CHAPTER 35
The clouds scattered above the turf of the Caty Rendall, giving way to strong sunshine on the capacity crowd below.
An announcement was made before kick-off about the naming rights for the Caty Rendall being sold to foreign investors in a big money deal and that from next season the ground would be called The Oceania Stadium.
My eyes were locked on Joe's, as he paraded around the pitch with the owners and waved to fans. For a moment, I suspected he spotted me among the away fans.
He looked away as both teams suddenly appeared.
The home crowd was rapturous in their support, drowning out the cheers from our lesser numbers.
I remembered I'd been in this town last week. I knew how drunk I'd been. I knew what I'd done.
Music was played as the players lined up, then came the introductions.
Joe McDonald and DeShaun Wilkesboro were about to come face-to-face for the first time since our affair had become public knowledge.
I felt my face redden in the middle of the crowd.
DeShaun stuck out his hand.
The referee was watching along with everyone else in the ground.
Joe said something. Maybe just one word, possibly two.
DeShaun's hand was almost touching Joe's.
Joe backhanded it away.
Blair McKay ushered DeShaun onwards.
Twin Knox's captain did the same with Joe.
I breathed.
“Come on, DeShaun!” shouted an annoying, high-pitched female voice for the sixth or seventh time in the first half.
He wasn't even on the pitch.
The game had been totally one-sided, the home team holding the vast majority of possession and Broxburgh failing to test their 'keeper with a single shot.
The difference in the teams was staggering, Town having more full-time professionals on their books. It'd been a long season. Our players were tired. And at this stage they were playing two matches a week.
My bare legs felt like they were starting to burn from exposure as I waited to see how much time would be added at the end of the half.
Rory Adams played a pass to Leo Martin, the lone striker.
“Come on, DeShaun!” she shouted again.
My patience gone, I swivelled to say something. I saw her. I recognised her. I froze.
Martin was robbed of the ball before he got a shot away. Not that I saw it.
I was stood alone, wishing I wasn't.
She was with a crowd, her own youthful age.
1 minute was added.
She was the waitress from the hotel, DeShaun's supposed girlfriend.
I fidgeted with my finger where I was used to feeling my wedding ring, the cops' line of questioning still playing on my mind.
Twin Knox Town won a corner, taking it quickly.
Ricky McQuillan came flying out of his goal.
A Town striker tried to get his head to the ball.
McQuillan plucked it out of the air, then booted it long to try to reach Martin and hit them on the counter-attack.
The ref brought the first half to a close before he got there.
Martin kicked-off the second half, passing the ball back into Broxburgh territory.
“Come on, DeShaun!”
He was still stood on the sidelines, managing the team, while Joe was a matter of yards away.
The momentum started to swing in our favour after the break, our boys coming out recharged and re-energised while Twin Knox showed signs of fatigue. The first chance fell to Blake Black on the edge of the 18-yard box, striking the ball cleanly at goal and bringing the best out of the goalkeeper.
DeShaun and his assistant were in conversation, with Browne gesturing to the bench. DeShaun shook his head.
Another chance fell to Martin inside the box, but he scuffed the ball with his touch and it came off the outside of the post.
With half an hour remaining, I was content with a draw. I figured we could beat them at Lady Macbeth Park. I just didn't know where our goals were going to come from.
Twin Knox beat our offside trap in the 65th minute, their forward outpacing both McKay and Crawford and finding himself through on goal.
McQuillan came out to narrow the angle. The player tried a chip over him.
Our 'keeper stretched tall enough to just get his fingertips to it, slowing its pace, then back pedalled and caught it in both hands as it came down.
DeShaun turned to the bench and sent Lachlan Williamson and Jimmy Dunlop to warm-up.
“Come on, my DeShaun!”
“Jesus!” I screeched, the last of my patience shattered as I broke my silence.
The waitress turned her tiny frame towards me. “What's your problem, Sasha Liu?”
I said nothing.
“Huh?”
Her friends were watching me too.
I folded my arms.
She looked back to the pitch and cheered for her man even louder.
I didn't want to be alone in the stands for the second leg.
Williamson came on for Adams and Dunlop replaced Martin in attack.
Joe changed the shape of his team from a 4-4-1-1 to a more formidable 4-3-3, and the pressure soon mounted on our defence.
Our full-backs, Robertson and Graham, were pinned back, unable to make supporting runs to try to get the ball to Dunlop.
While our 5 man midfield couldn't do enough to reach him either because of the stalwart defending of the Town back 4.
“He's stuck in limbo out there,” remarked a nearby fan.
Twin Knox were in possession again, and threatening our back line.
McKay and another player went for the same ball.
The Town player won it, and suddenly it was 2 on 1 against Crawford.
Their winger had the ball. Their forward was running through on goal.
Crawford was torn between the two. The winger squared it to the forward-
Crawford cut the ball out for a corner.
Joe shouted something in DeShaun's direction.
DeShaun turned with a face full of fire.
Joe shrugged.
DeShaun started to strip from his manager's garb to his playing kit, as the Broxburgh fans cheered him on.
“Come on, my DeShaun!”
I wanted to pull her bleached blonde locks out.
Town swung their corner in, but McKay headed it away.
DeShaun was warming up.
There was less than 15 minutes to go.
Dunlop darted forward. It looked a great run, as Black lobbed a pass in front of him, but the offside flag went up. It had to have been tight.
Applause echoed around the away stand as Crawford in defence made way for DeShaun to take on the striker's role with Dunlop dropping in behind him. It was a gamble, but I liked our odds with the best player on the pitch now leading our attack.
Town's centre-forward was suddenly one-on-one with McKay. He skipped over his challenge and struck a hellacious shot at goal which had McQuillan beaten, hitting the post and bouncing out of play.
10 minutes to go.
“Come on, my DeShaun!”
I was seething with jealousy, wondering what I'd do if he score-
DeShaun took a pass from Black inside the opponents' half.
Dunlop overlapped him. DeShaun fed him the ball.
Dunlop had the pace, but he was forced wide to the far right of the box by the defenders.
He stopped on the edge. DeShaun was trying to make it into the box, his lack of speed already showing, but Dunlop nutmegged a Town defender anyway.
DeShaun accelerated and met the ball with the side of his boot, sending it into the corner of the net.
1-0 to the away side.
The 'Burgh fans went into a frenzy.
But something wasn't right. Shock filtered from the front of the crowd. We all looked.
The offside flag was up.
“Hey!” she cried. “Are youse fucking crazy? That's my man there! That's his goal! Fucking give him it!”
I wanted the ground to open up and swallow... Her.
“Come on, my DeShaun!”
I grabbed my phone out of my purse and sent a quick text. There was no way I'd be alone for Saturday's match... Provided the police closed their crime scene and gave us permission to play it.
The ball was swinging in from the wing.
Joe was yelling from the touchline.
I hadn't seen the start of the move.
McKay was racing back to defend.
McQuillan was charging out from his goal.
Twin Knox Town's striker powered his head to the ball first, sending it flying into our goal.