The whistle pierced the evening air once again. The second half was underway under the fading golden lights of Northin Way Stadium.
Both managers remained at the touchline Molis Harrison with arms folded, calculating every move, and Ignacio Victor, Northin Way's strategist, pacing with a quiet fire in his eyes.
The scoreline read 0–0, but the tempo already suggested it wouldn't stay that way for long.
Devertary United resumed their early control. Ruyne Ness and Poker tightened their defensive coordination, while Axel drifted deeper to dictate tempo.
Leon took charge of the right flank again, his pace unsettling Bruno Marqies.
Within minutes, he fed a clever ball to Ryan Shark, who slipped past Hughes and took a daring strike from outside the box.
It curled menacingly. Valentin, once again, the savior, diving low to his right to parry it wide.
Gasps rippled through the away fans. Another near miss.
Valentin wasted no time. Rising swiftly, he hurled the ball halfway up the pitch to Torbjørn, who absorbed pressure from Floxx Leon and turned smoothly.
The captain's awareness was extraordinary he spotted Conzalo Jesús making a diagonal run between Ness and Poker.
A lofted pass. Perfect weight.
Jesús brought it down with one touch, then attempted to lob Lucius who had stepped off his line but the Devertary keeper leaped backward, fingertips brushing the ball over the bar.
The home crowd erupted, voices echoing through the stands.
Lucius clenched his fists. A warning had been fired.From the goal kick, Ness played short to Poker, who moved it quickly to Axel.
Axel turned sharply, bypassing Abdoulaye with a faint body swerve.
He fed Deo, who held the ball just long enough to draw in defenders before flicking it to Leon.
Leon sprinted down the flank, his boots tearing at the turf, before cutting inside.
He threaded a low pass to Shark, who dummied, allowing it to run through to Ronoa on the left.
Ronoa controlled, took one touch and fired.
The shot curled toward the far post but clipped the upright and bounced out. The crowd groaned as the ball spun away harmlessly.
Harrison slapped his clipboard in frustration, muttering under his breath. "That was it… that was the one why did Shark pass."
Northin Way began to adapt. Their midfield trio of Hughes, Matias, and Abdoulaye dropped deeper, cutting passing lanes and forcing Devertary to recycle possession.
Torbjørn's influence grew dropping between the lines, dictating rhythm.
He received from Marqies, spun out of pressure, and slid the ball to Murphy, who surged down the right.
Murphy's cross was whipped in low, Guillermo Vázquez met it, but Poker blocked bravely, the deflection spinning behind for a throw.
The home fans were sensing momentum shift.
Abdoulaye received the throw from Blake Murphy.He launched a long diagonal toward Jesús, who outmuscled Ness and controlled it off his chest.
Jesús laid it off to Vázquez, who feinted, sending Damian Night the wrong way before taking a curling effort.
The shot screamed just inches over the crossbar.
Lucius watched it sail past, frozen for a heartbeat, then exhaled.
"Focus!" Harrison barked from the touchline. With, Devertary's early dominance gradually slipping away.
Wolf Deo and Johnsen Torbjørn clashed in the center circle both captains by spirit if not armband.
The ball ricocheted between their boots before Deo managed to stab it away to Axel.
Axel instantly switched play, finding Leon, who raced into space.
Leon's cross deflected off Goossens, looping awkwardly toward the penalty area.
Valentin came charging out, punching it clear, but the ball fell to Ronoa, who took it on the volley.
A thunderous hit, blocked mid-air by Mikhail Levin's chest. The defender went down, gasping but unflinching.
The play continued,with Northin Way dashing in after smelling an opportunity.
From the clearance, Torbjørn picked it up and orchestrated another surge. He combined with Hughes in a slick one-two before releasing Matias down the wing.
Matias advanced quickly, evading Axel's challenge, and whipped a cross into the box.
Jesús attacked it, colliding mid-air with Poker both men crashing down as the ball deflected off Lucius' glove.
The crowd roared for a penalty, but the referee waved play on.
Devertary scrambled the ball away — barely.Possession swung back to Devertary United the home side.
Abdoulaye intercepted Leon's attempted clearance and drove forward, splitting two defenders before sliding a precise through ball to Vázquez.
Vázquez sprinted toward the byline, drawing Ness out of position, and cut inside sharply.
He shaped to shoot, but Poker stretched in again another heroic block, sending the ball spinning behind the goal line.
The stadium exploded in applause.A corner kick given to Northin Way FC.
The referee pointed to the flag as the roar of the supporters intensified.
Torbjørn jogged toward the corner spot, the captain's armband glistening under the floodlights.
Lucius barked orders, repositioning his defense. Poker, Ness, and Damian Night all took their marks near the six-yard box.
The tension was electric. The scoreboard still read 0–0, but one swing of the ball could change everything.
The referee blew his whistle.
Torbjørn placed the ball, eyes fixed on the cluster of players in the box.
The crowd fell into a collective hush the storm before the strike.
The roar of the home fans swelled as Johnsen Torbjørn stood by the corner flag, ball placed perfectly.
He took three steps back, scanning the penalty area where bodies jostled for space shirts tugged, arms locked, boots scraping at the turf.
Lucius stood tall on his line, eyes darting between Jesús, Vázquez, and Hughes, the trio of aerial threats circling like predators waiting for the kill.
The referee's whistle cut through the tension.
Torbjørn's right boot struck clean a deep, arcing ball curling toward the far post.
Poker rose first towering above Vázquez meeting the ball solidly with his forehead.
But his clearance, though brave, lacked distance.
It sailed only halfway out of the box before dropping awkwardly to the right side, where Griffith Hughes had been lurking unmarked.
Hughes steadied himself, chesting the ball down before swinging a cross back into the danger zone a sharp, curling delivery that cut across the six-yard area.
Devertary's defense was caught mid-reset.
Lucius stepped forward but a fraction too late.
The ball dipped, glancing off Poker's head once again this time deflecting downward toward the penalty spot.
And there, waiting with predatory instinct, was Conzalo Jesús.
He pounced. One step, one strike.The ball thundered past Lucius and crashed into the bottom corner of the net.
The stadium erupted.
A wall of noise shook the floodlights as Jesús sprinted toward the corner flag, fists raised high, eyes blazing with triumph.
"GOAL! CONZALO JESÚS!" shouted the commentator's voice over the speakers.
"Northin Way FC break the deadlock in the 70th minute,persistence pays off!"
Jesús was surrounded instantly, his teammates piling onto him in a burst of joy and relief.
Torbjørn arrived last, wrapping an arm around the striker as chants of "Northin! Northin!" echoed from the stands.
On the opposite side, Molis Harrison exhaled, eyes narrowing.He clapped twice, sharp and loud, summoning focus from his players.
"Keep your heads!" he shouted. "One goal not the end!"
Deo and Leon nodded, regrouping near midfield, while Axel motioned for calm. Devertary United had been here before behind, but never broken.
As the cheers began to fade, the referee signaled for play to continue.
Wolf Deo restarted, tapping to Axel, who immediately spread the play wide to Ronoa.
The Devetary United players sought an instant response, crisp passing, quicker tempo, bolder runs.
Northin Way, however, now held their shape firmly their midfield tighter, their back line compact.
The goal had injected confidence into the away side, but also lit a fire beneath Devertary.
Floxx Leon charged down the flank once more, linking neatly with Shark.
A one-two exchange opened space, and Leon delivered a low cross dangerous, fizzing across the box but Murphy cleared just in time.
The rebound fell to Axel, who struck from distance a powerful effort that dipped wickedly, forcing Valentin into another superb diving save.
The ball ricocheted out of play. A corner to Devertary United.
Harrison's voice echoed through the touchline:
"Now, make it count!"
As the players positioned for the corner, the camera panned briefly to Greenwood in the executive box his expression unreadable, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the pitch.
He murmured quietly to himself,
"This is where we'll see what Harrison's training truly did."
Axel placed the ball carefully at the flag, glancing toward the crowded box where Deo, Ness, and Poker waited.
The whistle blew.
He swung in a curling delivery perfectly shaped, arching toward the near post.
Deo leapt high but was beaten in the air by Murphy, whose clearance skimmed across the top of the box.
Leon raced in for the rebound, struck it clean but the ball deflected off Goossens' boot and looped into Valentin's waiting gloves.
The away fans exhaled in relief. The danger had passed.
From the back, Abdoulaye spread play with a calm authority, linking neatly with Matias.
Each pass was deliberate,Northin Way were now managing the clock, dictating tempo with maturity.
Their shape shifted seamlessly between 3-5-2 and 1-2-7, suffocating Devertary's attacking rhythm.
Every Devertary forward pass met resistance.Every run found a wall of blue shirts.
Jesús, the scorer, tracked back tirelessly pressing from the front, helping his side protect the lead he'd earned.
Harrison urged his men forward, his voice carrying across the pitch.
"Stay composed! Keep the ball moving!"
Axel responded, threading a clever through pass to Shark, who turned between defenders and fired from the edge of the area.
It skidded dangerously low but Valentin, ever alert, dropped swiftly, smothering the ball against his chest.
He rose and pointed toward his backline, shouting commands:
"Focus! Don't drop deep!"
The home supporters rose again, chanting louder now their voices merging into a single, deafening roar.
Devertary made a change.
Cole Isaac off, Daniel Chris on — a more offensive fullback, signaling Harrison's intent to push for the equalizer.
Northin Way responded with a change of their own Hughes replaced by Luis Durand, a holding midfielder brought in to stabilize the center.
Fresh legs for composure; experience for defense.
The chess match continued
Devertary launched another attack.
Axel picked out Ronoa on the left flank, who beat Murphy with a burst of acceleration and crossed dangerously into the six-yard box.
The ball skipped past two defenders,straight to Wolf Deo!
Deo connected on the half-volley but the strike was too close to Valentin, who reacted instinctively, blocking it with his right knee before pouncing on the rebound.
Deo threw his head back in disbelief.Valentin simply smiled, clutching the ball to his chest.
It was his night his fortress.
With time ticking down, Northin Way retreated into compact defense.
Jesús and Torbjørn pressed lightly, forcing Devertary to rebuild from deep.
Each foul, each throw-in, each stoppage felt deliberate,the home side expertly managing every remaining second.
Harrison's tension grew. His clipboard was under his arm, notes forgotten; his focus, absolute.
"Push up! One last run!" he shouted.
Leon received the ball on the right, danced past Marqies, and whipped in a cross.
The delivery was near perfect, cutting across the face of goal but no one was there to finish it.
Axel chased the rebound, volleying from distance, but it sailed inches above the bar.
He fell to his knees, pounding the turf in frustration.The board went up: 4 minutes of added time.
Devertary threw everyone forward.
Even Poker drifted into the attacking third, seeking redemption after the earlier deflection.
Axel delivered one last free kick high and hanging into the crowded box.
Bodies collided. The ball bounced loose.
For a heartbeat, chaos reigned.
Then Abdoulaye hacked it clear.
Jesús sprinted after it, shielding from Ness until the ball rolled harmlessly toward the corner flag.
He held it there, clever, patient burning away precious seconds.
The referee's whistle blew, sharp, final, absolute.Northin Way FC 1 – 0 Devertary United.
The stadium erupted in jubilation.
Jesús was embraced by teammates, Torbjørn raised a clenched fist to the crowd, and Valentin, the night's hero Jesús, sank to his knees, exhausted but triumphant.
On the other end, Devertary United's players stood motionless drained, frustrated, yet dignified.
Coach Molis Harrison gathered them near the touchline, his tone calm despite the defeat.
"Hold your heads high," he said. "You fought well. But next time, we finish our chances."
As the fans cheered and the lights dimmed, Vincent Greenwood watched from the executive box, his expression thoughtful.
He didn't appear disappointed, only calculating, already envisioning the next step.
"Progress," he murmured to himself. "Even in defeat."looking at the scoreboard
Northin Way FC 1 – 0 Devertary United
Goal: Conzalo Jesús (70')
Man of the Match: Timothée Valentin(Northin Way FC)
Match Summary:
Possession: 52% Northin Way – 48% Devertary United
Shots on Target: 6 – 7
Saves: Valentin (6), Lucius (3)
Corners: 5 – 4
Fouls: 10 – 9
As the match atmosphere simmered down, the stadium lights dimmed slightly, and suddenly the main screen at the far end of the field lit up in a brilliant flash of blue and gold, the emblem of the La Rima League shining brightly.
Moments later, the league table appeared, line by line, accompanied by a faint electronic hum.
The crowd's attention shifted instantly, chants quieted, conversations halted as all eyes focused on the glowing display that now dictated the balance of the season.
Outside the stadium, the same table illuminated digital billboards along the expressway, city centers, and sports hubs across the nation.
Drivers slowed down to glance at the standings, while fans in bars and restaurants erupted as they spotted their teams' positions.
The entire city seemed to pulse with the glow of the league, the story of twenty clubs, captured in numbers.
Then, in bold white text against a deep navy background, the La Rima League Table appeared in full:
LA RIMA LEAGUE TABLE
1. Northin Way FC
PL(6) W (5) D (0) L (1) GD (10) PTS (15)
2. Night Phantom
PL (6) W (4) D (2) L (0) GD (8) PTS (14)
3. Acer Madrid
6 4 2 0 7 14
4. Lions
6 4 1 1 8 13
5. Devertary United
6 4 1 1 14 13
6. Prime Castle
6 3 2 1 3 11
7. Forest Ville
6 3 2 1 1 11
8. Lazon FC
6 3 1 2 7 10
9. Cariff United
6 2 3 1 2 9
10. Fire Milan
6 2 3 1 1 9
11. Crystar
6 2 2 2 -1 8
12. Star Ville
6 2 1 3 -2 7
13. Dark Venger
6 2 0 4 -3 6
14. Maraford
6 2 0 4 -4 6
15. Ventas City
6 1 2 3 -4 5
16. Nixon Pool
6 0 4 2 -5 4
17. Red Belz FC
6 0 3 3 -4 3
18. Ventas United
6 0 3 3 -8 3
19. Bronas United
6 0 1 5 -9 1
20. Bastmaphur
6 0 1 5 -10 1
A collective murmur spread through the stands as fans analyzed the standings.
Northin Way FC remained perched at the top, while Night Phantom and Acer Madrid stayed close behind,locked in a silent duel for supremacy.
Further down, mid-table teams fought for breathing space, while those at the bottom Bronas United and Bastmaphur stood on the edge of despair, their fate hanging by a thread.
The glow of the screens faded slowly, but the sight of the table lingered in everyone's minds.
The league wasn't just a competition,it was a storm still building, a promise that the battles ahead would only grow fiercer.