Chapter 71: Till the Final Breath (Semi-final: Part-II)
Second Half:
The second half began in a storm.
Crawley kicked off, their red shirts flickering like sparks in the vast claret-and-blue sea. Wembley's roar hit like a wall "Villa! Villa!" 35,000 voices thundered, drowning out Crawley's 5,000 faithful fighting to be heard: "Red Devils!"
The pressure came fast.
In the 47th minute, Ashley Young burst down the left wing, his cross slicing low through the box.
Liam McCulloch flung himself in, Instinct Lens [Steel] flaring, just getting a foot in to deflect it inches away from Agbonlahor's outstretched boot.
Milan clapped furiously in the front row. "Hold him, Liam!" he shouted lost in the noise.
Niels, pacing the edge of his box, signaled urgently: tighter marking. His pulse thudded in his ears.
Crawley tried to push wide Thiago and Nate stretching the flanks, Max stalking the box like a predator, waiting for his moment.
Villa pressed harder.
