Chapter 47: Rise at Broadfield
The halftime air in Broadfield Stadium's dressing room crackled with a restless edge, the 1-1 scoreline against Shrewsbury Town a tightrope stretched taut over their ambition.
Thiago's 25th-minute rocket had set 2,500 Crawley fans alight, but Shrewsbury's 40th-minute equalizer, a deft winger's strike, had doused that fire, leaving the squad hungry yet shaken.
Niels faced his players, their faces glistening under the harsh lights. Nate's three-week absence, a torn ligament from Wycombe's savage tackle, was a wound still bleeding in their hearts, but this fight was for him, for their home.
"Guys, it's a tie, but we're at Broadfield, this is our home ground" Niels said, voice cutting through the rustle of tape and boots. "Kieron, that yellow card's right behind you. Thiago, spark it again. Max, leave no gaps. Shrewsbury's tough, but we're Crawley, we're not the underdogs anymore. For Nate, for our fans, let's win this."
