Starting Eleven Read Online Free PDF Page B

admire my pass though. As soon as I played the ball, someone steamed into me from the side and my legs came out from underneath me. I hit the ground and got a mouthful of mud. I rolled over twice as a shooting pain worked its way up my left shin.

    ‘
OWW!!!!!!!!!!
’ I cried out.
    I heard the whistle go and then one of my team-mates shouting. It was Chris and he was having a go at someone.
    ‘That’s a bad tackle!’ he complained. ‘He didn’t even go for the ball!’
    ‘I’ll deal with it,’ I heard Mr Turner say.
    I rolled over again and saw the ref call Adam over. Slowly, I got to my feet. My shin was aching but it wasn’t too bad. I walked around a bit, trying to shake it off. Mr Turner was talking to Adam.
    ‘There was no need for that, son,’ he told him. ‘The ball had gone—’
    ‘Yeah, but—’ began Adam.
    ‘Just listen!’ warned Mr Turner. ‘I’m not having any more of that. Stay on your feet and don’t go diving in . . . OK?’
    ‘OK,’ moaned Adam. He turned and walked back to his position, right past me. ‘Next time I’ll get you properly,’ he snarled.
    I shrugged at him and half walked, half limped back to my position. The free kick I’d been given was taken by Steven, who passed the ball left to Leon. Leon controlled it and pushed it into the space in front of him. He set off after it with a defender trying to catch him. But Leon was too quick and he reached the ball first. He looked up and then squared the ball to Abs. I heard Chris, who was behind Abs, shout, ‘Leave it!’ Abs let it go through his legs, which fooled their defence, and Chris was suddenly in on goal. With Adam trying desperately to hold him back, he side-footed the ball past their keeper.
    1–0!
    Chris turned to Adam. ‘That’s for my mate!’ he jeered. ‘Cheers!’
    Then he was mobbed by our team.
    The game went on for another ten minutes before we got our next chance. But this time Chris didn’t get hold of the ball properly and Adam managed to clear it away. Then the opposition got a lucky break. Jason was trying to pass the ball to Corky when it hit the ref and rebounded to Adam instead. He set off at a sprint, the ball at his huge feet. First Steven and then Corky tried to stop him but he just shrugged them both off. Our right back, a lad called Tony, got in his way, but Adam dribbled past him too.
    I was next. I moved towards Adam, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on the ball. He turned it left but I was there so he moved it to the right. But I was too quick again and he had to hold back. He stopped, waited for me to come in with a challenge and then set off again, leaving me flat-footed for a second. But I woke up quickly and tried to catch him again. I kept my eyes on the ball, and just as he was about to shoot for goal I slid out my right foot and took the ball away cleanly.
    ‘
ARRGHHHH!
’ screamed Adam, diving to the floor.
    I rolled around and got straight to my feet. Adam did the same. And then he was in my face, calling me a cheat. Mr Turner blew his whistle and then ran over to us.
    ‘Clean tackle, clean tackle!’ he said.
    ‘You fouled me!’ Adam said, pointing at me.
    ‘I won the ball,’ I replied, staying calm.
    I could see that Adam was really angry, and I knew that if he kicked off he’d be sent off the pitch. I remembered what Corky had told me and the foul he’d committed on me earlier. I decided to try and wind him up. I smirked at him and then made a diving gesture with my hands.
    ‘You what?’ he shouted, grabbing out at my shirt. I felt a bolt of fear streak through me and looked up at him. It was like staring up a cliff face at a gorilla.
    ‘LEAVE IT!’ shouted Mr Turner. ‘Get back to your position, son!’
    Adam kind of growled at me but he did as he was told.
    ‘Drop ball to restart,’ Mr Turner said when things had calmed down.
    The first half ended 1–0 to us. But as soon as the second half started, their strikers, Dave and Harry, combined and scored a