In the 38th minute, the inevitable happened. Big Dave rolled the ball out to Jamie, just as we'd practiced. Jamie took a touch, looked up, and tried to play an ambitious pass through the lines to JJ.
But Hyde's defensive midfielder, a cynical veteran who'd been watching Jamie all game, read it perfectly. He intercepted, drove forward, and played a quick one-two with Whitmore. Jamie, caught out of position, tried to recover but was too slow. Whitmore brushed past him, drove into the box, and smashed the ball past Big Dave. 1-0.
The home fans erupted. Our away end fell silent. I felt the air leave my lungs.
Jamie stood in the center circle, hands on his knees, head bowed. I looked at the stands. Mark Crossley had his head in his hands. He knew.
