, a fragile beacon of belief for Crawley Town.
Fletcher's reflex saves had been crucial, Thiago's flashes of skill a much-needed spark, and every tackle, block, and clearance had kept their FA Cup dream flickering.
Outside, 15,000 Burnley fans filled the stands, their claret-and-blue scarves whipping in the wind like banners of inevitability.
But in one corner, a defiant sea of red 2,500 Crawley supporters held their own, chanting "Red Devils!" with the kind of faith that could rattle giants.
Inside, Niels stood at the center of the room, eyes sweeping across the tired, sweat-drenched faces of his players.
Every man looked back, bruised but unbowed.
Nate Sutton's absence hung quietly in the air, his recovery still days away, a missing piece, but not a broken one.
This wasn't over.
Not yet.
