Chapter 198: Time to Fight
After the halftime whistle blew, Crawley's players walked off the pitch in silence.
Max didn't move for a second.
He stood still, fists clenched, ribs aching where the elbow caught him no foul, no card, not even a glance from the ref.
Around him, the Peterborough players jogged off the pitch like nothing had happened.
Behind him, Jamal shook his head. "No way that was a penalty."
Dev muttered, "No foul on Max either. It's bullshit. They're playing dirty and getting away with it."
Tom shook his head. "That ref's a joke."
Inside the tunnel, the noise from the stadium faded, but the anger stayed.
Max walked ahead, his jaw tight. His ribs hurt with every step. The pain didn't bother him as much as the fact that it didn't matter. The referee had seen the elbow and still did nothing.
The dressing room door closed hard behind them. The silence inside was heavy.
Everyone was breathing hard. Someone swore under their breath.
