After the emotional win over Eastfield, the mood around Crestwood was buzzing. They had climbed to fourth in the league and were right behind the leaders. However, Coach Warren wasted no time in bringing them back to reality. "Linton is at the bottom of the league. Everyone will expect us to win four nil, five nil, six nil, or more. That's the danger. If we lose focus, they will punish us. Respect the opponent, play our football, and don't give them hope."
The Crestwood home pitch was slick from the rain it received the previous day. Parents and scouts surrounded the touchline, whispering to each other if they could actually win the league.
From kickoff Linton looked like a team that had nothing to lose. They pressed recklessly, throwing bodies forward and flying into tackles. For the first fifteen minutes, Crestwood struggled to find any sort of rhythm, with passes going wayward and tempers flaring.
In the 19th minute Linton stunned the crowd. A long ball to their striker left him one-on-one with the keeper, and he coolly chipped it in to give them a one-nil lead.
Crestwood heads dropped before Mason shouted encouragement. "Wake up! It's one goal, not the end of the match!"
In the 27th minute, Ethan picked up the ball in the midfield, spun away from a challenge, and fed Callum with a perfect pass. Callum drove forward and hammered the ball into the far corner to level the match at one.
Halftime came with the scores still level and frustration hanging in the air. In the changing room Coach Warren's voice was sharp. "You lads think you can just show up and win? You're playing scared, sloppy, and selfish. Sort it out right now. Show them why you deserve to wear this badge."
Crestwood started the second half much stronger. In the 52nd minute Mason dribbled the ball through the midfield before passing it off to Ethan. Ethan then chipped the ball over the Linton backline to Callum. Callum cut right and smashed it into the goal to give Crestwood the lead.
In the 66th minute, Ethan collected the ball just outside the box. He faked going left, then cut right, and curled a shot into the top corner. Crestwood got the cushion they were looking for.
From there Crestwood controlled the game. They were just knocking the ball around and didn't let Linton touch the ball. Final score Crestwood 3 Linton 1.
It wasn't the best performance, but it was still three more points in the league.
"Got nervous for a bit there," Mason admitted.
Callum smirked. "What'd I tell you? Just keep feeding me Matthews, and I'll save us."
Ethan smiled, he knew that Coach Warren was right. They had almost paid for their arrogance. Matches aren't won on paper, they're won on the pitch. If Crestwood wanted to challenge for the title, they couldn't let that happen again.