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Albacete were their opening opponents, and, as was customary, Peter went as strong as he could for the game. Recently relegated, the hosts still had signs of feeling the effects, and due to this, Peter saw his side race into a 2-0 lead, as Chris Greenacre, on four minutes, and then Moukoko, five minutes later, started well. It was a comnfortable afternoon in the summer sun for Mansfield, and by the time the full time whistle went, they had sauntered to a 5-0 win. Talberg had scored the third, just after the restart, finishing nicely after Rusk had played him in, but the fourth goal, from substitue Llorente, was the pick of the bunch, the ball finding it's way to him from a corner after a defensive header, and his volley shot through everyone to find the bottom corner, leaving the 'keeper no chance. Greenacre scored a second in injury time, a square ball from Lawrence finding him to slide into the empty goal -- "Decent start that. Asper has agreed terms aswell so he'll join us for the next game" They had met the next morning to discuss the game over breakfast "Good signing that. Do we have a replacement lined up for Kibebe?" "Funny you should mention that. Claus has sent me details of a young Norwegian, Fredrik Klausen. Plays for Vitesse in Holland, available for less than a million. He's doing some further scouting but could be an option" Damien Matthew nodded as he sipped his coffee "Nice. Anyone else in mind?" "Couple of other targets we're looking at but I think the squad is shaping up nicely. We have had a bid for Victor Renner though. I don't think he'll make the cut in the top flight and I'd rather he go somewhere he'll play so I think he'll be on his way out" There was a different eleven that took the field for the second game, as they entertained Las Palmas . This meant starts for O'Shea, Corneliusson, Davidson, Dunwell and Svard, aswell as Michael Jack and Agustin coming into the team, and while the scoreline wasn't as emphatic as the previous game, it was still a pleasing performance. Dunwell was magnificent, causing all sorts of problems for the defence, and it was the big Geordie striker who set up the first goal, using his strength to take the ball down. He spotted Agustin bombing forward, flicked the ball round the corner for the midfielder, and he finished it really nicely, sliding it into the corner. That was the only goal of the first half, but there were two more in the second. Corneliusson had been bombing up and down the right hand side, and it was a cross from the Swedish full back that set up the second, as he swung it deep to the far post, for O'Shea to nod back and Dunwell to smash into the roof of the net. It was a typical strikers finish, and it was another striker, Joseba Llorente, who scored the third and final goal, tapping in with the 'keeper grounded having saved a Michael Jack shot, and after two games, two wins and eight goals without reply, Peter could be happy with the start his side had made

The players returned two weeks before they were scheduled to fly to Spain for their pre season tour, and Peter had tried as hard as he could to conclude most of the transfer business before that trip, so the players could have as much time together as possible. Pre arreanged transfers saw players arrive, with Darius Vassell, Callum Davidson, Michael Dunwell, John O'Shea, Ole Talberg and Karl Corneliusson all taking their place on the field for the opening training session. Peter was a busy man that next week and a half, and as well as managing to secure several more deals, he also saw the outgoings of several players. Ledley King and Geir Olsen had already agreed moves, as had Jamie Clarke after his falling out of favour the previous campaign. Ardon de Waard was a more difficult decision, as he had proved a more than capable replacement for David Jervis, but with the addition of Davidson and Jervis having been exceptional for three seasons, he decided a bid of £750,000 from Birmingham was too good to turn down. Vance Warner had joined Lincoln, while Jakup Borg moved to Danish side B93, his desire to move closer to home a big factor Coming in, the fans had plenty of reason to be excited. Defence was strengthened with two squad players. Izzy Iriekpen had played a handful of games for West Ham the previous season, and with his pace, speed and aerial ability, the asking price of £200,000 seemed well worth a punt. It took a similar amount to prize Sebastian Svard away from Arsenal too, another experienced pro who would provide valuable experience around the dressing room, even if he didn't play every week, Joseba Llorente was a real eye opening signing however, and one Peter was delighted to get over the line. He had just been released by Bilbao, both parties failing to secure terms on a new deal, and without a transfer fee, Peter was able to offer extra wages and the promise of First Team action, and this was enough to entice the Spaniard to Field Mill. It probably helped there were already some Spanish players there to help him settle in too, so it seemed a deal that would benefit eveybody. All the new additions were in the squad for the tour to Spain, and it was on the plane that Peter gave his side a little pep talk "OK lads. So this is it, the build up to the Premier League. Many of you have been with us since the Third Division. I just want you all to know that you will be getting the chance to prove you belong at this level. We have to be realistic, survival is the only goal. If we stay in the division, we've had a successful season. This tour however, is all about fitness levels. We have three games where results don't matter, it's about getting up to scratch in terms of fitness and training" They had a couple of days before the opening game of the tour, so a couple of light training sessions were arranged. Peter also took a detour to the Basque region, as he pursued a new goalkeeper for the team. Mattias Asper was transfer listed at Real Sociedad, unhappy at his lack of playing time, and he was a man long admired by Peter. Tall and slender, his long reach meant he commanded the area, he was quick off the mark for one on ones and while he would command a fee of just over £3 million, it was an investment worth making. It had also been noted that Benjamin Kibebe wasn't in the touring party. This was because West Ham decided to meet his minimum fee release clause, a sum of £4.5 million, and he would be off to Upton Park. That was a huge blow, as the young Swede had impressed the previous season, but that was why fee release clauses existed

With the players having departed for their Summer break, Peter and his staff said their goodbyes and departed themselves. They would reconvene in five weeks to begin work for the new season, but at least they had football to keep them occupied, The European Championships scheduled to take place that summer. Before then though, Peter had a week away in the Lake District to look forward to. As it turned out, it was just what he needed. Ambleside was a quaint, quiet little town, and he was delighted at the fact nobody there knew, nor cared for that matter, who he was. This meant he was able to relax, do things he wouldn't normally, such as boat rides across the lake, windsurfing and strolls across the beach, and it was essentially just a week away from his own world. Charlotte had made him promise he wouldn't think about work, let alone even attempt any, until they got back, and he was as good as his word They returned, and Peter got back down to business. While there was only so much he could do before the official start of the pre season, he spent his days watching the Euros, while making reports and scouting plans on their 19 opponents for the forthcoming season. It was only when England faced their opening game, against Greece, that Charlotte sat down to watch the game with him. It was an England team that had a new look about it, one that had divided opinion. Kieron Dyer and David Prutton started as the two central midfielders, despite a total of just 11 caps between them, while Alan Smith, the Leeds forward, started upfront. Central defence also had changes, but these were enforced due to suspension to Rio Ferdinand and injury to Jonathan Woodgate, which meant that Chris Riggott and Gareth Barry took their spots. It was a team that didn't inspire confidence, and despite a scruffy performance, they managed a 1-0 win. Riggott was a bright spot, scoring the goal and defending magnificently to deny the Greeks, and he deservedly picked up man of the match The tournament provided shocks, many of the bigger, more established nations going out early. England and Germany lost in the Quarter Final stage, England having struggled through their group, Germany easing through. Italy didn't even make it out of their group, scoring just three goals and one win in the process, while France did even worse, picking up a single point and not even scoring a goal. These extraordinary results meant that the final took place in Lisbon between, of all teams, Sweden and Spain. The Spaniards just had too much for the young Swedish side, but they put up a hell of a fight and had no shame in their performance

The night before the players broke up for the end of the season, Peter was sat in the pub with Damien Matthew. His assistant had suggested they have a debrief over a drink, both to discuss the season they had just had and put plans in place for the following campaign. It was only when they got on to their second pint that they began to talk shop, It was Matthew who spoke first "Well, cheers gaffer. Here's to a fantastic season" Peter clinked his glass, taking a long sip as he did so "It certainly has been fruitful. I'd never have imagined this when I took the job three years ago. If someone had told me we'd be starting the 2005 season in the Premier League I'd have thought they were crazy" Matthew smiled "Hey, you're good at your job. The players would run through a brick wall for you. A lot of these lads have been with you from day one, and they appreciate the loyalty" "Well they've been the biggest part of getting us this far and they deserve a crack at the big time" A nod and a grin "I agree" There was a pause, before Matthew spoke again "Boss, can I ask you something?" "Sure. Fire away" "Ever considered other jobs? I mean you're CV is up there with the best in terms of what you've achieved on a limited budget, surely other clubs must have shown interest?" Peter shrugged indifferently "Honestly Damien, not really. Arsenal had a flirting interest a few months back but wasn't anything serious. And I wouldn't have moved to London anyway. Truth be told, there's probably only one club that could entice me away from here at any time, and you know who that is" A sly grin from his assistant "Liverpool?" "Cheeky swine. No, try the blue half. I had a fantastic time there as a player and seeing the state they're in now is terrible. That would be a hard job to say no to, I have to admit"

Charlton were the final opponents of the season, and Peter had, in no uncertain terms, told his players he wanted them to finish the season off in the same vein they had played all season, and he felt a good start was needed. And, as usually happened, his players responded as they normally did, finding the net twice inside the opening 8 minutes. Wouter Kos started the scoring, curling home a free kick from the edge of the box. The little Dutchman had been one of Peter's first signings when he took the job, and having been with them all the way, playing 121 games in that period, it was fitting he scored in the final game before they headed into the Premiership. The second came quickly after, Uriel linking up well with Moukoko, and the dink over the top to the Spanish midfielder was delightful, and it got the finish it deserved. That said, the visitors did get themselves a goal sandwiched in between the goals, Shaun Bartlett poking the ball home after a little scramble inside the box, but once Uriel had put them back ahead, it was plain sailing. The third goal came just before the interval, Lawrence and Rusk combining in the middle of the pitch, before Rusk fed a pass to Moukoko, who struck it first time into the bottom corner. One more goal came their way, although it probably should have been more, and it came from Cesar 8 minutes after the restart, a cute little finish into the goal after a ball from Kos. The Spaniard looked offside but the flag stayed down and the goal stood. The whistle brought the curtain down on a fabulous season, and the supporters stayed to acknowledge the team. As always, Peter was insistent on his players interacting with the fans, and it was almost 10pm when he got back home. He toasted himself with a beer, before falling asleep on the sofa -- May 2004 Results [Division One unless stated otherwise] Coventry 0-2 Mansfield [Moukoko 4, Lawrence missed pen 45+2, Kos 48 ; Barron s/0 45+1] Mansfield 4-1 Charlton [Kos 3, Uriel 8, Moukoko 41, Cesar 53 ; Bartlett 4] Awards Player of the Year [Moukoko, 2nd] Young Player of the Year [Benjamin Kibebe, 1st] Team of the Year [Benjamin Kibebe, Lee Collins, Moukoko] Fans Player of the Year [Moukoko] Manager of the Year [Peter Daish, 2nd]

"What's the plan with the lads on loan gaffer?" Peter looked up from his screen "I'm not sure. Stuart has done well on loan, 14 goals, and Carlos has been superb. I think he could be useful for us as a rotation" "I'm not convinced Stu can do it at the top level" "I'm inclined to agree, but he's been magnificent for us when he's played. I think I've got some hard decisions to make over the summer. Then again, that's what I'm paid for" A smile from his assistant "Just don't do any work while you're on holiday. Charlotte won't like that" Peter laughed back at him "I'm not that daft!" .. Charlotte had dealt with the visit from the adoption agency, everything seemingly going well and as expected, and they now just had to wait for the next atep in the process. Peter had also asked his players who had been nominated for awards if they wanted to attend the end of season award ceremony, and every one of them, to a man, said no. When he asked why, they said it was in response to the fact that hardly anyone from the team had won anything. Peter had to smile and he greatly admired the loyalty shown by his players, one he followed suit with and decided not to attend himself The details for the break in the Lake District were all finalised, and Charlotte had made sure to book somewhere for the cat to stay while they were away. He also finalised the details of the pre season, a tour to Spain for three games, then three games in England just to make sure they had enough energy and fitness. Keith Haslam had sanctioned a tour abroad for the first time, thanks to their promotion, so Peter had been given the choice of where to go, and he felt Spain was the best option

The end of season awards had been announced, and despite their terrific season, Peter was surprised to see his side hadn't won that many. Moukoko had finished second in the player of the season awards, while he had also claimed second in the manager of the year section. Benjamin Kibebe was the only winner, claiming the young player award, while also earning a place in team of the year, alongside Moukoko and Lee Collins, but that was all they had. Peter was going through the section with the awards in when Damien Matthew walked in "Joke that isn't it gaffer" He turned to face his assistant "I can't really fathom how we can only have one award when we've won the league. Dare I say it, politics at play?" "Probably. Moukoko should be player of the season, undoubtedly. 21 goals and 15 assists. I don't know what more he can do" Peter shrugged "Me neither. Ah well, what can we do?" "Not a lot. Oh, I've found some extra players that might be useful to look at..." He handed over the typed page as he spoke "...so it might be worth adding to the list you have already" "Cheers Damien. Listen, you get an early dart if you want? I've given the lads an extra day so you have one aswell?" He raised his eyebrow "You sure boss?" "Aye. Go on, bugger off" He waved him away with a grin .. With the season drawing to its end, and just two games remaining, Peter had recognised how hard his bunch had worked. That in mind, he reduced the training workload for the remainder of the season, and allowed an extra week's break before they returned for next season, feeling this would be appreciated by his players and staff alike. However, he still expected business as usual, and took a pretty strong squad for the trip to Coventry. They had faded off in the final third of the season, losing touch with the promotion race and sitting 9th in the table, and the mood around their ground was clearly low. This showed on the pitch too, as their tentative and negative approach saw mistakes creep in, and it was one of these mistakes that allowed Moukoko to score his 22nd goal of the season, as he intercepted a short backpass and lifted the ball over the 'keeper. Samba and Cesar both missed good chances to extend the lead, Samba hitting the post and Cesar firing straight at the 'keeper, but the worst miss was Liam Lawrence's missed penalty, after Moukoko was felled by Michael Barron, the defender receiving a straight red card for his efforts. They nearly paid for this when the home side had two chances towards the end of the half, only being saved by Jose Ros. Things took a turn for the better three minutes into the second half when Wouter Kos broke the offside trap, racing through and sliding the ball under the 'keeper, rendering the missed penalty obsolete. The ten men were always struggling in the remainder of the game, not able to cope with the pressure, and Peter saw his side ease to a comfortable win

More reinforcements had been signed to arrive in the summer. With Millwall playing hardball on Cherno Samba, Peter had made signing another forward a priority, and long time target Michael Dunwell was eventually signed, his club Bishop Auckland agreeing a fee and the striker swiftly agreeing a move. His record was sensational, 95 goals and 67 assists in 121 games for the club, and for such a nominal fee, it seemed a really low risk move. This could also be said for Norwegian midfielder Ole Talberg. He had a minimum fee release clause of £250,000, and with his capability to play in midfield or defence, both centrally or on the right, it was the perfect squad player Peter felt he needed for the step up to the Premier League Both deals were agreed before the visit of Wolves, and the squad was really starting to take shape. He had made a mental note of players in the squad he wanted to start contract talks with, but he wanted to finish the season off first before he got into it. Their opponents today had been swept aside when they visited Molineux, but with a different type of side, and nothing to play for on either team, then it could prove to be a different game. After a quarter of an hour though, this notion was swept aside, Peter watching his side race into a 2 goal lead thanks to a double from Geir Olsen. The big Norwegian thumped a header home for the first goal, rising above everyone and guiding it with power into the top corner, before he bombed forward to join the attack, the ball falling to him from a defender's foot, and he smashed it hard into the roof of the net. Olsen was a popular figure around the club, and while he had taken the decision to leave come the end of the season, it was clear his teammates valued his input around the club, off and on the pitch. While there were no more goals for a while, the visitors did get back into the match, creating a couple of chances, decent ones at that, for Cedric Roussel and Adam Proudlock, but they were kept out by Tony Warner. Proudlock missed another chance right after the restart, latching on to a long ball and dragging the ball wide, but this miss was paid for dearly when Mansfield scored a third, substitute Moukoko taking less than ten minutes to make an impact, capitalising on an error in the Wolves defence and guiding the ball into the corner. Proudlock did eventually get his goal, poking home after a scramble in the box from a corner, and ten minutes later, the game became closer than it maybe should have been, a foul in the box on Alex Rae, de Waard sticking a leg out, saw Riccy Scimeca slot home the penalty. This could have led to a nervous last 15 minutes, but the experience and know how of Peter's side saw them through, and goals from Wouter Kos and Cesar in the final few minutes settled the game, resulting in another win over the Black Country outfit -- April 2004 Results [Division One unless stated otherwise] League Cup Final Chelsea 3-2 Mansfield [Lawrence 7, Greenacre 29 ; Pirlo 12, Desailly 22, Knight 60] Mansfield 3-1 Norwich [Kibebe 1, Keko 42,63 ; Wise 49] FA Cup Semi Final Mansfield 0-1 Manchester Utd [Yorke 72] Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Mansfield [Greenacre 16, Blake 40, Uriel 51] Mansfield 1-2 Manchester City [Keko 76 ; Wanchope 22,24] Wimbledon 1-4 Mansfield [Moukoko 15,43, de Waard 71, Blake 89 ; Nielsen 65] Mansfield 5-2 Wolves [Olsen 7,15, Moukoko 54, Kos 88, Cesar 90+2 ; Proudlock 64, Scimeca pen 74]

A trip to Wimbledon came around quickly, and a strong side took to the field for the game, Peter wanting to make amends from the previous defeat. His favoured front three of Moukoko, Greenacre and Lawrence started the game, and they began really well, Lawrence stinging the 'keepers hands with a rasping drive, before Moukoko fired a cross that Greenacre just couldn't get his foot to, but it didn't take too much longer for the goal to come, Rusk receiving the ball from Lawrence, before sliding a lovely pass into the feet of Moukoko, who cut inside onto his favoured left foot and lashed the ball into the goal. The Cameroon international was majestic, controlling the tempo of the game and setting up several chances for his team mates, the most clear cut of which fell to Benjamin Kibebe, who seemed almost shocked at being through one on one and he fluffed his shot wide of the goal. The Swede however made amends, playing a delightful little ball into Lawrence, who, despite a heavy first touch, still managed to fizz the ball across the box for Moukoko to double his, and his side's tally. It was no more than they deserved, and despite Lawrence picking up a strain as he stretched to cross the ball for the second goal, the second half was more of the same. Blake, Kos, Greenacre, Keko and Cesar all found themselves with opportunities to score, some better than others, but it was an unlikely source who scored the third, full back Ardon de Waard with a 30 yard thunderbolt that rattled the underside of the bar on it's way in. Six minutes earlier, the hosts had given themselves a glimmer of hope with a David Nielsen goal, but when Robbie Blake scored in the 89th minute, his side's 23rd effort on the home side's goal, it evaporated any hope they may have had and sealed the points .. "So we've gone through everything on your applications, and it all seems in order. You are officially on the waiting list now, but I can't give you a timeline on how long you may be waiting. It could be weeks, it could be months" Peter nodded "We understand that, obviously. So is there anything else we need to do for the process?" "Well it would be good if we could arrange a visit to your property. Just so we can see what sort of living space it would provide and the surrounding area" It was Charlotte who spoke "Well that's fine, but it would be me that would be there as Peter is usually away with the team. It's probably best to go through my contact number to organise things" "That's fine. If we can get it done sooner rather than later that would be good, and that means things are fully in progress"

Just caught up with this Matt. Really enjoyable read, takes you on a real journey as the reader. Keep up the excellent work mate 👍

Superb stuff as always Dave..magnificent read!

Manchester City were the next visitors to Field Mill, and they were looking to cement their place in the playoffs. They fielded their strongest available team, while Peter rested several of his regular starters. It was an even game for the first twenty minutes, neither side really creating much in the way of chances, but it was a spell of 116 seconds that saw the first two goals. Paulo Wanchope capitalised on a poor pass from Uriel, slipping in Darren Huckerby. The striker saw his shoit saved, but it fell straight into the path of Wanchope and he slammed it into the goal. From the resulting kick off, Peter saw his side advance forward, but it was to no avail. Carlo Nash collected a cross easily, before setting Huckerby away with a long throw. Huckerby used his pace to break free, beating Lilley with ease befoire sliding the ball across the box to Wanchope. The Costa Rican took a touch to set himself, cut inside, putting Ledley King on the floor as he did so, and curled beautifully into the corner. It was a crazy spell, one which was unexpected, but Peter was delighted with his side's response, and on 36 minutes, Keko pulled a goal back, heading home after a deep cross into the box from Ardon de Waard. The second half was a dominant Mansfield display, as chances came and went constantly. Keko, Cesar, Uriel and Lawrence all forced saves, while Samba and Jack fired chances wide. As hard as they tried, they couldn't break the defence and find the equaliser, and they succumbed to a defeat that, despite the performance in the second half being far better than their opponents .. "I don't like losing at the best of times Damien but that second half performance makes it harder to take" Matthew had spread papers across his desk, and he looked up temporarily to respond "I know what you mean but we're already up so it's not the end of the world" Peter raised an eyebrow "We can't afford to miss chances like that in the Premier Division. We'll get punished" "On that note, have Millwall agreed to sell Cherno yet?" Peter shook his head "They're playing hardball. They say they've been impressed with him and want him back to play in the first team next season. Although part of me thinks if we hadn't been promoted they might be a bit easier to convince" A laugh from Matthew "Without question. I'll have that list to you by the end of the day. Just need to work out a few more names" "No worries. I'm meeting Charlotte for lunch anyway so just drop it on my desk if I'm out"

EvilDave - Thanks a lot mate, thoroughly glad you're enjoying it. The adoption thing is kind of going off what I've read and seen on TV and the internet, as my first hand knowledge is limited! The Charlotte and Peter relationship is partly based on fiction and partly my own experiences so hopefully it remains realistic and enjoyable If I'm honest, I never expected to do so well so quickly and for it to continue in the way it has, but to know it hasn't become stale and boring to read makes it all worthwhile. I'm grateful for the support of people still following along! -- A trip to Yorkshire was next, their 41st League game of the season, and Peter decided it was a good opportunity to play some fringe players against Sheffield Wednesday. This meant that Uriel, Geir Olsen, Michael Jack, Agustin and Ardon de Waard all started the game, and he was delighted it made little difference to the result or the performance. Robbie Blake had an early effort saved, before Uriel fired wide after a Greenacre knock down, but it was the striker who broke the deadlock on 16 minutes, Michael Jack linking with Agustin, before sliding in Greenacre, who finished comfortably into the roof of the net. Jack was impressing on his debut, using his trickery and versatility to switch from the left to the right, confusing defenders, and he had a big hand in the second goal too, setting Robbie Blake away down the right hand side. The winger cut inside onto his left foot, jinked back onto his right and fired low and hard across the diving 'keeper, doubling the advantage and sending them into half time with the two goal lead. The second half was a cake walk, Peter instructing his players to keep their hold on the game but also to try and conserve their energy, and once Uriel scored a third six minutes into the half, the game was finished and they were able to take their foot off the gas, the match petering out into a simple win -- "Everything is all booked for the Lakes" Charlotte had walked in the room having just got off the phone with her parents "Perfect. I'm looking forward to it actually, a nice relaxing week away. Next season will be the most stressful yet" She sat down next to him, placing her hands on his legs "Do you think you'll stay up?" Peter shrugged "I think with the right signings and the squad we've got, then we have a chance. We have to win the games against teams similar to us though, that's the key" "What sort of budget will you get?" "Haven't discussed it yet. With the stadium expansion though, and Keith's sensible nature, I don't think he'll go mad with it. Which is fine with me" She laughed "Fair point. What about your contract?" "Keith did mention it but it won't be sorted until January probably. There's no rush with it anyway, I'm not going anywhere" They both laughed together, before Charlotte skipped off to make some dinner

Ironically, their next game was to take place at Villa Park, as they matched up against Premier Division Champions Manchester United. They had been dominant over the last few seasons, and once again had run away with the title, and realistically, they were huge favourites for their FA Cup semi final. Peter knew this, his players knew this and he was pretty sure the fans knew this, but once again, his players were instructed to go out there and give the best account of themselves that they could. Looking at the team sheet for their opponents, he knew how hard it would be, O'Neill's side having gone as full strength as they could muster, but with the league secured and also the Champions League on their radar, Peter could only hope they had their minds focused elsewhere Chris Greenacre fashioned the first opportunity of the game, managing to get a shot off that was straight at Sebastien Frey, before Lee Collins headed just wide having stayed up from a corner. That wasn't to say that United didn't have chances themselves, Paul Scholes and Dwight Yorke both forcing Tony Warner into saves, but the 'keepers stop to deny David Beckham from opening the scoring was out of this world, reaching out and clawing the ball out from the top corner when it looked impossible to do so. Simon Rusk though, missed the best chance of the half, the ball falling to him with Frey stranded, and he seemingly panicked and fired over the bar when it was simpler to score. The game went into the break goalless, but Martin O'Neill had obviously given his side a serious talking to, as they came out all guns blazing in the second half. Yorke, Mooniaruck and Scholes all missed chances, and it looked almost like they wouldn't be able to break down the Warner wall in the goal, but eventually, after 72 minutes, they found the way to break the resistance, Beckham fizzing a low cross into the back post which was met by Mooniaruck, who nodded it back for Yorke to smash home. This turned out to be the only goal of the game, United advancing to a third FA Cup final in a row, but once again Peter was proud of his players and their efforts, their remarkable run in both cups coming to an end -- "Gentlemen, thankyou for your attendance this morning. Let's quickly get down to business" Peter had taken his seat in the board meeting, probably the last one before the season finished. Keith Haslam had his notes in front of him, as usual, but Peter knew he was flying out to Spain that evening so he didn't expect the meeting to last too long "First things first, while a disappointment we couldn't beat Chelsea and United, to reach the stages we did in both domestic cups is a phenomenal achievement, and has brought in some valuable income for the club" Murmurs of content, but it was Peter who spoke "Keith, sorry to interrupt but I was just wondering if there would be any investment in the stadium? With us being in the Premier League, I feel it would be beneficial to have an extension in the capacity" The chairman glanced over his notes, nodding as he did so "There are plans in the offing Peter yes. If we start the building work in July, we expect it to be finished by mid September. This would increase the capacity by around 4,750 seats" Peter smiled and linked his fingers behind his head "That's superb news Keith" The meeting lasted another half an hour until everyone left, and it was then that Keith Haslam caught Peter. He placed his hand on his elbow as he caught up to him "Peter, just a second" He turned to face his employer "What's up Keith?" "Just wanted to update you on the contract situation. I'm aware you have until the end oif next season left, but if it's OK with you I was hoping to delay negotiations until around the end of the year?" Peter clasped his shoulder "No problem. I'm not going anywhere and I appreciate you coming and being honest with me"

All three men were in the squad for the next game, as Norwich visited Field Mill. The players had been buoyant following the Chelsea game, despite the defeat, and this showed early on as they raced into the lead after just 34 seconds. Moukoko fed the overlapping David Jervis, who pulled the ball back into the path of Benjamin Kibebe, and the Swede slammed the ball home, lashing it perfectly off his laces. They continued in this vein, as Moukoko, Lawrence, Kos ad Keko all missed chances to extend the lead, but it did eventually happen just before half time, Kos and Rusk combining in the midfield to slip the ball through to Keko, who let the ball run across him before firing the ball into the side netting past the outstretched fingertips of Rob Green. In fairness to the visitors, they did start the second half well, Dennis Wise pulling a goal back within the first five minutes, but after that, Peter saw his side dominate once again, and despite a host of opportunities, only one more goal came their way, Keko doubling his tally with a towering header from a Moukoko corner .. "Peter Daish" "..." "Gary, what can I do for you?" "..." "Well I appreciate your interest, but we wouldn't be interested for less than a million and a half" "..." "Well in that case we have a deal. I'll speak to Ledley and let him know, then it's all down to him" Peter put the phone down, buzzing through to his secretary as he did so "Lindsey, can you send Ledley King in when he gets here?" Ten minutes later, the defender knocked on his door "You wanted me gaffer?" "Ledley, come on in son" He sat down opposite him, Peter leaning back and folding his arms "I'll keep this short son. Villa have been on the phone and they're ready to meet our asking price for you. I know things haven't been as perfect as you'd like this season, so the decision is in your hands. If you want to move, I'll not stand in your way" The defender nodded, holding out his hand as he did so "Thanks gaffer. I'll go away and have a think about it and let you know if that's OK?" "No problem Ledley. Do whatever you think is best for you"