sherm Posted January 24 Author Share Posted January 24 Peter's head was elsewhere the next few days, understandably so, and he spent most of the time either at work or the hospital, sleeping there the majority of the time. It had turned out the diagnosis had been correct, which meant that treatment would have to happen sooner rather than later. It also meant that Charlotte would need two weeks off work, at the bare minimum. The chairman and his staff had been supportive, giving him the time and space, and he had considered letting Damien Matthew lead the team for their next game, a visit from QPR, but Charlotte had insisted he take the game as normal, almost forcing him out of the door Whether the players and fans had gotten wind of the situation he didn't know, but the fans gave him a standing ovation as he walked to the dugout, one which he responded to with a wave, and the players put on a show on the pitch, as they absolutely ran rampant, destroying their opponents in a ruthless manner. The should have been three up before the opener came, Kos missing a great chance, Blake hitting the post and Samba firing wide, but it was Claus Jensen who showed his teammates how to do it, as he collected the ball, spotted the visiting 'keeper off his line and chipped the ball over his head and into the goal. It was a beautiful finish, and while the second was more simple, a little side foot finish from a Samba cut back from Wouter Kos, that four minute spell was richly deserved. The visitors did give themselves a glimmer, as Richard Pacquette pulled one back, collecting a Langley pass and drilling low into the corner past Jose Ros From then on though, there was only one team in it, and the next four goals all came from yellow shirts. Well, two yellow shirts anyway. Liam Lawrence restored the two goal cushion just before the break, a little give and go with Rusk allowing him to slide the ball through the 'keepers legs, but the second half was all about Cherno Samba, as he claimed the match ball with every strikers dream, a perfect hat trick. The first one, seven minutes after the restart, was a simple left foot finish, after he controlled a Moukoko pass and found a seemingly impossible gap, but it was after his second, a bullet header from a Lawrence cross, that the striker, along with several other team mates, all turned towards their dugout, fingers extended at their manager, before running over to him and giving a little salute. It was a moment that brought a lump to Peter's throat, and he had to excuse himself for a couple of minutes. He was back to see the on loan Millwall striker complete his treble in injury time, a right foot volley from close range, and his side completed a thumping 6-1 win -- Peter had been moved by the way his players had shown him they were thinking of him, and he expressed his gratitude to them in training the following day. With the situation, he had been granted a few days leave by the chairman - he was practically forcing him out of the door - but once he had given his training plans to his coaching team, he headed back to the hospital to be with Charlotte. As he walked through the main entrance, he was greeted by one of the nurses looking after her "Hi Peter. You're early today?" "I've been given a few days off so I better get comfortable hadn't I?" The nurse smiled at him "Oh that's good. I'll get you a spare blanket and pillows so you can set up camp in Charlotte's room. She's sleeping at the moment I think" He smiled his gratitude and headed off to her room. She had indeed been sleeping, so he didn't disturb her and instead, lay down on the sofa in the room. He hadn't realised how tired he was and before long he was drifting off himself. He was only awoken by a hand stroking his face "Hey" Peter took a few seconds to get his bearings before realising it was Charlotte in front of him "Hey yourself. I didn't wake you did I?" She shook her head "No I've not been up long. Didn't expect to see you lay there though" "Keith insisted I take a few days off, so you'll be seeing a lot more of me" She smiled at that "That's never a bad thing. Besides, all being well I should be able to go home tomorrow" That was good news, and it was confirmed later on that day, so on the Wednesday afternoon, Peter was able to take Charlotte back to their house, where she would be spending the next couple of weeks (at least) nursing back to full health Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 (edited) "Hey gaffer. Welcome back" Damien Matthew was the first to greet him that Friday morning, his first one back at the club "Thanks Damien. All well?" His assistant nodded "Yeah. Lads have trained hard and we've got a full bill of health" "Good news. Thanks for holding down the fort for me" "Don't mention it. Hows Charlotte?" Peter leant back in his chair "She's getting there but it'll be a while yet" .. While Peter had needed the days off to tend to Charlotte, and had been grateful he was given the time, he did feel good to be back in the dugout for the trip to Yorkshire, namely Sheffield United, the side sat directly below them in the early going. It was a strong side that took to the field, with Ledley King, Wouter Kos and Chris Greenacre all taking their place in the starting line up, and it was Kos who was the architect for the opening goal, collecting a pass out of defence, before lofting a ball into Robbie Blake, who controlled it beautifully and fired a low shot into the bottom corner, just out of reach of the 'keeper. It was a great start, and as was always the case, the early goal settled his team down and allowed them to dictate the pace of the game. Kos was a key part of this, as he was looking for the killer pass every chance he got, but despite this, and missed chances from Greenacre, Blake and Moukoko, the score remained 1-0 at the break. It only took eight minutes of the second half for the second goal to come, as Jervis whipped a cross into the box, and a poor clearance found it's way to Greenacre, the striker taking a touch and slotting home with aplomb. More chances fell through the remainder of the half, and they should without doubt have scored more, but eventually it was Greenacre who doubled his own tally and sealed the win, as he broke through with the home side pushing forward, exploiting the gaps they left and rounding the 'keeper and slotting into the open goal .. "Hi Mum" "..." "She's OK. On the mend at least. How are you?" "..." "Of course I'm looking after her" "..." "Well why don't you come and spend the weekend. We'd both love to have you and it would be nice for Charlotte to have some company while I'm at work" "..." "I can't just skip matches Mum, that isn't how it works!" "..." "OK. Decide what time you want to come and I'll come and get you" "..." "OK. Bye Mum" Charlotte had walked into the room as the conversation ended "How's your Mum?" "Oh she's fine. She's going to come and visit next weekend, spend the weekend here" She smiled "Oh that'll be nice. Give me some company while you bugger off galavanting" He looked at her, failing to hide a smirk "Galavanting? I'll have you know I'd be going to work thankyou very much" "I'm kidding. Oh, my mum and dad are coming to see me this weekend. Well, Saturday at least" "That's fine. Do they need me to pick them up?" She shook her head "No, Dad knows where we live" Edited January 25 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 (edited) Before the visit of the in-laws, Peter had cup action to deal with, as a second visit from QPR in the space of ten days provided their opponents for the second round of the League Cup, and while it may not have been emphatic like the league meeting, it still proved to be comfortable. Once again, he had chosen to rest several first team players, with Olsen, Borg, Lilley, Hoj, Faulconbridge and Keko all coming into the line up, but it was a seamless transition. Olsen opened the scoring after just three minutes, marauding forward from the centre of midfield to latch onto Agustin's pass, the Spaniard putting just the right weight on it so the Norwegian didn't have to break stride and he just fired home into the goal. Faulconbridge would have been disappointed he didn't get himself on the score sheet in the first half, the striker missing three really good chances to score. The first of these was from a lovely little low cross from Borg, where he fired over, leaning back as he shot. His second was a header which, to be fair, was really well saved, but the third was the most guilt edge of them all, finding himself one on one, doing the hard work and rounding the 'keeper but seeing his shot smack the post Somehow it remained 1-0 at the break, and while the opening ten minutes of the half was a tough watch, both sides struggling to pick up a rhythm, it was a moment of brilliance that opened things back up again. Vance Warner feeding the ball into Jakup Borg just inside the centre circle. The Faroese international started his run by skipping a challenge, before beating two other players. By this time he was just about at the edge of the box, where he skipped inside onto his left foot and curled a gorgeous shot into the top corner, leaving the 'keeper no chance. It was a brilliant goal, one worthy of winning any game, and as it happened it was the final goal of the game. There could have been more, Kos, Keko and Borg all having chances to extend the lead further, but it didn't matter and the game sauntered away, the 2-0 score more than comfortable -- "And Everton's dreadful start to the season continues, a fifth successive Premier League defeat consigning them to the bottom of the table. Graham Rix looks down at the ground, what must he be thinking of this situation..." Peter leant forward and flicked off the television. He was saddened to see his former side struggling once again. After promotion last season, winning the Division One title at a canter, there had been hope they would survive in the Premier League but one point and one goal from six games was not the start they would have wanted, and they languished at the foot of the table. He sighed to himself, before sending a quick message to Peter Reid as he walked into the kitchen "Something smells good" Charlotte turned to peck him on the cheek "I picked up Chinese if you want some?" He smiled and returned the kiss "Oh yeah I'll have a Chinese. What have we got?" The food was laid out on the table and they all dipped in, helping themselves "How was the football?" Peter sighed and rolled his eyes "Not good. It's sad to see them in the state they're in to be honest" She looked up at him "So you like Everton?" He nodded "They're a club that mean a lot to me. I played for them for ten years, they gave me my chance in football and I'll always be grateful for that" "So you'll manage them one day?" He shrugged "Who knows? I'd love to, of course I would, but you can never predict what's going to happen in this game" Charlotte's dad had been sat at the table while this conversation was going on. He was an avid Liverpool fan, a point he had made to Peter several times, and couldn't help but sit there smirking. He had spoken to Peter himself about this topic before, and he was more intrigued in his daughter's sudden interest in the matter Edited January 25 by sherm 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 He had come into the office the next day to find files on his desk, mainly a couple of central midfield options to fill the void he was looking at, but he had barely picked one up before he heard the Chairman's voice floating down the corridor. He popped his head around the door to see him stood there with Steven Burkett, the man from the sponsors dinner "Morning Keith. Steven" He walked down the corridor to greet the men "Morning Peter. Steven's just here to finalise the details of buying his stake. He'll be in the stands for the next game too" "Perfect. Hopefully the lads will put on a show for you" He winked and shook both men's hands, before heading back into the office The midfielder search had been extensive, and as he headed into his office, he saw a file that had been left there by John Waldron, indicating the best targets to look at for adding stenght in depth to the position. He spent the next half an hour scanning the list and making notes before he was distracted by a knock at the door "Sorry to disturb you Peter, but this letter just came for you" His PA waved the envelope in her hand "Oh thanks Danielle" He took the letter. It looked professional, the envelope with a printed address on it. He opened it and began to read Dear Mr Daish My name is Howard Pearson. You may know me by name, but you won't have met me before. I am, and always have been, a die hard Everton fan. I have just started an Everton supporters club and would like to host a dinner, as a welcome event for the group One of my favourite Everton teams was the 80's greats, the team that brought so much joy and happiness to myself and many others in a time of depression and despair in Liverpool. Because of this, I have extended an invitation to you, and four other players from that time, to come and join us at this event. It will be a formal dinner, but I would very much like if you could attend, interact with the fans in attendance and maybe share a few after dinner stories? The details of the event, aswell as how to contact me, are attached to this letter. I would very much appreciate if you could RSVP me as soon as possible to confirm your attendance. I do understand you are a busy man but would love for you to take time out of your schedule for this... -- He read the letter a couple more times. It seemed legit and he was just wondering who the other players were that had been invited when his phone rang, the caller ID telling him it was Peter Reid "Hello" "..." "Reidy. I'm good thankyou mate. How are you?" "..." "Good. It's funny you mention that, I've just had a letter myself about that" "..." "No mine doesn't say either. Have you heard of this Pearson bloke? The name sounds familiar" "..." "That's him. I knew I recognised the name, So he owns the Liverpool Echo?" "..." "OK mate. Let me know who else has been invited as soon as you can" Peter had recognised the name of the letter writer, Howard Pearson, but he hadn't been able to place it until Reid had mentioned he owned the company who publish the Liverpool Echo, Reach PLC. Reid had also said he would ring round some of their old team mates and find out who else had received a letter, but before then, they had a game to concentrate on Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 West Brom sat just behind them in the table, having dropped just two points all season, and they were the next visitors to Field Mill. Only one change was made, though it was enforced, Greenacre complaining of a tight thigh the day before the game, so he wasn't risked and Cherno Samba came into the team, but other than that, it was unchanged. The visitors were the proverbial Division One regulars, although they had flirted with promotion the previous two seasons, finishing third and fifth, losing in the Play Offs on both occasions, so they would be looking to cement their promotion push here. That said, under Gary Megson, they didn't play the most exotic brand of football, and it was tough to watch at times for the fans. However, they did prove hard to break down, as Peter watched his side toil, trying their best to create openings to get past the solid back four they had. It took almost 2o minutes to fashion any sort of chance, Lawrence finding Simon Rusk, and the midfielder firing a shot just over the bar. For all their hard work though on the defensive end, the visitors didn't create too much themselves, and eventually found themselves behinf after half an hour, a well worked move allowing Samba to tap in the opener, afte lovely interchange play in the midfield and on the wing. The goal meant that West Brom had to open up a little more to try and get back into the game, and this allowed Peter's side to double their lead just before the half time break, as Ledley King fired a long ball over the top to Samba, who broke free and slotted home beautifully. The result was never in doubt after that, and the second half wasn't much to write home about, neither side really creating much, and the game petered out into a 2-0 win for Peter and his side -- His mum had come down to see him for a few days, but with him having to pop off and go to work, she spent most of her time with Charlotte. He had given them some money to go shopping, and they came back on the Tuesday night in high spirits, laughing and joking as they entered the house "You two look like you've had some fun" Both women giggled "We had a good day. Shopping, food, gossip" Peter rolled his eyes, kissing Charlotte as he did so "I was just about to make something to eat, but if you two aren't hungry?" Charlotte shook her head "No we're OK. You sort yourself out" She smiled that smile that he liked "OK. You two can have the telly, I've got some work to do on the laptop anyway" He headed off upstairs to leave them to their girly evening 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 The midfielder search had seen offers sent to four different players, but the only one that had shown any interest in joining was Spanish playmaker Uriel. He was a good passer, with an eye for a tackle and a terrific engine, and the bonus was that he was available on a free transfer. A contract offer had been faxed to his agent, and they were just awaiting a response, but as was the case at this level, another game was on them quickly, as Stockport made the trip this time around. They were another big and physical side, and they put themselves about early on, as both Kos and Greenacre were on the end of crunching tackles in the first ten minutes, so that gave an indication as to what type of game they were in for. However, they managed to impose their personality on the game, creating some chances through the half, the best of which fell for Greenacre, the striker firing wide when it looked prime to score, but the deadlock was broken just before the break, the marauding Wouter Kos collecting a pass from Moukoko, before deftly dinking the ball over the 'keeper, who had come out and grounded himself. An early goal in the second half followed, the same combination and the same result, Moukoko whipping a ball across the box for the Dutch midfielder who controlled it and fired low and hard into the bottom corner. This looked like it would be enough but, begrudgingly, Peter had to accept that the visitors played well and deserved to get themselves back into the game, and they did just that with goals from Shefki Kuqi and Tony Thorpe, the two big strikers both scoring from crosses. That said, it was less than two minutes after the equaliser that the game was won by the home side, Rusk feeding Moukoko and the Cameroon international jinking into the box and curling home a simple finish to, despite it being harder than it maybe should have been, seal the points -- The training in the build up to the final game of the month had been both positive and negative. They had trained well, but they had seen a couple of injuries to key players, Lee Collins had gone up for a header, as he normally would, but when he landed his yelp of anguish did not sound good. Peter had run over quickly, and he knew immediately his defender was in trouble. He was not the sort of player to go down easily, and when he was carried off the training pitch, he feared he might be without him for a while. He was joined on the injury table by Robbie Blake, and while it was not as serious looking as Collins' injury, it looked like it could be weeks rather than days. The trip to Preston had seen Peter tinker with his team sheet for the game, and even when he handed it in to the officials, he was still unsure of the team he put out. Cesar had come in for Blake, King for Collins, and Agustin for Simon Rusk, but the rest was as normal. He had felt something in the build up to the game, something not quite right, and he just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it had been the injuries in training, maybe something else, but their start to the game was absolutely dreadful. Their passes were going astray, they were struggling to fashion any chances, and in general it was poor. The only real chance of note they created was from Greenacre, as he took a pass in his stride and fired a shot but it was straight at the 'keeper. It looked like would get to half time on level terms, but a two minute spell ensured that not only did that not happen, but they ended up at more of a disadvantage. A backpass from Agustin was just short, and it was latched onto by Steve Basham, who jinked past Tony Warner, leaving the 'keeper stranded and slotting into the open goal. This was bad enough, but a moment of madness from Marek Szmid saw him dismissed from the field. He had been tangling with Jon Macken all game, both men niggling and pushing, but something happened that caused the normally timid defender to turn round and swing a right hook at the forward. Admittedly he hardly connected, but it was right in front of the referee and he was given his marching orders. The players were given a real talking to at the break, and in their defence they did improve massively, defending a lot more compactly and creating a few more openings. The home side would have been disappointed not to make their advantage count, and they paid the price for not capitalising when Moukoko salvaged a point eleven minutes from the end, a result which ended their winning start to the campaign -- September 2003 Results [Division One unless stated otherwise] Crystal Palace 0-3 Mansfield [Jervis 12,83, Keko 89] Mansfield 6-1 QPR [Jensen 33, Kos 37, Lawrence 42, Samba 52,61,90+1 ; Pacquette 39] Sheffield United 0-3 Mansfield [Blake 5, Greenacre 53,83] League Cup Round Two Mansfield 2-0 QPR [Olsen 2, Borg 57] Mansfield 2-0 West Brom [Samba 30,45+1] Mansfield 3-2 Stockport [Kos 44,48, Moukoko 71 ; Kuqi 54, Thorpe 69] Preston 1-1 Mansfield [Szmid s/o 42, Moukoko 79 ; Basham 40] 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 (edited) The deal to bring Uriel to the club was struck quickly and efficiently, and he joined up with the squad 24 hours after agreeing a contract. Before that though, he had some disciplinary issues to deal with, mainly Marek Szmid and his ill discipline in the previous game. He sat in his office when the defender knocked on his door, looking mildly embarassed "Marek, come in son" The youngster came in and sat down. Peter had decided to be softer than normal, as he knew the lad had made a mistake but there was no reason to be too harsh "What happened on Saturday?" "I lost it boss. He'd been niggling me all game, he said a few things I didn't like and I just went for him" Peter nodded "I get it, I played long enough to understand. I can't have that though son, and I've got to fine you two weeks wages, per the clubs policy" The defender looked him in the eyes "OK boss. I get it" "We'll settle it there. You know you were wrong but there's no need to take it any further. Now off you go to training" -- "Hey. How you feeling?" Peter had walked through the door that evening to see Charlotte cooking dinner. He kissed her on the top of her head "Hey. I'm good. Best I've felt in two weeks" "Good. What's for tea?" "Sausage and mash" He smiled "Lovely. I picked up some Coke on the way home" She smiled back .. "That was lovely. Thankyou" He leant over to kiss her, but was stopped by the serious look on her face. She placed both her hands around his "Peter, I want to talk to you" He looked warily "OK. What's wrong?" She started to run her thumb on his knuckles "I was back at the hospital this morning, just for a follow up" "OK. What did they say?" He could see her eyes starting to water, He used his free hand to wipe away the tears from her cheek "It's not a complete impossibility, but it's going to be very hard for me to bear a child in the future. They say the damage is too severe" That last sentence opened the floodgates and she burst into tears. Peter spent the next couple of hours consoling her, aswell as discussing the future plans and what they could do to solve the problem. It seemed to make her feel better, but he knew that deep down, she was devastated Edited February 1 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 (edited) An away trip to Bristol City was the first on field action of the month, and as they were away, Peter had ordered some flowers to be sent to Charlotte, at least to try and make her feel slightly better about things. He had to be honest and admit his head wasn't completely in the game, but his players were and they were brilliant. It was just a mystery how they managed to only take a point in all honesty. Samba had an early chance, racing through in the second minute but seeing the 'keeper rushing out and smother his shot, and when a cross from Moukoko found Kos in the box, it looked easier for the little Dutchman to score, but he contrived to fire his shot wide of the post. They paid for these early misses in the twelfth minute, as some decent play from the home side saw Lockwood given the ball on the edge of the box, and he made room for himself before hitting a low drive past Ros. This seemed to wake up the crowd, and they had a good ten minute spell, carving out a couple of good chances, but they didn't extend the lead. An equaliser came before the break, Samba finding room inside the box, turning and firing all in one movement and his shot lashing into the side netting. The second half was a pulsating 45 minutes, both sides coming out to try and win the game, and both goalkeepers were tested several times. Benjamin Kibebe and Cherno Samba missed chances within a minute of each other, while Leroy Lita and Martin Fotheringham both forced good saves from Ros, but without a doubt the absolute best chance of the game fell to Moukoko, the normally clinical Cameroonian almost losing his cool, doing all the hard work before dragging a shot wide when it should have hit the target. Half chances did fall aswell, and both 'keepers earnt their keep, and the game finished level, a second successive draw for Peter and his side -- Peter Reid had been in contact about the letter they had received. They had also been received by Graeme Sharp, Kevin Sheedy and Adrian Heath, all of them his former team mates, and with phone calls exchanged and conversations had, they all decided they would attend the event. That being said, Reid had contacted Howard Pearson to confirm their attendance and get the details of the event, so they would soon have a time and date of when they would be going. He was reading over the letter when Charlotte knocked on his office door "Hey. Come on in, I won't be long" She sat down. Peter never ceased to be amazed at how she could dress so simply but look so nice. A blue jumper, slim black jeans and white converse never looked so good, in his opinion "Ready for lunch? I'm starving" "Me too. I could eat a horse" She laughed "What's that?" She pointed at the letter as she asked the question "Oh it's just an invite to an Everton supporters club event. Bloke organising it wants to get some players from the 80's attending" "80's? Wow, that makes you sound old. I was born in the 70s" She smiled a cheeky little grin as she spoke "Well thankyou very much. Way to make me feel better" He smiled back, before they headed out to have lunch together Edited January 30 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 2 Author Share Posted February 2 Later that evening, while Charlotte was having a nap, Peter had taken the opportunity to phone his mum and find out how she was. He was slightly worried about her, as when she had been there the previous week, she had seemed to have the odd moment. I mean admittedly, she was in her 80's now, and certainly not in bad health but also she wasn't the worst health either. He did however, have a responsibility to check she was OK. After speaking with her, he popped on Sky Sports news to see the latest, and was shocked at what he saw "..in recent moments that Arsenal have parted company with Arsene Wenger. We don't know yet if this is a mutual decision or if the club have let the Frenchman go, but we'll bring that to you when we get the news..." Peter knew that the Gunners were struggling, sitting 8th in the Premier League after a disappointing 5th place last season, but he was still surprised to see Wenger leave. That said, nobody seemed able to stop the Manchester United juggernaut, as they were on course for their sixth straight Premier League title. Still, Peter shook his head. This was just a reminder that no matter what happens in the game, no matter how much success they had as managers, nobody was safe ... A third successive away trip was up next, as Watford were the opponents, and Uriel made his debut in the squad, named on the bench for the game. Wouter Kos and Moukoko had not been declared fit for the game, which meant Ronnie Bull and Cesar came into the team for the game. Watford had a fairly expensively assembled squad, but they had so far failed to reach the heights expected for them, and sat just outside the Play Off places, but this turned out to be a seriously easy win, one of the easiest of his tenure. Greenacre headed against the bar early on, before he flicked the ball through for Cesar, who saw his shot tipped onto the post. It was the Spaniard who created the opening for the goal though, just before the quarter of an hour mark, as he cheekily used the outside of his right foot to feed Liam Lawrence, and the midfielder took the ball in his stride, and without breaking step he lashed it into the roof of the net. It was a powerful shot that would have struggled to be stopped by any 'keeper, and even before he scored the second, he should have scored again. Greenacre also missed a chance, but when the striker cut the ball back for Rusk, the Scotsman stepped over and dummied the ball, allowing Lawrence to slot it home and double the lead. Despite not scoring any more goals in the second half, it was a composed and dominant performance. They did have chances to score more, the best ones falling to Greenacre and substitute Keko, but they failed to capitalise and the game remained 2-0. Peter hadn't failed to notice the resounding boos as he shook the hand of the Hornets boss Gianluca Vialli, and the Italian looked decidedly affected by them "I am sorry about this. I am not so popular at the moment" Peter shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder "No need for apologies Luca. I'm sure you'll win them round" He offered a weak smile "I appreciate that but I do not have your confidence" -- It seemed the Italian knew his fate, as less than 48 hours later he was out of work, the Watford board having decided enough was enough. It was sad to see as they had got on fairly well after the game, but he knew how brutal the business was. It was then that the chairman popped his head round the door "Peter, can I have a word?" He was already through the door by this point "Sure. What can I do for you Keith?" "Have you seen the news today?" He nodded "Vialli? Yes I saw..." "No, the other news" Peter stopped in his tracks "What other news?" "It seems you're in the running for the Arsenal job" Peter was left stunned. Not to mention speechless. It was the chairman who broke the silence "Peter?" "Sorry Keith. That just took me by surprise. Are you serious?" Haslam nodded "According to reports yes. Yourself, David O'Leary and Wim Jansen. So, if they come calling...?" He left the question hanging, cleverly on his part "Honestly Keith, I'd be flattered, but I'm happy here. I've started a job and want to see it through. Plus, I don't want to move to London at this point in time. So it will be a no" That seemed to appease his boss, and he walked away a happy man -- "What's wrong?" Charlotte had sat next to him, her feet curled underneath her "Nothings wrong. Why would you assume that?" She cocked her head to the side "I know you too well. What's wrong?" He sighed "It's mum. I'm worried about her" "Why? Is it coz of how she was when she was here?" He nodded "Yeah. Something wasn't right. I'm worried about her being on her own at home" "Couldn't you get someone in to help her? You know, around the house?" He laughed "No chance. She's far too stubborn for that. I'll have to speak to her and see what she says" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 2 Author Share Posted February 2 (edited) Training had been good in the build up to the visit of Birmingham, despite a couple of light knocks sustained by Samba and Lee Collins, and though both were out of the squad for the game, Peter was still confident his side had what it took to win the game. Kibebe came into the team to replace the rested Rusk, while Mark Arber partnered Ledley King at the heart of the defence, and it was the young Swede who set them on their way with the first goal. He liked to bomb forward when he got the chance, and it was one of these marauding runs that allowed Moukoko to slip him in, and as he controlled the ball on the run, he saw the 'keeper coming and dinked it gently over him into the goal. It was a really good finish and a great way to score his first for the club, and the next ten minutes saw another two good opportunities fall their way, Keko firing wide from ten yards out, while he knocked it down for Moukoko, who was smothered by the 'keeper, but the Cameroon international was a major part of the second goal. A lovely team move, five players passing the ball around the visitors, and eventually a penetrating ball from Cesar found Moukoko. He took it and flicked past the goalkeeper, but as he did so, the outstretched hand of Vaesen clipped his ankle, bringing him down inside the box. It was a clear penalty, and David Lilley stepped up to smash it into the goal, doubling the lead. The visitors did manage to get a bit more of a foothold in the second half, creating some half chances and testing Tony Warner a couple of times, but when Andy Johnson got them back into it, just after the hour mark, there was hope. Peter made a couple of changes, bringing on Rusk to shore up the midfield, replacing Cesar, while bringing David Jervis into a more defensive role, not going forward as much, and this seemed to do the trick, as they took control of the game before long. They could have scored more aswell, Keko and Rusk both missing chances, and despite Ledley King's second yellow card in injury time, they held on for a hard fought win .. The next day, having granted the players a day off for some recuperation, as he felt they needed it, he and Charlotte headed to see his Mum. As they walked through the front door, they were greeted by her but immediately, Peter knew she wasn't herself "Hi Mum" He bent down to kiss her on the cheek "Hello love. Hi Charlotte" She smiled at her, but Peter had seen Charlotte's sideways glance. They headed into the living room "How are you Mum?" She sighed "I'm OK. A little worn out but I guess that's just old age" Peter had looked around. His mum had always taken pride in having a clean and tidy house, but he had noticed things that she would never normally have let happen, such as dusty corners and cobwebs on the ceiling "Are you sure there's nothing else?" She raised her eyebrow "What do you mean?" "I'm, well actually we're, worried about you. You don't seem yourself lately, and I know you said you feel exhausted" She waved her hand, trying to laugh it off "Oh don't worry about me..." "I'm serious Mum. We've got the space in the house, and I know we'd both love to have you at our place more often. We want you to move in, permanently" She looked up, the hint of tears in her eyes "Are you serious?" "Absolutely. I'm not having you struggling on your own" Despite her concerns about selling the house, something Peter had convinced her he would sort, and some light convincing from Charlotte needed, his mum had eventually agreed to move into their place. However, she wouldn't admit she was ill, which Peter had to smile about. Stubborn to the end, just like he remembered Edited February 11 by sherm 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 11 Author Share Posted February 11 Authors Note ; Just wanted to say a huge thankyou to everyone that voted for both this story and the character of Peter Daish in the awards yesterday. To come away with two awards (my first two, incidentally!) in a field of such high quality is more than humbling It makes the effort of writing worthwhile and I'm glad so many of you have enjoyed it. Once again, thankyou --- The next few days had been a whirlwind. They were back and forth to his Mum's, picking up her stuff, and with him having to take training in the middle of all this, he didn't get as much sleep as he would have liked. That was probably why he found himself being shaken awake by his assistant Damien Matthew one afternoon in his office "You OK gaffer?" He rubbed his eyes and shook himself awake "Sorry Damien. Been a hectic few days, not had as much kip as I'd have liked" His assistant sat down "Take a couple of days off. I can take training, and I'm sure Keith wouldn't mind. He knows how much work you do around here" He shook his head "I'll be fine. Get some sleep tonight and catch up and be right as rain" A skeptical look from Matthew, but he dropped a folder on the desk "Injury report from Frank. He asked me to pass it on to you" .. Cambridge provided their next test, and their bad start, just one win so far, had seen them teetering in the bottom three, but this meant nothing in football, which is why he fielded his best available eleven for the game. This paid dividends, and by the half hour mark, they were 2-0 ahead, although it could have been more, two more goals also having been disallowed, one very dubiously. The first of these came in the tenth minute, Samba racing through and firing home, but he was flagged offside. It looked tight, but was probably the right decision, and the striker made up for this when he did open the scoring, collecting a pass from Wouter Kos, turning inside and lashing home a left footed drive. The second disallowed goal was a lot more contentious however. Moukoko swung in a corner, and as Lee Collins went up for the header, so too did the 'keeper, trying to punch the ball away. He missed it, which saw the ball drop to Kos, who tapped it in, but the whistle blew, adjudging Collins to have fouled the 'keeper. Protests followed, but it was to no avail, and the decision was made. Moukoko doubled the lead in the 30th minute, placing a beautiful free kick into the top corner, but there was only one team looking likely to win the game by this point. However, a goal just before the break from Dean Jackson, a toe poked finish from a scramble inside the box, changed the complexion of the match The second half saw an enthralling contest, one that was a little more even too, as the home side did their best to try and get back into the game. Armand One caused all sorts of problems after his introduction, using his pace and trickery to create a couple of good chances, one especially that fell to Dave Kitson, and they could count themselves unlucky not to have scored. That said, Peter saw his side also create a few opportunities, with Kos, Moukoko and Samba all having the chance to put the seal on the game, but they had to wait until the final ten minutes for the points to be secured, substitute Cesar running with the ball before unleashing a 25 yard rocket that left the 'keeper with no chance. They had made hard work of it, but another win was marked in the record books 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 11 Author Share Posted February 11 His mum was finally all moved in, her seemingly endless boxes of stuff dispersed around the house. Charlotte was feeling a lot better too, and was back on light duties at work, but as Peter wanted to do something nice for them, since he was working a lot over the next few days, so he gave Charlotte some money to take his mum out for a shopping and lunch session. He left that morning, both women still asleep, and he headed into the ground early, a day of contract renewal talks ahead with many of his players "You wanted me gaffer?" Chris Greenacre was the first one in. Fortunately his agent was reasonable so Peter was hopeful it would be quick and painless "Chrissy, come on in son" The men sat down sat down opposite him "So, Chris, I want to discuss a new contract with you. You've got a year and a half left but I'd like to tie you down for another couple of years" "Show me where to sign gaffer. I love it here and really feel that we're building something" Peter smiled. He slid the contract across and the striker signed on the dotted line after reading the terms .. The rest of the day went pretty well, no issues arose from the contract talks and everyone he wanted to sign had penned a new deal, so when he left that evening, he felt like it had been a productive day. He eventually walked through the front door to see Charlotte and his Mum in the kitchen, pots and pans everywhere and steam filling the kitchen. He walked in and greeted Charlotte with a kiss on the lips, before pecking his mum on the cheek. He grabbed a beer from the fridge as he spoke "Something smells good" "We thought we'd make something for tea. Your Mum has made a curry and I've done some spaghetti so take your pick" He smiled down at her, one which she returned "Curry sounds like the one for me. Spaghetti tomorrow?" She smiled again "I thought you might say that" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 (edited) The next day, the news broke that David O'Leary had been appointed as the new Arsenal manager. Whether they had got wind of the news that Peter wasn't interested or they hadn't been interested themselves, he wasn't sure, but it made no difference to him and he carried on with the preparations for the next game, which would be a visit from Portsmouth. Samba and Greenacre had both picked up knocks, which meant Keko came into the team, while Vance Warner came in to replace the suspended King. Agustin also slotted into the midfield to provide defensive cover, but Peter was confident in his sides ability. They would be given a tough test though, against a Portsmoutb side who they had faced on previous occasions and always found it tough, probably the reason that both sides were promoted together This prediction proved to be accurate, unfortunately, as the visitors started brilliantly, forcing Tony Warner into making three good saves in the first fifteen minutes. Lee Bradbury's header was tipped wide, and from the resulting corner, he was forced into making another stop, Prosinecki firing a shot towards the bottom corner which the 'keeper managed to get down to. The Croatian once again fired a shot at the 'keeper, forcing another save, but it was Dutch striker Romano Denneboom who opened the scoring. He had signed for big money in the summer, and had started well for his new team, and he took his goal superbly here too, making some space for himself and curling home into the top corner. This seemed to have the desired effect and Peter saw his side pick up the pace and take control of the game. Agustin struck the bar, a fierce shot from the edge of the box, while Keko saw his header disallowed from a corner, an apparent push from the striker. He didn't have to wait too long for his goal though, a corner from Rusk seeing a scramble in the box, the ball eventually finding its way to Keko and he smashed the ball home, leaving Kawaguchi no chance with the shot. The rest of the half almost petered out, neither side really creating anything, and the break saw the scores level. The second half was one way traffic, after a harsh team talk, as Peter saw his side dictate the pace of the game and control the play. Keko could have grabbed himself a hat trick, missing two really good opportunities, the second of which an absolute sitter, before headers from Arber and Agustin both tested the visitors Japanese 'keeper. Cesar came off the bench and could have scored himself, rattling the post late on, but they couldn't find that killer blow and the game stayed at a stalemate, a result that, despite the dominance of the second half, was probably fair -- "Frustrating that wasn't it?" They had sat down for their usual debrief on the Monday "It was but there were plenty of good things I saw out there so I'm not hugely concerned" It was Damien Matthew who spoke next "What you thinking on Wednesday? Resting some lads?" "Definitely. League has to be the focus so we can take the opportunity in the League Cup to rest some players" Nods of agreement "Agreed. Fair chance to give some other lads game time too" That League Cup action saw Norwich make the trip to Mansfield, and true to his word, Peter had rested several of his key players for the game. Moukoko, Rusk, Arber, King and Lawrence all missed out, while several other players got the chance to impress, with Ronnie Bull, Cesar, Uriel, Marek Szmid and Ardon de Waard all getting starts. Something was amiss early on though, the cohesion and team ethic not quite right, maybe because of the lack of playing time together on the field, but they were 2-0 down within the opening 17 minutes, the visitors, at full strength, sending the crowd at Field Mill deadly silent. Daryl Sutch opened the scoring, muscling his man away when collecting the ball, and he lashed a shot past Jose Maria Ros into the roof of the net. There was nothing the Spanish 'keeper could have done, but he would have been disappointed with the second, as he came to collect a ball from a corner, but, failing to do so, dropped it straight at the feet of Leon McKenzie, who prodded it home. They did manage to get into the game eventually, creating some problems for the visitors and having a couple of half chances, but they were still two behind at the break The changing room was solemn at half time, but Peter, sensing an opportunity, walked in with a smile on his face "Right boys. That wasn't great, but we can change that. I'd rather get beat four or five going for it than sitting back, so get out there and get at them" The players had expected a bit of the hairdryer treatment, but this change in tact had obviously helped them, as they were rampant in the second half, taking their managers words to heart and turning the game on its head. It did however, look like this wouldn't happen, as Rob Green saved everything that came his way, at least until the 76th minute. Cesar had weaved his way into box, but he was brought down by the defender, and it was youngster Marek Szmid who stepped up to slot the penalty into the bottom corner, placing it perfectly away from the 'keepers right hand. It was the full back who got the assist for the equaliser too, marauding down the right hand side before pulling it back for Ronnie Bull, who side footed the ball home to level the game. This seemed to demoralize the visitors, and, inevitably, they conceded a late goal to lose the game, Uriel sliding through the ball for his national compatriot Cesar, who saw the 'keeper coming and dinked it beautifully over him and into the goal, sending them into the next round --- October 2003 Results [Division One unless stated otherwise] Bristol City 1-1 Mansfield [Samba 37 ; Lockwood 12] Watford 0-2 Mansfield [Lawrence 14,36] Mansfield 2-1 Birmingham [Kibebe 18, Lilley pen 24, King s/o 90+1 ; Johnson 61] Cambridge 1-3 Mansfield [Samba 23, Moukoko 30, Cesar 86 ; Jackson 44] Mansfield 1-1 Portsmouth [Keko 31 ; Denneboom 17] League Cup Round Three Mansfield 3-2 Norwich [Szmid pen 76, Bull 83, Cesar 90+2 ; Sutch 6, Mckenzie 17] Edited February 12 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 There was good news on the injury front, with Robbie Blake and Lee Collins both back in training, with Blake scheduled to play a couple of reserve games to get his fitness back, although Collins still had a way to go, but that was progress that Peter was delighted with. He felt his side were more than good enough to compete at the top end of the table, and he had the squad depth to cover any injuries, but he knew that this was a tough league, with some very good teams, and just one or two slip ups could be crucial "Morning gaffer" Damien Matthew greeted him as he headed onto the training ground "Morning Damien. What's the schedule today?" "Defensive work and patterns of play, then passing and shooting drills" "Perfect. I'll leave it in your hands today, I've got to take Charlotte to the hospital at 10" "No problem. She OK?" He nodded "Oh yeah, just a follow up to check she's OK to go back to work" -- A little over an hour later, they were sat in the doctors office awaiting the results "So, it seems like you're feeling and looking a lot better?" Charlotte nodded "I am yes. I really need to go back to work though" A nod back "Well I'm happy for you to do that, but I want you to ease back into it. Three days a week at most, ideally two" "OK. Well that's a start I guess. It's killing me being stuck at home" Eventually they left, feeling better about the fact Charlotte could go back to work. To make her feel better though, they headed to a little local pub for some breakfast -- A quirk in the fixture list meant that they opened the month with another game against Norwich, this time in the league and also at Carrow Road. The team was a lot different to the League Cup game, with the strongest possible team available to him taking the field. This meant returns for Kos, Moukoko, Rusk, Arber and Lawrence all back in the team, and this showed in the performance, as Peter saw his side dominate the first half an hour of the match. Lawrence cracked the post early on, before Greenacre forced a double save from Rob Green, the second a magnificent finger tip round the post, and it looked like it may be one of those games, until the deadlock was broken in the 27th minute, and a fine goal it was too. Lawrence fed Jervis down the left hand side, and the defender took it right the to byline. He looked up to see Wouter Kos on the penalty spot, feeding him the ball and the little Dutchman slid the ball home into the goal. It was a deserved lead, but it didn't last too long, Matt Carragher levelling up for the home side, a poor pass from Arber allowing him in and he rounded Ros and slid the ball home The scores were level at the break, but it was more domination from the visitors, as they created numerous chances, and it was the hour mark that saw the second goal come, Moukoko firing in from the edge of the box, but how they never scored a third was a mystery, as chances fell to Lawrence, Moukoko, Kos and Collins, but no more goals came, the only thing that did was a red card for Simon Rusk. He went for a ball, however just slightly mistiming his tackle, and having already picked up a yellow card, the second was inevitable and the midfielder was sent off with just under 20 minutes to go. That said, they still dominated the game, having several more chances before the end, but they held on for a 2-1 win that Peter was delighted with Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 "So you think he's fit enough?" Peter was sat in the physio's room discussing the fitness of his returning players "I think he could certainly play 60 minutes, maybe 70 at a push" "OK. What about Lee?" A shake of the head "I don't think so. He needs more work and definitely more action in the reserves" "Damn. OK, thanks Frank" Peter knew he had Robbie Blake available but Lee Collins still had more work to do, so he made the decision early on that Blake would be in the squad for the next league game. There was no training that day, the players having a scheduled day off, so he took the opportunity to finish up some paperwork and head back to the house to have a day off himself -- Everton were in action that evening, as they faced Manchester United at Old Trafford. Peter sat himself down to watch the game while Charlotte and his mum were in the kitchen. His old team had recovered somewhat of late, having won two of their last three games, but the defending Premier League champions were in no mood to allow them to continue that form, and raced into a 3-0 first half lead, as Ruud van Nistelrooy collected a brace and Paul Scholes scored just before the break. They did show some fight in the second half, but a 4-1 defeat was hard to take and he sighed as he switched off the television "Hey. Game finished?" He turned round and greeted Charlotte with a peck on the cheek "Yeah. Didn't go well unfortunately. You OK?" She nodded "Fine. Your mum's gone to bed, she was knackered. I'll be going myself soon, first day back in tomorrow" He raised his eyebrow "Don't you go working too hard and burning yourself out" She playfully patted his cheek, smiling as she did so "As if I would!" .. Sheffield Wednesday provided their next test, and Peter felt his side, despite having picked up results in recent weeks, were in need of a really good performance to stamp their authority back on things, and all credit to the players, that was exactly what he got, as his side were magnificent in the game, particularly the first half. Robbie Blake had impressed in training and in his appearances for the reserves, so he earnt his place in the side, while Agustin replaced Rusk, who sat out due to his sending off in the previous game, but it was Blake who made the difference, as he had a hand in all three of the first half goals. It was his shot that opened the scoring just before the quarter of an hour, as he collected a perfect pass from Kos, not having to break stride, and he looked up as he smashed it into the bottom corner. The celebration was fierce, the forward delighted to be back in first team action, and just less than two minutes later, he provided the assist for Moukoko, the Cameroon international making the run for Blake to find him, and he took it down before a simple finish past the 'keeper doubled their advantage. Greenacre could have added a third not long after, a low shot looking destined for the bottom corner until a hand tipped it round the post, but it was the striker who assisted the third goal, one which saw the game sealed just before the half hour mark, Greenacre nodding the ball down on the edge of the box, and Blake rasping a first time shot into the roof of the net. Peter was delighted with his side's performance in the first half an hour, the only disappointing thing was that they couldn't add to the three goals, as a couple of good chances fell to Greenacre and Kos, both of which could be argued that they were easier to score, but 3-0 remained the half time scoreline The visitors did show some effort in the second half, and they certainly came back into the game, but that wasn't before they went four behind, less than two minutes into the second half. Greenacre scored the goal, as he rose highest from a Moukoko corner to nod the ball home past the stranded goalkeeper, and if there was any doubt the game was won, there wasn't anymore, as that was more than enough to seal the points. More chances followed, as substitute Keko could have had a brace, Blake missed a clear cut chance for his hat trick, and Kos forced a good save, but it mattered not. The visitors did grab a consolation goal, Ian Moore racing through and slotting past Tony Warner, but the game was out of their reach by that time and three points were secured 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 14 Author Share Posted February 14 (edited) The next day, he had arrived at the ground to work on a few things, and he had been there less than an hour when he was interrupted by a knock on his door "Peter?" He looked up to see the chairman looking solemn "Morning Keith. Everything OK?" Haslam shook his head "Charlotte's just been on the phone. It's your Mum..." Peter didn't hesitate. He jumped up and grabbed his coat. As he ran past his chairman, Haslam shouted after him "They're at the hospital. Ring Charlotte on your way there" Peter arrived at the hospital inside fifteen minutes, and was given directions to the room. Charlotte was waiting outside for him as he got there. She grabbed his arm, a serious look on her face "You can't go in. She's sleeping at the moment" He looked down at her, a hint of tears in his eyes "What happened?" "She was complaining of a headache. I went in the kitchen to get her some paracetamol and a drink and when I came back, she was passed out on the floor" He leant in to her, giving her a hug "Thankyou for being there for here. Maybe I should have taken the time off?" She gripped his hand and shook her head "It's not your fault. You couldn't have predicted this" Just at that moment, the doctor came out of the room and headed towards them "Doc? What's the news?" The little Asian doctor looked up at him "Mr Daish?" Peter nodded "Well, we will need to keep her in and run some more tests, but the early diagnosis looks like it might be early onset dementia" Peter looked devastated "So if it is, what can we do?" "Unfortunately, nothing. Some days will be good, some will be bad. Especially with someone of your mother's age too, it may get worse before there's any improvement" -- Peter had spoken to the chairman following the visit to the hospital, and they had agreed, as had Charlotte, that he would be returning to work and keeping some semblance of normality. He told his coaching staff, deciding that he had forged a relationship with them that needed honesty as a part of that, so he got them all together the next morning to let them know the situation. They had all agreed though, that the players didn't need to know, as it would only affect them in the wrong way. His mum would be staying in for a couple more days, as they had some more tests to run, but he had already decided that if he needed to get some help around the house to give her some support, he would do so He had focused on the next game as much as he could, and if the players sensed anything was wrong, they didn't show it, and they trained well in the build up to the trip to Manchester City, a game he fully expected to be tough. He had however, received some bad news when he went to collect his mum from the hospital to take her back home. The tests had been run and it turned out she had an inoperable tumour on her brain. This had been the cause of the headaches, and a factor in the dementia, and the doctor had realistically given her 12 months at the most. This had devastated him, to see such a strong woman, the woman he remembered, reduced to being so weak, and he felt utterly helpless. He considered staying away for the next game, several times picking up the phone to ring Keith Haslam and tell him that he wouldn't be at the game, but Charlotte, aswell as his mum, on one of her good days, convinced him that was no use to anyone, and he did eventually join the team on the trip to Manchester His presence on the bench may not have been an inspiration, as the game itself was pretty dull, neither side seemingly able to break the other down. It was almost a game that saw two teams just cancelling each other out, and neither Nick Weaver or Tony Warner had a save to make in the first half. Changes were made at the break, Simon Rusk replacing Wouter Kos and Ardon de Waard coming into the left back slot for David Jervis, who had complained of a tight thigh, and it was the Dutchman who made the difference, his physicality down the left causing all sorts of problems for Simon Colosimo at right back, so much so that the Australian moved into midfield. This seemed to give the home side less cover in the defence, and this resulted in the only goal of the game, as Rusk slid the ball through for Greenacre, who's shot was parried but only into the path of Moukoko, who tapped home into the empty net. That was the only goal of the game, and in a way it was more of a pleasing win than the previous result, as they hadn't been at their best, but they ground out the result and kept a clean sheet, something Peter could only see as a positive Edited February 16 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 18 Author Share Posted February 18 "Hi mum. How you feeling today?" She looked up as he entered the room "Oh hello love. I'm OK. Bit tired though" "Don't worry about that. You just get your rest. I've brought you a brew" She smiled as he sat down on the bed and put the drink on the side table. It was then that she put both of her hands around his "I'm sorry about this love" He looked at her, puzzled "Sorry about what?" "Intruding on your life like this, you and Charlotte" He patted her hands with his free hand "Don't be silly. We decided on you moving in together remember? Besides, we love having you here!" She smiled, her eyes starting to tear up "You're a wonderful son. But do me a favour?" "Anything you like" She smiled through the tears "Don't let Charlotte go. She's amazing, and you won't find another one like her" They both laughed together. It was a relief to see her smiling "Oh don't worry mum. I don't plan on letting her go anywhere" -- "Morning Boss. How's things?" He was greeted by Claus Estevaag as he walked through the doors "Morning Claus. It's been a good few days to be fair. Mum's had a good time fortunately but it could so easily go the other way" "Well you know we're all here for you. If you need time off, we'll cover for you" Peter clapped his coach on the shoulder, smiling as he did so "Thanks mate. That means a lot" Training had been experimental in the build up to the next game, with several of the squad players given heavier workloads, mainly because they would be getting some starting minutes for the next game, which was the fourth round of the League Cup. While they faced a test against opposition who were better and higher placed than they were, in Premier Division Middlesbrough, Peter had decided to stick with the policy of fielding some younger and reserve players for the competition, as he felt it was the best way to get them some game time. Geir Olsen, Keko, de Waard, King and Marek Szmid came into the team, while several regular players dropped either to the bench or out of the squad all together Middlesbrough had found themselves languishing in the bottom half of the table, a position they would have been disappointed with considering some of the players they had in their squad, so they had obviously taken the opportunity to rest players themselves, choosing to focus on their league campaign, and this seemed evident by the disjointed performance they gave. Geir Olsen scored an early goal to give his side an advantage, and it was a goal that was well received, the way his team mates all celebrated with him proved just how popular the big Norwegian was. He didn't play much, but he never complained, always gave maximum effort and just got on with things like a true professional, so when he swept the ball home from Jakup Borg's cross, it was a massive cheer that went up from the away end. The home side never really recovered from the slow start, and they were soon 2-0 down, Olsen combining with de Waard, who swung the ball across the pitch to Keko, who cut inside and smashed a left foot shot into the left hand side of the goal. Peter couldn't believe how flat their opponents were in their performance, Jose Ros not having a single save to make until the 72nd minute, and even that was a simple save for the Spanish stopper, but despite the score staying at just the two goals, it was as comfortable a win as they could have had, and they progressed in to the Quarter Final 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 "Quarter Finals eh gaffer? Could be a trip to Wembley on the horizon" Damien Matthew had winked as he said it, which made Peter smile "Never say never but I'm just looking who's left in the draw. Be a tough task for us whoever we get!" "Still sticking with the rotation policy?" Peter tilted his head "I'll judge it nearer the time but my instinct says yes" -- He walked into the house that night, to find Charlotte asleep on the sofa. He gently sat down next to her, the movement of which saw her open her eyes. She smiled a tired smile, wiping her eyes as she did so "Hey you" He stroked his hand on her cheek "Hey. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you" "Oh it's OK, I was only dozing. It's not been a good day today" She sat up to give him a hug as she spoke "You mean mum?" She nodded "Yeah. She's had a bad day. Wasn't sure who I was, wouldn't let me help her. Just tough, that's all" He comforted her, making a decision there and then. He took his phone out and fired off a message to Damien Matthew, sending the same message to Keith Haslam "Right. I've told them I won't be in tomorrow. I'll spend the day here, with both of you. It's not fair for you to go through this on your own" She put her hand on his cheek "You don't have to do that..." "Yes I do. And I am" She smiled at him, kissing him on the lips as she did so .. It had been a tough few days with his mum. She had one of her worst spells since the diagnosis, and while he had managed to pop out to the ground over those days, it reaffirmed his belief that they needed some full time help. That in mind, he had placed an advert in the local paper, and having spent the day interviewing potential candidates, it was a lady called Doreen Mills that had been the best of the bunch. She had experience, she'd been sympathetic to the predicament and the situation and was available straightaway, so she had been offered the job and would start on the Monday. This meant both he and Charlotte could get on with work, all the while giving his mum the care and attention she needed, which in turn would make him feel better Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 (edited) Despite having not overseen training the previous few days, he had been informed that the team had done really well. Not only that, but Lee Collins was back and ready to play, so when they welcomed Wimbledon to Field Mill, he was in the defence alongside Ledley King. Benjamin Kibebe had impressed aswell and earnt his place in the side in the centre of midfield, so he took his place alongside Wouter Kos. It turned out to be one of the games of the season, neither side defending overly well and seven goals scored in the game. To be fair to the visitors, they started well, and it was they who took the lead, scoring in the 8th minute through David Neilsen. It was a simple long ball over the top, one which found the marauding midfielder, and he ventured forward and slotted the ball underneath Tony Warner. This wasn't the start Peter or his side had envisioned, but it seemed to wake them up, and by the time Chris Greenacre headed home in the 25th minute, to put them ahead, they had created four good chances. Greenacre himself had seen a header saved, and Moukoko had fired just wide. Sandwiched in between this, little Dutchman Wouter Kos had levelled the scores, collecting a pass from Ledley King, before playing a little one two with David Jervis, who sent him through and he slid it under the 'keeper to level things up. It was five minutes later that Greenacre sent them into the lead, but it was two minutes after that when the scores were levelled, striker Patrick Agyemang using his explosive pace to break through and round Tony Warner. The crazy seven minute spell had seen three goals, but despite numerous more chances through the half, no more goals came before the break. It wasn't long to wait though, as three minutes into the second half, Wouter Kos grabbed his second of the game, taking the ball from a Greenacre knock down, before firing a first time drive into the bottom corner. Chances came and went at either end, and by the time the game entered the final minute of the ninety, there had been a total of 33 shots from both teams. However, there was more drama left. A quick counter attack by the visitors, following a save from a Moukoko chance, saw Agyemang lay the ball off for Michael Hughes, who, rather than cross as expected, used the outside of his left foot and drilled it past the stranded Warner. This looked to be the final goal of the game, but Chris Greenacre had other ideas, and it was the striker who settled the game and sealed the points, as he latched on to a seemingly aimless long ball from David Lilley, collecting it really well and using his laces to absolutely smash home the ball, with virtually the last kick of the game -- "Morning Mum" Peter had seen Charlotte off for work that morning, but had been pleased to see his Mum in a seemingly good mood "Morning love. How's Charlotte?" He shrugged "Fine I think. She's a bit nervous about being back at work but she'll be fine. How are you feeling?" She smiled at him "I'm fine. I've accepted what's happening, and there's no point moping about. Just got to get on with it right?" He smiled to himself. Tough as nails she was "Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you about, while we're on that note" She raised an eyebrow "OK. What have you done?" "Why must you assume I've done something? It's more what I want to do" "I'm confused" He chuckled "OK. Well, I want to ask Charlotte to marry me. It's serious now, we feel strongly about each other and I want you to be able to see it" She stood up to hug him, tears forming in her eyes "Oh Peter, that is wonderful. Have you got a ring yet?" He shook his head "Not yet. I'll be going to get it tomorrow. The lads have a day off so I'm taking one aswell" Edited March 8 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 (edited) Peter was as good as his word, heading out the next day to buy an engagement ring. It maybe seemed premature as he hadn't asked yet, but he didn't see any reason Charlotte wouldn't agree. Not only that, but he was a tradionalist, and having spoken with both of her parents, specifically her Dad, he had been given permission to ask for her hand in marriage. He wasn't sure when he would do it, but he knew it would need to be soon This decision had mulled on his mind for the next couple of days, but he hadn't let it affect his work and he was more than ready for the final game of the month, as fourth place Wolves hosted them at Molineux. They were unbeaten at home, having dropped just two points thanks to an opening day draw, so Peter expected a tough game, particularly with the forward line that the home side had at their disposal. However, he was left stunned by the performance of his side, as they absolutely ran riot, blowing away the home side with a scintillating display of attacking football. It was Moukoko who stole the show though, with a first half hat trick and an assist to go with it. His first goal came in the eleventh minute, a cut back from Cherno Samba finding Rusk, who stepped over the ball and allowed the Cameroonian to sweep it home with his left foot. It was a difficult finish that he made look easy, but it wasn't as good as his second though, as Peter watched his star man flight a beautiful free kick into the top left hand corner, from all of 30 yards, which left Michael Oakes with absolutely no chance. The midfielder just turned round with his arms outstretched, a smile on his face, one that was returned by his manager. Those smiles got even wider eight minutes later, Moukoko racing through to finish with ease and complete his treble, pretty much wrapping up the points. Cedric Roussel grabbed one for his side just before half time, but this made little difference to the flow of the game and the second half continued in much the same vein. Claus Jensen extended the lead back to three goals with a deft little finish, and substitute Cesar also got in on the act, an absolute thunderbolt of a shot from the edge of the area making it five nine minutes from the end. Roussel did grab his own brace sandwiched in between those goals, but in truth the scoreline flattered the home side, and had it not been for Michael Oakes, it could have been a lot more than the five goals they did score -- November 2003 Results [Division One unless stated otherwise] Norwich 1-2 Mansfield [Kos 27, Moukoko 60, Rusk s/o 71 ; Carragher 36] Mansfield 4-1 Sheffield Wednesday [Blake 13,29, Moukoko 15, Greenacre 47 ; Moore 64] Man City 0-1 Mansfield [Moukoko 70] League Cup Round Four Middlesbrough 0-2 Mansfield [Olsen 6, Keko 19] Mansfield 4-3 Wimbledon [Kos 20,48, Greenacre 25,90+3 ; Nielsen 6, Agyemang 27, Hughes 90+1] Wolves 2-5 Mansfield [Moukoko 11,25,33, Jensen 53, Cesar 81 ; Roussel 41,63] Edited February 25 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 The win over Wolves had been good, but once the other results came in, it turned out all of their nearest rivals had dropped points. This meant that going into December, they had suddenly opened up a six point gap at the top of the table. Having harbored hopes of pushing for a place in the Play-Offs at the start of the campaign, Peter still felt that was the right way to think, but inwardly he knew there would be a chance of more than that. But he would be making sure that his players stayed focused on the task in hand. He also had the dilemma of the League Cup to deal with. They had advanced into the Quarter Finals, and having been drawn against Premiership runners up Liverpool, they were expected to have their journey ended. However, with the game being at Field Mill, he felt they could spring a surprise, but he was toying with the idea of sticking with the reserves he had been fielding through the competition thus far, or bringing the regulars back into the fold. However, it was a decision he had to make quickly, with the game just five days away "Hey. Had a good day?" Charlotte had walked in from work to see him cooking dinner. She walked into the kitchen and kissed him on the cheek "Hey. Yeah wasn't too bad. Where's your mum?" "She's having a sleep. Had a rough day today and had a headache" Charlotte tilted her head "I'm sorry" He stroked the side of her face "Don't worry. It's just how it might be from now on. Dinner's ready in fifteen minutes" Just over an hour later, they were sat at the table, having finished the meal. Peter turned to Charlotte, took both her hands into his own, and looked directly at her "Charlotte, can we talk?" She looked at him, blinking rapidly, slightly worried "Sure..." "I won't muck around. I love you, we're settled and I think we're very good together. With what's happening with mum, and we don't know hoe long she has, I've been thinking" "OK. What about?" He looked straight into her eyes, pulling out a small box from his pocket as he did so. He opened it, Charlotte putting her hands over her mouth as he did so "I want us to get married. Doesn't have to be a fancy ceremony, but I want us to commit to each other" As he looked at her, he saw the tears welling in her eyes. She moved her hands away, a smile forming across her face "Oh Peter. Yes, yes of course!" And with that she leant across, giving him a kiss on the lips and a huge hug, before putting the ring on her finger -- His mood was, understandably, very good going into the trip to Southampton, and while he generally made sure his private life stayed away from the club, he had made it known to his coaching staff that he had asked Charlotte to marry him. He would also be letting the chairman know when he returned to the club on Monday morning. His mood was further improved by the fact he had a full strength squad to choose from, so he decided to go as full strength as possible for the game. It turned out to be a frustrating 90 minutes though, Peter watching his side doiminate the game, creating 21 chances on the home sides goal, but only managing to come away with the one point. It started in the opening five minutes, Moukoko firing a shot just past the post, and the midfielder then set up Greenacre for a chance the striker really should have scored, hitting the bar from close range, and his reaction said everything, He knew he shoiuld have scored. Kos, Kibebe and Lee Collins all missed good opportunities too, and they went into the break goalless. Peter saw nothing that wasn't pleasing, aside from lack of finishing, because he told his players to go out and do exactly the same in the second half. This was exactly what they did, and while they still missed their fair share of chances, Chris Greenacre finally slid the ball home from a Lawrence cross in the 66th minute. It had been far too long in coming, and even after the goal, they managed to waste chances to wrap up the game. And this, they paid for dearly. It was the first minute of added on time, a pass through from Matt Oakley finding, of all people, left back Wayne Bridge, who collected the pass and fired a left foot shot inside the near post, rescuing a point for his side, perhaps undeservedly so Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 "Peter, that is fantastic news" He had given the chairman the news of his and Charlotte's engagement "Thankyou Keith" "So when's the big day?" "We haven't set a date yet. We want to do it soon as we can though, because of Mum" Haslam pondered for a moment "I might be able to help you. Did you want to have it in a church?" Peter shook his head "We weren't fussed. Simple will do" "Leave it with me OK?" -- The League Cup provided Premiership opposition, and undoubtedly the biggest test of his managerial tenure to date, as they welcomed Liverpool to Field Mill. He had toyed with the team in the previous 24 hours, but in the end, Peter went with a mixture of his reserves and some senior players, giving the side a balance and structure he was delighted with. He was also pleasantly surprised by the team that Liverpool had fielded, with several of their first team players rested, maybe underestimating their less illustrious opponents. Peter had sent his players out there with a simple message. They had nothing to lose and they should just play their own game. It was a slow start, as they spent the first twenty minutes trying to find their feet, and it was only thanks to Jose Maria Ros that they managed to stay level, the Spanish keeper saving from Emile Heskey and Neil Mellor. Peter's side did find their way into the game, both Claus Jensen and Keko creating a couple of opportunities, Keko in particular wasting a very good one, and the two sides traded blows until the end of the first half. However, it was the home side that struck the first killer blow. It was from a corner, one that was swung in by David Lilley. The ball broke loose after a scramble, falling to Keko, and the striker lashed home with the outside of his right foot, the ball slightly deflecting on its way in. It was a great time to score, sending the visitors into the break with their heads down, and this only worsened in the second half, Woutrer Kos extending their advantage four minutes into it, the midfielder curling home from the edge of the area. The visitors battled back, sending on their big hitters and showing their Premiership credentials, but it made no difference and they couldn't find the goals they needed, mainly down to a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping, and Mansfield continued their remarkable journey into the semi finals of the League Cup Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 (edited) "Hey. You OK?" He had met Charlotte for lunch the following afternoon. He kissed her on the cheek as she sat down "I'm fine. Good win for you yesterday though?" He smiled "Yeah the lads were brilliant. They deserve all the credit. Oh, I've spoken to Keith" She raised her eyebrows "Oh?" "Well, he said, if we're in agreement, he can host the wedding at his house. I've seen his house, it's like Mansfield Town Hall!" "Oh really? That's wonderful. When did he say we could do it?" "That's what I need to figure out. It depends a lot on mum, but we'll work it out" They both smiled at each other -- With the players - and the board - still buoyant from their win over Liverpool, the trip to Charlton was not good news for the home side. They were not on the best form, and this showed as the game progressed, Peter watching his side race into an early 3-0 lead after less than a quarter of an hour. Chris Greenacre started the scoring, finding the ball fed into his feet from Jensen, and he took it really well, before sliding the ball past Dean Kiely with ease. It wasn't long before he doubled his tally either, meeting Moukoko's deep cross at the back post and nodding the ball into the goal, Kiely nowhere to be seen. It was less than two minutes later that the third goal came, sealing the game with it. Kos sent Lawrence away down the right hand side. The winger cut inside, before laying the ball off for Robbie Blake, who opened his body up and slotted the ball into the bottom corner. The home side were shocked, almost battered into submission, and the stadium fell silent, apart from the noise from the travelling fans. They could easily have scored more in the remainder of the half too, but Kiely managed to keep things reasonable, at least to some extent. The second half saw another four goals, but credit to the home side, they managed to make a fight of it at least, bringing the score back to 3-2, thanks to a quickfire double from Shaun Bartlett, but this only angered Peter and his side, and they scored two of their own in response. Greenacre completed his hat trick just before the hour mark, taking a long ball from Lee Collins on his chest, before letting it drop and smashing it home, before Wouter Kos followed up on a Moukoko shot, slamming home the rebound to make it 5-2. This was how the score remained, despite more chances falling their way, they couldn't convert them and had to settle for the five goals Edited February 26 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 "Hey. Got some good news for you!" He had walked in to see Charlotte and his mum giggling around the kitchen table. Charlotte walked over and kissed him as he entered "What's that?" "Keith said we're all set for having the wedding at his house. He'll arrange the priest, sort out the ceremony. All he needs is a date" She embraced him in a massive hug "When do you want to do it?" "Whenever you want. Pick a date and we can sort everything out" She nodded "I'll check and see when we can fit it in" It was his mum that spoke next "Who are you inviting?" "It will only be a small ceremony. Charlotte's parents, you, Keith and some staff from the club. And any friends we want to invite" She cocked her head "No stag doo?" Peter laughed "What, at my age? No chance. A pint in the pub will do me!" -- Charlotte had busied herself with planning the wedding, something that Peter had been happy to let her continue to do. He had however, had to face a couple of injury problems in the next few days. Ledley King had pulled a calf muscle, meaning he would be out for at least 2-3 weeks, while David Lilley had come down with a virus, so he had been instructed to remain at home. Moukoko had also been recalled to the Cameroon squad, meaning he would miss three games, including the FA Cup third round game. There was also more off field ideas to consider, as he and Charlotte had invited her parents around for Christmas dinner. Once again they had a home game on boxing day, meaning things were easy to manage in that sense "Got a minute gaffer" John Waldron had popped his head round the door, waving a brown file as he did so "Come in John. What news?" "There's a few players coming up to the end of their deals you might want to look at. I know you don't like talk like this but there's a good chance we're going up..." Peter held his hand up to stop him "None of that son. You know the rules" He was smiling as he said it "OK boss. Anyway, I'll leave the file with you. Have a flick through when you can" "Cheers John" 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 Coventry were the visitors for the next league action, and having spent over four million in the summer, they had been expected to challenge for promotion, but a series of inconsistent results and performances had left them languishing just outside the top six, so they needed to pick up points to confirm their credentials. Peter also wanted to see his side push on with their recent good form and pick up another three points. Marek Szmid came in at right back, while Arber partnered Collins at centre half. Moukoko was in the team, with just this and another game before he left for international duty, while Cherno Samba replaced Greenacre, who was in need of a rest. It was a fast paced game, both sides showing their attacking intent, and both 'keepers were forced into making good saves. It was Moukoko who opened the scoring though, with a brilliant free kick. It was Kibebe who won it, being tripped just about 25 yards from goal, and the Cameroon midfielder stepped up to curl the ball beautifully into the top corner. It was a delicious way to start the scoring, but within five minutes, the visitors were level, Steven Baker rising highest to meet a corner and thundering a header home into the goal. Samba had the best chance of the half to restore the lead, racing through and dragging his shot just wide off the post, but they nearly found themselves behind going into the break, Lee Hughes smacking a low shot against the post, but it stayed level. That was at least until 34 seconds into the restart, a ball over the top from Szmid finding Moukoko, and he finished really well, deftly sliding the ball underneathe the onrushing Hedman and restoring their lead. They had three great chances to extend the lead and seal the points, but they couldn't take them, and they paid the price for this when Mark Kennedy levelled things up, the Irish winger cutting inside from the right hand side and firing a low shot into the bottom corner, beating the despairing dive of Warner and sealing his side a point .. "Morning gentlemen. Thankyou all for your attendance today" The men nodded "So, as 2003 draws to a close, we end in a very good position financially. Almost two million in profit for the year, and to top that off, we are performing very well on the field too" Keith Haslam nodded towards his manager at this point. Peter spoke up for the first time "The lads have been superb, we can't deny that. However, there's still work to be done" A nod from the chairman "I agree, but if we were to secure a promotion to the Premier League, it would be far beyond our wildest dreams. It would probably set the club up for the next ten years. The run in the League Cup has also brought in some serious income too. However, a trip to Wembley would be a nice thing for our fans. If we do, we will fund their travel to the game" Peter smiled, nodding as he did so "Well now we're at the semi final stage, and with the draw having been kind to us, avoiding Chelsea and Leeds, we have a chance of doing just that. However, the league has to be priority number one" Murmurs of agreement "Oh that goes without saying. The money we would receive for promotion would be huge for a club this size. It would however, be prudent to look at a possible stadium expansion. Ideas are in the early stages but we can always progress further if things are going well" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 The end of year financial meeting had been good, progress on the field meant that things were going well financially and as long as the board were happy, then Peter was happy. That said, his mood changed as he was driving home, and he saw Charlotte's name flash on his phone. He pulled off to the side of the road and answered the call "Hey, You OK?" He knew immediately by the tone of her voice that something was wrong "Hey. It's your mum. She's taken a turn for the worst, I've taken her to the hospital..." "I'll be there in ten minutes!" He raced to the the hospital, making the ten minute journey in just over half that time. Charlotte was waiting for him at the entrance "What happened?" "She woke up complaining of a headache. She had a coffee, went back to bed and when I went up to check on her she was convulsing. Phoned 999 straight away" He kissed her on the top of her head "Thankyou for being there. I dread to think what would have happened if you weren't there" Just at that moment, the doctor came out to greet them "Mr Daish?" "Yes, doctor. How is she?" He looked sombre "I won't lie to you, it's not looking good. The tumour has increased in size rapidly. There's nothing we can do to delay it, and it has shortened her expected time significantly" Peter wiped a tear from his eyes "How long are we looking at doc?" The doctor placed his hand on Peter's shoulder "I'm sorry to tell you this, but a month is probably the maximum. We'll keep her in overnight, but you can collect her tomorrow" They left the hospital, Peter making phonecalls to Damien Matthew and Keith Haslam to let them know the situation. He then turned to Charlotte, a serious look on his face "We best do the wedding as soon as possible then hadn't we?" She nodded "Looks that way. How are we going to do it?" "I'll have to speak with Keith and arrange it" Peter was true to his word, and by the end of the next day, with his mum back and sleeping at the house, he had arranged to have a simple ceremony. Keith Haslam knew a pastor who would oversee the ceremony, which would be held at his house. It would be a simple, vow exchanging ceremony, that would see him and Charlotte become officially married, and allow his mum to see it. Which was, they both agreed, the main thing. It was also noted that with it being so close to the Christmas period, so arrangements were made for Charlotte's parents to come up earlier than planned, so they were present for the ceremony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted February 29 Author Share Posted February 29 Keith had tried to get him to take some time off, but Peter insisted he was present for the game against Bradford. While he had other things on his mind, with the wedding the next day and his mum's condition, he tried to focus fully on the task at hand. He had sat down with his team the day before the game, explaining the situation and why his head may have been in a different place in recent days. Immediately, he got the support of his players, captain Mark Arber and vice captain Liam Lawrence both consoling him after the announcement. Whether they had spoken privately to the rest of the team, he didn't know, but they started like an absolute train, racing into a two goal lead inside the opening five minutes. Robbie Blake scored the first, combining well with Lawrence and Kos, the Dutchman laying it off for Blake to side foot the ball home really nicely. Blake turned provider for the second, dinking the ball over the top for Moukoko, who rounded the 'keeper and slotted into the empty net. The Cameroonian immediately turned, removing his Mansfield shirt as he did so to reveal a t-shirt underneath. On that t-shirt were five simple words We're all with you gaffer Much as had happened when the players had saluted after Charlotte had been rushed to hospital. This message was all the more special, this time the goalscorer, instead of saluting, ran over and grabbed his manager in a hug. As he ran away, Peter saw his players pointing at Moukoko's shirt, and combined with the applause from the supporters in the stadium, it brought a lump to his throat. The game became pretty much irrelevant after that, and despite starting so well, they failed to capitalise and couldn't score any more goals. That said, they only conceded one, a brilliant finish from Ivan Kaviedes, but they held on and secured the points, extending their lead at the top to 11 points -- "Ready gaffer?" Damien Matthew had agreed to be his best man, and he walked in to the room as Peter was knotting his tie "As I'll ever be Damien. Thanks for agreeing to do this by the way" His assistant clapped him on his shoulder "No problem. It's a big day and I want to support you" Both men smiled, and they headed out to the garden -- Peter stood at the makeshift altar waiting for Charlotte. He was nervous inside, naturally, but when he saw her being walked down the aisle by her father, those nerves went away. She looked beautiful in a simple white dress, and he realised just how lucky he was. She smiled at him as she got to the altar, before they both moved on with the ceremony. It didn't take long, and both read their vows, before they were implored by the priest to kiss the bride. He did so, to an applause from everyone involved. He was almost on the verge of tears, and seeing his mum sat there, despite looking frail and not herself, to see him marry the woman who made him happy, was something he could only have dreamed of. Charlotte noticed his face, and she leaned in to whisper in his ear The next morning, he headed downstairs to get a drink. He was met in the kitchen by Charlotte not long after. She smiled, wearing one of his t-shirts "Morning" He smiled back at her "Morning Mrs Daish" She giggled "I don't know how long it will take to get used to being called that. I like it though" She kissed him on the lips "Since its Christmas eve, we best get ready for dinner tomorrow hadn't we? He nodded "Well Keith has told me not to come back till boxing day so I'm all yours for the next couple of days" Her eyes lit up at that 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 The next couple of days, their first Christmas as a married couple, were lovely. Having her parents and his mum there was nice, and they enjoyed their dinner too. As he woke up on Boxing Day morning, he knew things were how he wanted. He had everything he wanted in his life. A wonderful wife, a secure and settled job, and a house that was a working project. What more could he want? He got ready to leave, and it was as he was leaving that he felt a hand grab his own. He turned round to see Charlotte, wearing a loose fitting jumper and her tracksuit bottoms "Hey. Wanted to see you off before you left" He leant down and kissed the top of her head "I thought you'd still be asleep?" She shook her head "I said I'd take mum and dad back home later on so I got up early" "Fair enough. I should be back by 8 tonight, so we can have a takeout if you like?" She smiled up at him and gave him a kiss "Sounds good to me. See you later on" -- West Ham provided their Boxing Day opponents, and they were a side that had suffered inconsistency through the season, particularly over the last couple of months, but they had dangerous players and would always provide a threat, so Peter wasn't taking it lightly and fielded his strongest possible side from the get go. However, whether something was in the air ior they just didn't get into the groove early, he couldn't quite put his finger on, but his side were sluggish and as a result, found themselves two behind after 26 minutes. Chris Carruthers scored the first, linking up with Christian Dailly, collecting the ball from the Scottish defender and rifling a first time low shot into the corner, that Ros just couldn't get his hands to. The winger was causing all sorts of problems for David Lilley down his side, and it was his assist for the league's top scorer, Jermain Defoe, that saw the second, as he burst past Lilley, slid the ball back for the striker and he finished it nicely, side footing past Ros. The ground was shocked, as they weren't used to seeing their side start so poorly, but they stayed loud and behind the team, and they got their reward five minutes before the break, Claus Jensen threading a delicious pass through to Chris Greenacre, and the striker letting the ball run across him before smashing it into the roof of the net. It was probably undeserved on balance of play, but it changed the whole dynamic of the game, and in the second half they were much better, creating chances and playing much better football. It was down to a two minute spell just after the hour mark that changed the game, and the score. Greenacre grabbed his second, a terrific turn getting him free of his marker, and he met Lawrence's cross smack on the full and left the 'keeper no chance, but he didn't have any part in the third goal, as a long ball from substitute Marek Szmid found Wouter Kos, who slid the ball across for his midfield partner Jensen, and he calmly slotted it past the onrushing goalkeeper. It was three points, and a good win in the end, but if anything, it brought things into perspective that every game can't be won, and they wouldn't play well every week - they sometimes had to grind things out - but needless to say, three more points were in the bag .. "I don't know, something just doesn't seem right to me" He received looks from both Estevaag and Matthew "Gaffer, we're 12 points clear. What could be wrong?" Peter leant back, clasping his hands behind his head "Just things like the first half against West Ham, a couple of iffy performances here and there..." Damien Matthew chuckled "Boss, it's a higher level for a lot of these lads. Many of them were with us in Division Three. They're doing fine, honestly. You need to relax a bit more" Peter smiled. He knew his coach was probably right "I know Damien. I just can't help it, maybe I'm just too much of a perfectionist and want more than we can give?" His assistant fired back "That's not a bad thing gaffer" Peter sat in his office later that day, reflecting on the past two and a half years. Going into 2004, if someone had told him three years ago that he would be a successful manager, with a side on the verge of being a Premiership level team, married to an amazing woman, and with a group of staff and players he had forged good relationships with, he'd have told them they were mad, but as it is, this is the reality he faced. And he had to admit, it felt bloody good. Although he looked in the mirror and saw a few more grey hairs creeping in, he put that down to getting older and managing a football club. But, on reflection, it was a small price to pay Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 (edited) The year would draw to a close with an away trip to Grimsby. A couple of injuries in training saw Rusk and Greenacre both missing from the squad, while Agustin and Keko took their place. Szmid earnt a start at right back too, while the policy of rotating 'keepers saw Warner start ahead of Ros. The game itself was, to be blunt, awful. Grimsby were a physical and organised side, and they made it very difficult for Peter's side to play their usual game. Alan Pouton was putting himself about in the midfield, and he was probably lucky to only get a yellow for a ridiculously late tackle on Jensen, the midfielder forced to limp off for treatment on his ankle briefly. The players seemed to struggle with the way the home side played, and this showed towards the end of the half, centre forward Steve Livingstone using his power and strength to muscle through and poke the ball home, sending his side in at the break ahead. Peter gave his players encouragement, and they did respond to that, performing much better and creating chances, and it was just 8 minutes into the restart that they levelled things up, Samba nodding down for the advancing Kos, the Dutchman collecting the knock on and finding the bottom corner. They had chances to take the lead, and despite being helped by a red card to Menno Willems, after a silly tackle, and then arguing with the referee earnt him two yellow cards, they couldn't find the winner and they had to settle for a share of the spoils -- December 2003 Results [Division One unless stated] Southampton 1-1 Mansfield [Greenacre 64 ; Bridge 90+1] League Cup Quarter Final Mansfield 2-0 Liverpool [Keko 45+1, Kos 49] Charlton 2-5 Mansfield [Greenacre 4,11,59, Blake 13, Kos 67 ; Bartlett 53,56] Mansfield 2-2 Coventry [Moukoko 24,46 ; Baker 29, Kennedy 64] Mansfield 2-1 Bradford [Blake 1, Moukoko 5 ; Kaviedes 64] Mansfield 3-2 West Ham [Greenacre 40,61, Jensen 63 ; Carruthers 14, Defoe 26] Grimsby 1-1 Mansfield [Kos 53 ; Livingstone 39, Willems s/o 73] Edited March 8 by sherm 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 (edited) His mum had been gradually getting worse since the wedding, and on that particular day, she had spent most of the day in bed. He knew, and it pained him to say it, but he know it was only a matter of time. He had mentally been preparing for this moment, but he knew Charlotte would take it hard, if not harder then he would. He was sat at the coffee table with his laptop on, but he wasn't really doing much, when he was distracted by Charlotte's voice "Hey you" She leant down to kiss him "Hey. Good day?" "Yeah. Loads to do today, but I don't mind that. How's your mum?" He shook his head sadly "Terrible today. She's been in bed all day. Felt awful from this morning" She sat beside him and gave him a big hug "I'm sorry. I know it's hard" He turned to face her, taking both her hands in his "It is, but I'm prepared for the worst to happen. I know it's a matter of weeks, if not days" "Don't say that..." He shook his head "I have to be realistic. Mum knows it aswell. I want you to know that when it happens, I'll be here for you, to support you and guide you through when it happens. I want you to know that" She looked him in the eyes, cupping her hands around his face "You, Peter Daish, are a wonderful human being. And I'll always be here for you" With that she kissed him on the lips, before embracing him in an extended hug -- FA Cup action started 2004 off, and with Portsmouth the visitors, it was a tough draw to begin their campaign. There was a packed house for the game, a rare January sun beating down, and the game started off at a hectic pace, both sides testing the opposition 'keepers in the early minutes, but it was the 11th minute that saw the opening goal, Cherno Samba breaking the offside trap and bombing forward, rounding Kawaguchi and sliding into the unguarded goal. It was a good start, but the visitors were level within four minutes, a defensive error from Agustin, dropping his backpass short and allowing Ibrahim Bango in, and the forward finished instinctively, curling the ball home from the edge of the box. This saw the visitors take control of the game, and Tony Warner was forced into making a few good saves. He couldn't however, do anything about the second goal, an absolute howitzer from Jamie McQuilken. The midfielder picked the ball up in the centre circle, before beating two players and smashing a left foot shot past the outstretched Warner into the top corner. It was a magnificent goal and looked like it was enough to send them in at the break ahead, but Liam Lawrence, who hadn't had his best season in terms of goal scoring, thought differently and he levelled things just before the break, jinking in from the right hand side and firing a low shot into the bottom corner. The second half continued in the same vein, but this pulsating game only saw one more goal, and fortunately for Peter it came from his side, Claus Jensen arriving late in the box to meet Samba's pull back, and the midfielder side footed home firmly to send them through to the next round Edited March 6 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 He sat by his Mum's bedside that morning, a strange sense of relaxation coming over him. She was sat up, drinking a lemon tea, but she looked frail and not herself. She took a sip and looked him dead in the eyes "Where's Charlotte?" Peter looked back at her "She's at the supermarket. She shouldn't be long" "Actually, it's better she's not here..." She leant forward, taking his hand in hers, and while she was frail, her grip was surprisingly tight "...I don't think she'd manage as well as you" Peter looked at her "What do you mean?" "I just want you to know how proud of you I am. Everything you achieved, everything you're going to achieve. You're the most wonderful person and I just want to tell you that..." With those words, Peter knew. He just knew what was about to happen "Mum..." She shook her head, releasing his hand and sitting back, while putting her hand on his cheek "Don't Peter. We both knew what was going to happen, and it was always going to be sooner rather than later. Just make me a promise?" "Anything you like" She looked him dead in the eyes once more "Make sure you make the most of your life. You've got a wonderful wife, a good job and one day you'll reach the very top. Just promise me you'll have no regrets" Tears started to well in his eyes as he looked back at her. He croaked out a reply, a lump forming in his throat "I promise. Nothing will come between me and Charlotte" She smiled one final smile, stroked his cheek again and lay back. She closed her eyes peacefully and with that, Peter knew she was gone 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 13 Author Share Posted March 13 (edited) Charlotte had arrived back half an hour later, and they had spent the night grieving together. As expected, she had taken it harder than him, and although he was hurting, he knew his Mum was right and he couldn't afford to not live his life to the full. They had both discussed it and decided they needed to carry on as normal, although they would both arrange the funeral. His mum had expressed a wish to be buried alongside his dad, a plot of land they had purchased some years earlier, so he set about arranging that the next morning, arriving at work while still on the phone He had overseen training that morning, and with a visit from Crystal Palace in their next league game the next day, he had decisions to make regarding team selection. Greenacre and Lawrence were not fully fit, while Moukoko, having returned from international duty having played a full 270 minutes across the three games, was in no condition to play a part in the game. He pondered over the next 24 hours, eventually deciding on his team the next afternoon. Marek Szmid came in at right back, while Cesar, Keko and Uriel all came in to the starting line up too. Peter had tried his best to act normal, and if he had been a little off, neither his staff or players had mentioned it, if they noticed at all. The pre game ritual was as normal, his team talk before the game was simple, and his side went out and, in all fairness, did their jobs. Keko had a couple of early chances, firing over after turning with the ball, before heading straight at the 'keeper, but it was his fellow countryman Uriel that set up the goal, as it happened the only one of the game. He received the ball from Szmid, who carried his run on. Uriel lofted the ball over the top, returning it to the full back, and he took it down on his chest, before drilling a low right foot drive into the bottom corner. It was the finish of a seasoned striker, not a young full back, and he was delighted with it. Peter though, grew ever more frustrated as the game went on, watching his side create several opportunities but fail to capitalise on those opportunities. Chances came and went, and while they held on for the win, Peter cut a frustrated figure at the end of the game, haing seen his side waste several glorious chances -- He usually stayed after the game, but on this occasion he made his excuses and left just after the game to head straight home. With all that had happened in recent days, he didn't feel in the mood to stay, and this did turn a few heads, as everybody expected him to stay. He had been home a matter of minutes when he heard a knock at the door. He headed to open it and was surprised to see his assistant stood there "Damien? What are you doing here?" Matthew had cocked his head to answer the question "I saw you leave early, and knowing that isn't like you, I followed you back. Wanted to see what was up" "Nothing's up..." He held his hand up to stop him "Gaffer, I know you too well" Peter sighed "You're right. Come on in and I'll explain everything" Over the next hour, he spent the time explaining to Damien Matthew about his mum, her death, and the way it had affected him. Credit to his assistant, he never interrupted, he sat and listened, and once he was sure Peter had finished, he spoke up "Gaffer, I'm so sorry. Why don't you take a bit of time off?" Peter shook his head "I don't think that would help anybody. Me, Charlotte or the club. Besides, I'd go insane sat in the house" Matthew nodded his head "I can see that. So, what can I do to help?" "Well I'd appreciate if you don't tell anyone else at the club. I'll be taking a day off for the funeral but I'll arrange a day off for everyone to coincide" "Course. Anything else?" A slight smile "Help me get us into the Premier League" Both men chuckled at that, and embraced before Matthew left Edited March 13 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 13 Author Share Posted March 13 The funeral had been arranged for the following Thursday, which he had scheduled as a day off for everyone, but before that could happen, they had a trip to London to play promotion rivals QPR. They were unbeaten in their last eleven games going into the match, which had propelled them into third place, and with their confidence sky high, Peter knew his side would be in for a relatively tough game. What he could not have predicted however, was to watch the most frustrating and infuriating game of football he had seen in his tenure as manager, as he watched his side dominate from start to finish, creating 26 opportunities on the home side's goal, 15 of them on target, but they were met by a brick wall by the name of Fraser Digby, who produced the performance of his life to propel his side to the win. In all fairness, Peter saw his side take the lead on 34 minutes, Claus Jensen curling home after a beautiful little backheel to him from the returning Moukoko, but it could have been four by that point, as Moukoko, Greenacre and Kos all missed good chances. The problem though, was that within a minute, they were back level, Neil McCann somehow escaping everybody and then appearing at the back post to nod home past Ros. It was a blow, but they continued to dominate the game, through the interval and into the secomnd half, and it was Fraser Digby earning himself man of the match, quite comfortably. The host of missed chances looked like a point would be what both sides came away with, but the home side, namely Richard Pacquette, had other ideas, and a long ball from Terrell Forbes, surprising everyone, found the marauding forward, and he slotted home past Ros to steal an unlikely win for his side "Now that was frustrating. How did we lose that game?" Peter had sat down with his coaches when they returned to training, frustration evident after the loss to QPR "We didn't take our chances Damien, simple as that" "You're not worried gaffer?" Peter shrugged his shoulders "I'd be more concerned if we weren't creating the chances. And you lads have always told me to stop being so pessimistic!" A laugh from his coaches "True. We still have the lead at the top as well. Biggest problem now is the League Cup" A look of bewilderment from Peter "How do you mean?" "Well, do we go all out for it?" Peter nodded "I think we have to. We're in the semi final, we can't not go for it" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 (edited) Charlotte had spent the days after the funeral cleaning and keeping herself busy, as it had hit her hard, as hard as it had hit Peter, but she obviously handled it differently. Eventually they did sit down together, eating dinner while having a talk, something they hadn't really done in recent days "You OK?" Peter looked at her from across the table "Yeah. Just about getting there. I wish I could have handled it as well as you though" He took her hand "Hey, we all do things a little differently. Do you want to do something to feel better?" She paused for a while "I'm not sure. Let me think about it. Anyway, when's the cup final?" "We've got to get through the semi final yet. Two legs. But it's in April, I know that" She cocked her head "Think you'll make it there?" He interlocked his fingers "We've got a great chance, with avoiding the big boys. But we can't get complacent" -- Port Vale were the next visitors to Field Mill, and it was a much changed side that met them. This was mainly due to fitness issues, but Peter also decided to make some changes following the defeat in the previous outing, so seven different starters took to the field for the game, with only Collins, Moukoko, Rusk and Jervis the survivors. It was a good start from his team, and within the first five minutes, his side were ahead, as Keko used his power to wrestle away his marker from a corner and thump a header into the back of the net. The Spaniard was well up for it, and he saw a potential second goal chalked off a few minutes later, adjudged to have been offside as he broke free and slotted the ball home. It was a tight call and probably too tight to judge, but even after that, he could have scored again. That said, they paid for these missed opportunities, the visitors levelling the scores just before the half hour, Arsenal loanee Joe Kuffour firing home from a lovely pass into him. Peter urged his side to take control of the game and take it by the scruff of the neck, and they did this, with Benjamin Kibebe stepping up to the mark, and it was the midfielder who regained the lead, as he met a lay off on the edge of the box and smacked home a low drive that left the 'keeper with no chance. They remained ahead at the interval, but the visitors started the second half the better of the two sides, and they deservedly got back into the game on 65 minutes, Jamie Dodd charging into the box to meet a perfectly placed cross and guide it past Warner. It was an even game from that point, both sides trying to win the game, but it wasn't until the final six minutes that Peter saw his side win the game, as first Moukoko, with a delicate left foot finish, and then Kibebe's second of the game, a beautiful side footed finish from an Agustin cross, settled things and secured the points Edited March 15 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 18 Author Share Posted March 18 The funeral had gone without a problem, a simple affair that celebrated everything good about his mums life, just as he, and she, would have wanted, and he returned to training as normal on the Friday morning. It was as he was getting ready to leave that his phone rang, a number he didn't recognise on the screen. However, as a football manager, this happened on a regualr basis. He looked at the screen and pressed the green button "Peter Daish" He was greeted by a Liverpool accent from the other end of the phone "Mr Daish? Good morning, my name is Michael Crofton-Sheridan. I represent the solicitors of Crofton-Sheridan and Fowler. I was the solicitor who dealt with the will of your late mother Marie" Peter was shocked "A will? She didn't have anything really" "Well that's not strictly true. If it's to your convenience, I'd like to meet with you to discuss matters?" "OK. Well how about tomorrow? I can get to Liverpool..." "No need. I can come to you. Your mother told me you're a busy man and have a hectic job so she insisted I come to you" "OK. Well do you know the Marriott Hotel in Nottingham? We could meet there for lunch?" "I'm not familiar but I'll find it. I'll see you tomorrow Mr Daish" -- Peter had not expected that, and left the ground a little shell shocked. He headed home and told Charlotte about the conversation he'd had with the solicitor, and she was supportive, insistant she was coming with him. He was pleased about that as he knew she had the support of her in everything. The next morning, they left for the hotel, arriving there almost 20 minutes before midday. They had just sat down and ordered their drinks when the waitress came over "Excuse me, Mr Daish? There's a gentleman here who says he has a meeting with you?" "Yes that's fine, send him over please love" He looked over to see a smartly dressed man in his 30's. He was tall, well over six feet, and clearly dressed well, his suit not being off the peg. His hair was styled well and he walked with an authority. Peter hadn't been sure what to expect, but it hadn't been this. The man approached and held his hand out "Mr Daish? Michael Crofton-Sheridan" Peter shook his hand firmly "Pleased to meet you. Call me Peter, by the way. And this is my wife, Charlotte" They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, before sitting down and ordering their food. It wasn't until after the meal that they got to the will. It was the solicitor that spoke first "I won't keep you long Peter, as I know you're a busy man. In a nutshell, your mother has left all of her possessions to you. This includes her house, all of her bank accounts and her jewellery. She was insistent that the jewellery should go to your wife" "OK. I didn't think the mortgage on the house was paid?" "Well there's still £6,000 outstanding, but you can either pay that and then the house would be yours, or you can sell the house, and then the money would come out of the sale price" Peter nodded "OK. Well myself and my wife would need to discuss things first, obviously. Can I give you a ring in a few days?" He slid a card across the table "Of course. That is my card with my mobile and office number, feel free to ring me when you have made a decision" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 20 Author Share Posted March 20 (edited) Despite all the off field things going on, there was still business to attend to, and FA Cup action saw a visit to the Midlands to play West Brom. Both sides had made changes, but it turned out to be a pretty simple and uneventful game for both sides. Andy Johnson missed a penalty in the 16th minute, failing to hit the target after Derek McInnes was brought down by Ardon de Waard, but it was Cherno Samba who opened the scoring, linking well with Lawrence and Lilley, the full back lifting the ball into the strikers path, his touch enough to take him past the defender, and he lashed a shot across the goalkeeper that nestled into the bottom corner. Cesar and Szmid both came on at half time, and it was the Spaniard who took control of the game, using his experience and know how to just slow the game down, allowing his side to keep the ball and make the home side chase the game. This worked a treat, as they struggled to create anything, mainly because they couldn't get the ball, and Peter saw his side book their place in the fifth round, Cesar feeding a lovely pass through to Samba, who sealed the game with his second, dinking over the onrushing 'keeper in injury time for a solid and comfortable win .. "Peter, do you have five minutes?" The chairman has collared him in the corridor, before leading him to his office "What can I do for you Keith?" "Just wanted to check how you were holding up?" "I'm fine. We're both holding it together. I've got a job to focus on" Haslam cocked his head "You know you only need to ask for time off?" "I'm fine Keith, honestly. Fully focused" That seemed to satisfy Haslam "OK. Well, onto other things. If we make it to the final of the League Cup, we'll be putting travel on for the fans" Peter nodded "I agree, that's a fantastic idea. I'll be doing my best to get us there though, mark my words" -- He was sat on his laptop that evening, having a look through his emails and the upcoming free agents, when he heard the door open. He was about to shout and say hey, when he heard a noise he didn't expect. As he got up, he heard a miaow again, and when he got to the hallway, he saw Charlotte holding a small black cat with green eyes. He cocked his head as he caught the cats eye, and before he could speak, Charlotte looked at him while stroking the animal "Isn't she adorable?" Peter had to agree "She is. How has she ended up here?" "Well I was driving past the shelter and popped in. She caught my eye and miaowed at me. I couldn't resist" Both Charlotte and the cat gave him the puppy dog eye look, and he couldn't help but smile "Fair enough. How can I say no? Does she have a name?" "Ember. I think with her being a black cat, it suits her well" Peter nodded in agreement. Charlotte leant forward and kissed him, the cat still positioned in her arms Edited March 21 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 20 Author Share Posted March 20 The mood around the camp was positive going into the next game, as they travelled to Watford for the first leg of their League Cup semi final. The players, and the fans, knew they were on the verge of something special, and a trip to Wembley for a domestic cup final would be the biggest day in the clubs history. Peter however, knew that things weren't that simple, and they had to be focused on the semi final before they even thought about that. He hadn't had to think too much about the selection of his team, and he went as strong as he could for the game. He gave his players words of encouragement, telling them just to go out there and do their thing. They started well, creating a couple of early chances, but it wasn't until just before the half hour mark that they opened the scoring, Liam Lawrence and Marek Szmid combining down the right hand side, the full back whipping a cross into the heart of the box, which Cherno Samba rose highest to head home past the despairing dive of the Watford 'keeper. The rest of the half sauntered along really, Peter seeing his side control the passing but they didn't really create an opportunity to extend the lead. Half time came and went, and eleven minutes into the second period, Lawrence doubled his side's advantage, collecting a pass from Kos and beating a couple of men, before curling a beautiful little finish into the bottom corner. This should have been enough to see them through, but they had a slight lapse for a few minutes, and this resulted in the home side getting back into the game, Darren Williams poking home from six yards out after a scramble in the box. This woke them up from the slumber, and Cherno Samba eased the nerves by slotting home a simple finish seven minutes from the end to settle the game, giving them a good advantage for the second leg .. "So what are you going to do about your mum's house?" He had avoided discussing it, not really wanting to bring it up, but it was Charlotte who eventually did "I don't know. I mean I don't want to live in it, that's always going to be mum's house. And we don't need the money from the sale really" She cocked her head "I know but you can't just leave it sitting there empty" The cat jumped onto her lap at this point "I know. I think selling it would be best. We can save the money then for anything in the future" She looked him in the eyes "What have you got in mind?" "Nothing. But I could get sacked or lose my job any time. It's perilous being a football manager you know?" He laughed as he saw the look of disbelief on her face "Don't be silly. After what you've done for this club, why would they sack you?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 January had seemed like a long drawn out month, and the seventh and final game saw the trip to Stockport. They were sitting just inside the top half, having struggled in recent weeks, not having won a game since mid November, so their confidence was low. Peter urged his side to finish the month with a bang and this was just what they did, running riot and smashing six past the helpless hosts. By the time Chris Greenacre headed them ahead in the 29th minute, they could probably have been two up already, Moukoko and Cesar both missing good chances. Greenacre didn't miss though, guiding his header past the 'keeper. The lead didn't last long though, all of 34 seconds, Karim Fradin slipping in young striker Carl McMahon, who finished really well, defying his age with the finish of a striker who'd been playing for ten years rather than ten games. It was an undeserved leveller, but Greenacre had something to say about it and made sure they went in at the break ahead, as he collected Kibebe's pass, jinked inside his defender and hit a rasping drive instinctively into the bottom corner. The second half was utter domination, as a wave of yellow shirts came forward in attack after attack, and when Cesar curled home inside the first minute of the restart, from an absolutely outrageous assist from Agustin, flicking the ball up and backheeling it into his path, it was only ever going one way. Greenacre completed his hat trick on 53 minutes, but in the fourteen minute spell between that and his fourth goal, Cesar, Kos and Kibebe could all have scored. As it was, they were all thwarted by the 'keeper. Greenacre tapped in after Moukoko saw his shot parried into the strikers path, before the Cameroon international got in on the act himself, finishing the rout with a deft little finish. The home side had absolutely no answer in the second half, and Peter was delighted with the showing his side had put on, the best, at least in his eyes, of the entire month -- January 2004 Results [Division One unless stated otherwise] FA Cup Round Three Mansfield 3-2 Portsmouth [Samba 11, Lawrence 43, Jensen 72 ; Bango 15, McQuilken 32] Mansfield 1-0 Crystal Palace [Szmid 25] QPR 2-1 Mansfield [Jensen 34 ; McCann 35, Pacquette 90+2] Mansfield 4-2 Port Vale [Keko 5, Kibebe 33,90+2, Moukoko 84 ; Kuffour 28, Dodd 65] FA Cup Round Four West Brom 0-2 Mansfield [Samba 34,90+1] League Cup Semi Final First Leg Watford 1-3 Mansfield [Samba 29,83, Lawrence 56 ; Williams 73] Stockport 1-6 Mansfield [Greenacre 29,40,53,67, Cesar 46, Moukoko 71 ; McMahon 30] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 (edited) Having made a decision on his mum's house, he phoned the solicitor to instruct him to begin proceedings on selling it. He had decided he couldn't possibly live there. It would hold too many memories and it would always be his mum's house, it wouldn't sit right with him. Once that was in place, he could concentrate on finishing the season as well as possible, achieving everything they wanted to, if not more. That said, he felt the need to start to look at strengthening the squad for the next season. Promotion or not, they needed add options to the squad. The fact remained that they had one of the smallest squads in the division, and while they had avoided serious injury losses thus far, Peter knew it would only take two or three long term absentees to send things on a dangerous path The first game of February was a visit from Sheffield United. Coincidentally, it was also his 150th game in charge of the club. While this was an occasion that was brought to the attention of everyone around him, Peter played it down, telling his players that a win was the only celebration he needed. It was as strong a team as he could have fielded, Liam Lawrence the only absentee from the previous game, replaced by Cesar in the midfield, while Greenacre retained his place upfront following his four goal haul. He was delighted with the start his side made, testing Steve Croudsen twice in the opening six minutes, but it was in the eighth minute that they took the lead, Greenacre flicking a header into the path of Cesar, who slipped it across the box into the path of Moukoko, and the Cameroon midfielder slotted into the net, the Sheffield United 'keeper stranded. More chances came, Moukoko, Cesar and Lee Collins all wasting good opportunities, and they paid for this when the visitors levelled things, Jamie Smith breaking the offside trap set by Mansfield, and he raced through to slot home and equalise. Peter was livid with his side, letting them no in no uncertain terms that they needed to step things up. They did just this, forcing Croudsen into three saves before the interval, but they did manage to regain the lead right on half time, Cesar collecting a pass from Wouter Kos, wriggling away from his man and curling a low shot into the bottom corner. The second half was all one way traffic, Peter seeing his side dominate the ball, keeping it and passing it around, and with the tired legs of their opponents telling as the half went on, the third and killer goal came on 74 minutes, Greenacre meeting a deep cross from Agustin at the back post and heading home. .. "No fanfare for the 150th game gaffer?" Damien Matthew had sat down for the Monday debrief "Doesn't bother me Damien. It's just a number" "Not many managers make that milestone boss. It's a big thing" Peter shrugged "Maybe 300 but not 150. Not for me anyway" Claus Estevaag walked in at that moment, waving a piece of paper "Got the list you asked for gaffer. Plenty of talent on there, definitely worth a look" "Thanks Claus. Can you start training for me? Set Pieces and Pattern Play to start, I'll be down in half an hour or so" His staff headed out to the training ground, while he picked up his phone to call the estate agent in charge of selling his mum's house -- "Hey. Good day?" He leant across the breakfast bar and kissed Charlotte on top of the head "Yeah not too bad. Spoke to the estate agents, there's already offers on mum's house" Her eyes widened "Already? That was quick?" "I know. I'd rather get it done and dusted with though, save the long drawn out process" "True. What do you fancy for tea? Lamb chops?" Peter smiled "Sounds good to me. I'll just have a shower and freshen up before we eat" Edited April 4 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 The FA Cup had been kind for the fifth round, with Grimsby drawn as their opponents, and Peter took it as an opportunity to give a much needed rest to several of his key players. This meant a chance for the likes of Jacob Hoj, Ardon de Waard, Keko, Cesar and Carl Laurie, and to be fair to them all, they took their chance as Peter saw his side cruise into the quarter finals with a simple 3-1 win. Mind you, despite starting well, testing the visiting 'keeper on several occasions, they did find themselves behind, just after the half hour mark, Byron Bubb finding himself free after beating the defensive line, before calmly slotting past Tony Warner. This seemed to gee both the crowd and the players, and a minute before half time, Keko levelled things, Cesar sliding the ball through for his compatriot and the striker finishing with a lethal touch, belting it past the 'keeper and bringing them level. This was how the scores remained through to half time, and when the second half started, their was only one team looking like winning the game, and that was Peter's side. Wave of attacks followed, with chances falling to Cesar, Kos, Kibebe and Keko, but they were kept at bay until the 79th minute, when finally the Grimsby resistance was broken. It was Jacob Hoj who scored the goal, but all the credit went to Benjamin Kibebe, who played a magnificent pass from his own half, launching it over the top and into the midfielders path, and the Dane took it on his chest, allowing it to drop at his feet and sliding it beautifully past the 'keeper. This sent the visitors heads down, and the game was sealed six minutes from the end, Keko receiving the ball from Cesar on the edge of the box, and curling a delicious shot into the corner to send them through .. "Mikey, welcome to Mansfield" Michael Jack had been the subject of a £70,000 bid, and Carlisle had quickly accepted, mainly because they needed the money. Jack was a skilful midfielder with two good feet, and Peter felt such a nominal fee was worth a gamble. The player had agreed terms within 24 hours, and had made his way to Mansfield to seal his move "Thanks gaffer. Glad to be here, things were heading downhill at Carlisle" Peter clapped him on the shoulder "Well don't you worry about that now son, just focus on performing for us" He smiled back at him "I'll do my best boss" The player headed off to complete his medical, while Peter got ready for his meetings later on, as he tried to recruit more possible players next season. The first of these was with Manchester United defender John O'Shea. The young Irishman wasn't getting much first team action at Old Trafford, and with his team juggernauting their way to title after title, it seemed unlikely that he would any time soon. Peter knew this and had a bid of a million pounds accepted, and was scheduled to meet with the defender and his agent that afternoon. He also had a meeting with the Bishop Auckland manager, with a view to signing their striker Michael Dunwell. He had been truly prolific over the last two and a half seasons, scoring 78 goals in 84 games, aswell as 56 assists, and for the small fee they would have to pay, it seemed like a no brainer to get the deal done. It was almsot three hours later when O'Shea walked through the door "John, delighted you're here. Good journey?" The Irishman nodded "Perfect thanks Mr Daish" "Please, call me Peter. And you must be John's father?" He turned to the older man, his hand extended "Aye. Patrick" "Pleasure to meet you. Now, let's go and make ourselves comfortable" They headed into the boardroom, where some pastries and coffee had been set up ready, and after fifteen minutes of niceties, they got down to business "OK John. I won't beat about the bush. We're looking like we're getting promoted this season, and I need a Premiership level defender. You fit the bill perfectly. You've got a calm head, you're good on the ball, and your experience at that level can help our other lads" The defender nodded "Sir Alex has spoken highly of you, and he said he endorsed the move. I just want to play regularly" "I can promise you regular game time. You'll be a main starter in defence, playing the majority of games" Both men nodded. Peter slid over the pre prepared contract for them to have a look at "This is what we've drawn up. There are some clauses in there, and as you will no doubt know, we can't pay the wages that United can pay you" Another nod. It was his father that spoke "Let us have a look Mr Daish and we will discuss further after some lunch?" Peter held out his hand "Perfect" 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted April 12 Author Share Posted April 12 (edited) It had taken just a couple of hours, with very little negotiation, for O'Shea to agree terms, and he would join at the end of the season. It was a superb addition to the defence and one that would bring some vital Premiership experience to the ranks, something they definitely needed if they were to compete at the highest level. Peter was revelling in the success of bringing him in when his phone rang, distracting him "Peter Daish" "..." "OK. Well I understand that and of course it's your decision but this doesn't end our interest" "..." "No problem. I'll speak to you soon again, I'm sure" As he put the phone down, he couldn't help but smile to himself. Bishop Auckland had pulled out of the Dunwell deal at the last minute, citing a desire to keep their lethal marksman. Understandable really, but Peter would be looking at revisiting their deal in the summer -- The second leg of the League Cup semi final, a visit from Watford, was their next game on the calendar. While Peter ensured his players were fully focused, not allowing them to become complacent and believe the game was a foregone conclusion after their 3-1 win in the first game, he did take the opportunity to rest some of his first team players, but he was more than confident that the team he fielded would be able to get the job done. Kos, Moukoko, Greenacre, Collins, Kibebe and Jervis all sat out this one, with the replacements all getting their chance to impress. It was left back Ardon der Waard who set the tone early on, and absolutely crunching tackle through Graham Marchant, the youngster hobbling off after just five minutes, while Agustin decided to take control of the game in the midfield, using his knowledge and passing ability to keep his side firmly in command. Openings were fashioned, with Keko, Cesar and Robbie Blake all finding themselves in good positions but failing to capitalise, and it was a surprise when they went in at half time a goal behind. It was the visitors only chance of the half, a corner from the right hand side finding Ramon Vega, and the defender rose above everyone else to thunder home a header past Tony Warner. This, while not a goal that would define the game, would be a goal that angered the beast, and the second half was a dominant one, with a wave of attacks. The visitors held firm though, and they kept the ball out of their net for as long as they could, but eventually, a minute from the end, they did equalise, a lovely interchange in the midfield releasing Carl Laurie, and he broke through the defence to calmly slot the ball into the net. This secured a 4-2 aggregate win, and for the first time in their history, Mansfield would play in a major domestic cup final .. "Right lads, gather round" Peter had gathered his players round at the start of the next training session. They all took a huddle in front of him "Right. First things first, congratulations on reaching the League Cup final. It's a massive achievement for a club like this and you should all be hugely proud. However, it doesn't detract from ouir main goal this season, which is promotion. So we all need to be focused, and know what the main goal is" The players all nodded in agreement, but it was Mark Arber who spoke up "Boss, what's the situation with tickets? I know a lot of the lads would like to have family there for the game?" "It's on my list. I'll be speaking to the chairman and the ticket office to sort something out" A nod and a smile from the captain Edited April 12 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted April 12 Author Share Posted April 12 The whole club was on a high following the semi final, everyone gearing up for the trip to Wembley, but Peter made sure that his players were fully focused on the job in hand, and with a tough game up next, a trip to West Brom, they needed to be at the very top of their game to pick up the three points and continue their promotion push. It was a full strength side that took to the field for the game, and it showed, as they absolutely silenced the home fans with a dominant first half display. Kos and Lawrence tested Russell Hoult in the opening ten minutes, before a thunderbolt from Kibebe struck the bar, so hard it was still rattling twenty seconds later. However, it was Chris Greenacre, with his 19th goal of the season, that opened the scoring, the striker latching on to a delicious through ball from Moukoko, rounding the onrushing Hoult and sliding comfortably into the open goal. Greenacre was causing all sorts of problems, the defence unable to cope with his strength and aerial ability, and it was his knock down with his head that set up the second, full back Marek Szmid latching on to it and rifling home a low shot into the bottom corner. The game continued in the same vein through the second half, and should have been wrapped up in all honesty, buit the profligacy in the second half meant that the home side got themselves back into the game, Burriku collecting a pass and firing a first time shot into the roof of the net. Peter cut a frustrated figure on the touchline, angry once again that his side had conceded a silly goal after being in total control, and while they sealed the game two minutes before the end, Moukoko meeting a terrific low cross from Szmid and tapping into the goal, he felt there were one or two things he needed his side to work on -- "I don't know Damien, it's getting a bit frustrating. We just can't seem to keep a clean sheet at the moment" His assistant looked up from his paper "We're winning though gaffer?" Peter shrugged "I know but you know me, I can always sense something isn't right. I think there's not enough time to fix it this season but we need to before the start of next season" "What is it you're worried about?" Peter sat down "We're missing lots of chances but we can fix that, it will come. Just the odd bit of sloppy defending is creeping in, and it's costing us goals" "Well we can work on some defensive stuff in training, see if it makes a difference?" Peter nodded in agreement "I think that's a good idea" Bristol City were the final opponents of the month, and they went into the game on the back of some rotten injury luck. Five players had picked up knocks in the previous three days, which meant Peter had to make some late changes to his side. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was one of the worst starts to a game he saw his side have. They were poasitively awful in the first half an hour, sloppy passing, mistakes uncharacteristic of his side. It was almost unbearable and Peter cut a frustrated and angry figure on the sideline. It was only thanks to Tony Warner that they remained level, the 'keeper forced into several good saves, but even he could do nothing about the opener, a brilliant curling striker from Moroccan Yacine Abdellaoui, as he cut inside from the right and beat his man, before curling a 30 yarder into the top corner. Warner had no chance, and Peter started to think about his half time team talk. However, a moment of brilliance just before the interval, something that had been lacking from his side, caused him to rethink what he was going to say. Lee Collins brought the ball out from defence, feeding it to Ardon de Waard. The Dutchman then fired a ball into the feet of Liam Lawrence. Going off pure instinct, the midfielder scooped it up and flicked it over his markers head, turning as he did so. He then knocked it through the next defenders legs to create some space, before smashing a half volley into the goal. It was a magnificent piece of skill, one which got the home crowd, and Peter, off their feet, the game taking a lively turn. The second half was an even affair, both sides pushing for the winner, and while Kos, Szmid and Cesar all had openings, Keko was guilty of missing their best chance, firing wide from 8 yards out. The visitors also had chances, Warner forced into making three good saves, the second two from a ridiculous double save from point blank range, but the spoils were shared -- February 2004 Results [Divison One unless stated otherwise] Mansfield 3-1 Sheffield Utd [Moukoko 8, Cesar 45+1, Greenacre 74 ; Smith 77] FA Cup Round Five Mansfield 3-1 Grimsby [Keko 44,84, Hoj 79 ; Bubb 31] League Cup Semi Final Second Leg Mansfield 1-1 Watford [Mansfield win 4-2 on aggregate] [Laurie 89 ; Vega 43] West Brom 1-3 Mansfield [Greenacre 21, Szmid 42, Moukoko 88 ; Burriku 60] Mansfield 1-1 Bristol City [Lawrence 45+1 ; Abdellaoui 34] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted April 16 Author Share Posted April 16 He was sat watching the news and reading the sport headlines on his laptop when Charlotte entered. He hadn't heard her come in so jumped a little when she spoke "Peter, can we talk?" He shut his laptop screen down and muted the television "Of course. Anything wrong?" She slid into the spot beside him on the sofa "Nothing's wrong. I just want to ask you about something" He nodded, taking her hands in his "So, you know that after what happened, and everything in the hospital with my stomach?" "Yeah?" She shifted, looking a little nervous "Well, I was thinking. I can't conceive naturally, as you know. Would you be open to the possibility of adoption?" The cat jumped onto the arm of the chair at this point, watching intently. Peter had paused for a moment. He had never really thought about children, and assumed his time had passed due to his age, but he could see in his wife's eyes that it meant a lot to her "I'll be honest, I'd never really thought about it. I kind of think it's coz of my age. Is it something you have your heart set on?" She looked him in the face, tears welling in her eyes, and at that moment, he knew what he had to do "I'd love to be a mother..." He raised his hand "Say no more. We can absolutely have a look at the options. I love you, and if this is what you want, then so do I" With that she leant forward, smothering him in a big embrace and kissing him on the lips -- Peter had been doing the maths, and he had worked out that thirteen more points would be enough to send them into the Premier League. He had also worked out what he thought the recent problems had been. The players had played a lot of games, with their exploits in the cup competitions, and they had one of the smallest squads in the division, so he felt that tiredness was creeping in. However, he had noted that they had a break after their next game, so he had proposed a couple of ideas to his staff members for giving the players some rest. However, before that, they had a visit to Yorkshire to face Bradford, a team who had been on a superb run and had propelled themselves into the reckoning for an automatic promotion place, and from the first minute, it was clear their confidence was sky high. Jose Ros had to make two saves early on, from Kaviedes and Gareth Whalley, and the second one, which he pushed round the post, was what resulted in the opening goal, an inswinging corner finding the head of David Wetherall, who rose higher than everyone else and headed home into the goal. It was no more than they deserved, and they continued their dominance of the game as the half went on. Peter stood on the sidelines and, while he wasn't angry, he had to accept his side were struggling, the only opening they fashioned coming from a long range shot from Robbie Blake. It got worse just before the interval, Kaviedes breaking free and the striker firing low and hard into the bottom corner. The half time talk saw words of encouragement, and they did, in all fairness, start the second half much better, testing Gary Walsh a couple of times and hitting the post, but on 68 minutes, any hope they had of getting anything from the game vanished, as Lee Collins mistimed his tackle on Kaviedes, catching the Ecuadorian with his studs up and on his shin, and the referee immediately pulled out the red card. It was hard to argue, and the game ended 2-0 to the home side, no more than they deserved from the game Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted April 17 Author Share Posted April 17 Peter was disappointed in the aftermath of the Bradford defeat, but he realised that the long term picture hadn't been affected too much and he arrived at the training ground in a bullish mood. This however, didn't last as long as he had hoped, when he overheard a conversation between two of his players. Jamie Clarke and Ledley King were stood stretching outside the side entrance as he walked towards it, and he stopped to the side when he heard their voices. It was Clarke's distinctive Midlands drawl that he recognised first "...I just get annoyed when I don't play. I'm better than Lee and Mark only plays coz he's club captain" "I think that's a bit harsh Jamie. The gaffer knows what he's doing, we're flying high" A slight pause "Maybe. Premier League is a different level, think he might get found out. Luck only gets you so far" Peter smiled to himself and shook his head. He walked away to training, deciding to resolve the matter later on .. He was sat in his office thirty minutes after training, and as he heard the players coming out of the dressing room, he headed towards his door. He popped his head out and saw Jamie Clarke exiting, so he called to him "Jamie? Can I have a word?" The defender threw his bag over his shoulder and followed his manager "Sit down son" He sat in the chair Peter signalled to him, wiping his brow as he did so "Tired?" "Little bit gaffer. Felt like I ran extra today" Peter smiled "Good. Anyway, I just wanted to address your concerns" The defender raised his eyebrow "Concerns?" "About your playing time" "How did you know...?" Peter raised his hand "I heard you talking to Ledley earlier. So you don't think I know what I'm doing?" "Well, no, I didn't mean it like that. Just frustration over not playing, you know how it is boss?" Peter folded his arms "I do. However, I will not tolerate you bad mouthing me to other players. If you had concerns you should have come to me directly" Clarke looked sheepish, almost embarassed "I'm sorry..." "Fine. We'll close the matter for now. But you'll be transfer listed and if we get a suitable offer, you can leave. I won't have players jeopardising morale within the squad" -- Word had spread throughout the squad about Clarke's indiscretion, and the fact he didn't take a place on even the bench for the visit of Preston seemed to affirm that he was finished at the club. The visitors were mid table and had very little to play for, and from the first whistle, Peter saw his side dominate and control the game. It took just seven minutes to open the scoring, Wouter Kos slipping in Chris Greenacre, and the striker slotted home comfortably for his 20th goal of another prolific season. It set the tone, and when Marek Szmid doubled the advantage almost twenty minutes later, they could already have been three ahead, Greenacre and Lawrence missing two good chances to score, but Szmid slotted home from ten yards after a lovely cut back from Moukoko on the left hand side. The game remained 2-0 until the half time break, but the second half continued in the same vein, Mansfield dominating the game, and it was a four minute spell that put the game well and truly beyond doubt. Uriel scored the third, a lovely left foot finish after collecting a flick on from Greenacre, but it was the fourth goal that sent the crowd wild, as Cesar showed a world class bit of magic. He sent the ball out wide before getting it back from Lawrence. He then played a one two with Moukoko, receiving the ball back before nutmegging the defender. He made the space from doing that, before curling a beautifully placed shot into the top corner. It was a magnificent piece of skill, and it had the crowd, and his manager, up on their feet. The visitors did get a consolation, David Healy slotting home from close range, but it made no difference and it was the best way to respond to the Bradford defeat Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted Monday at 19:26 Author Share Posted Monday at 19:26 "Right lads, gather round!" Peter had gathered the players round at training, wanting to give them a pep talk. He waited while they all took a knee in front of him "Right lads. As I'm sure you all know, we have another huge cup game in a few days, but before that we have the league. I trust you all implicitly, but I won't have any of you taking it easy waiting for the cup game. I want full concentration and effort, and without it, you won't play in the FA Cup game" The players nodded and agreed, Peter pleased with the way they responded. They were dismissed from training, and he headed into his office to make a few preparations. He was surprised to see Keith Haslam waiting for him "Morning Keith. Everything OK?" His chairman nodded "Yes. Just wanted to confirm that all travel has been sorted for the Cup Final. You and the team will travel up the night before. Also, each squad member has four extra tickets" Peter smiled "Perfect. I'll let the players know. Thanks Keith" With that the chairman turned on his heels and walked out of the room -- That night he was preparing dinner when Charlotte came into the kitchen. She leant onto her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek "Evening Daish" She smiled that cheeky grin "Hey yourself. Good day?" "Not bad. Oh, I've booked us an appointment with the adoption agency" Peter raised his eyebrows "Bloody hell, that was quick wasn't it?" "There was a cancellation so we got lucky" He leant down and kissed her lips "Perfect" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted Monday at 20:03 Author Share Posted Monday at 20:03 Authors Note ; Just wanted to say a massive thankyou to everyone who has read this story and taken it to 4,000 views. It's a story I've thoroughly enjoyed writing and one I've put huge effort into so to know it's still keeping everyone interested is a huge compliment! -- Cambridge were the next visitors to Field Mill, and with their position in mid table, Peter expected his players to do their jobs and win the game. He did decide to make a couple of changes to the squad, with Keko replacing Greenacre, de Waard coming in at left back and Agustin replacing Rusk, but the changes didn't affect the performance and it was a comfortable win, coupled with a good performance. It didn't take long for the opening goal, Keko collecting a pass from Lawrence, muscling past his defender and firing low into the corner, but it could easily have been two before then, Kos and Lawrence both testing the visiting 'keeper. Chances continued to come their way, Lawrence again and Keko both wasting clar cut opportunities, but the Spaniard doubled the lead, and his own personal tally, with a wonderful second goal. He laid the ball off to Wouter Kos, before receiving it back from the Dutchman. He dummied over it, knowing Robbie Blake was there. Blake then took the ball, fed the marauding Keko, who then deftly dinked the ball over the 'keeper. The game continued, but it almost petered out into a stalemate, Mansfield almost looking like they wanted to preserve energy. Peter wasn't happy with this, and having made some second half changes, he saw his team grab the game by the scruff of the neck once again, Keko heading home for his hat trick on 74 minutes, before a goal just before full time from Robbie Blake, a beautifully whipped finish from the edge of the box sealed the comfortable 4-0 win -- "I've got to be honest Damien, I think the games are starting to take their toll. With the cup runs and the league we'll be pushing close to 60 games this season" His assistant looked up from his screen "I know what you mean gaffer. We definitely need a bigger squad for next season or we might really struggle" Peter nodded "I'm working on it. I don't want us to do all this work to go up then go back down first bloody time of asking" "I agree. Thought about the Leeds game yet?" "Nothing else is on my mind. It's a tough ask but we have to show the world what we can do. Especially with the game on BBC" -- The FA Cup Quarter Final had drawn them a home tie, but with Premier Division Leeds the visitors, it would be a very very tough ask for Peter and his side. He did however, have complete faith in his players to put up a good display and let the watching world see what they could do and were capable of. He went strong, Samba, Cesar, Rusk, Collins and Jervis all back in the starting eleven, while Leeds fielded as strong a side as they could muster, Bowyer, Viduka, Kewell, Harte and Radebe all taking their place on the field. He had pushed the importance of a good start for his side, and he could not have wished for a better one from his players, as they found themselves ahead inside 136 seconds of play. Jervis won the ball from Eirik Bakke on the left hand side ner his own box, before releasing Moukoko down that side. The Cameroon man jinked inside, before threading a ball through for Samba. Jonathan Woodgate did stretch out to cut the ball out, but couldn't wuite stretch far enough, and the on loan striker collected the ball with a nice touch, before rattling a low shot into the bottom corner. The ground went wild when that goal went in, and eight minutes later, they went wild once more, Samba this time turning provider, as he flicked a long ball down into the path of Cesar, who set himself and lashed a bullet of a shot past Paul Robinson. Peter urged his players on, telling them not to let up or take their foot off the gas, but the quality in Leeds' team was evident, and a ten minute spell of control they had led to them getting back into the game. 23 passes came in the move, before Kewell whipped a low cross to the edge of the area for Lee Bowyer to meet it and calmly slot home. The quality of the Premiership's third place team shone through over the next 20 minutes, and Peter and his side could count themselves fortunate to go in at the break still ahead, mainly thanks to Tony Warner making three good saves. Peter didn't shout, just have his players words of encouragement, and they went out and heeded these words, as they put in a thoroughly professional and competent second half display, scoring twice without reply to book their second domestic cup semi final of the season. Cesar scored a free kick just before the hour mark, curling it home from 20 yards, while an injury time goal from Cherno Samba, a simple little finish from a Liam Lawrence cut back, settled the game and dealt a thrashing to their more illustrious opponents Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted Tuesday at 08:15 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 08:15 (edited) In the days following the game, while the majority of Mansfield celebrated, Peter was typically as business like as he could have been, actually managing to wrap up two deals for the summer, Darius Vassell had fallen out of favour at Aston Villa, thanks to the form of Bosko Balaban and Juan Pablo Angel, and with his contract expiring in the summer, he had opted to not renew it and test the free agency market, and Peter felt he would be a great addition, adding pace and quickness to the forward line, aswell as valuable Premiership experience. The striker had made it known he was willing to move, and it had taken less than an hour to thrash out a deal More top flight experience also agreed to join, and that was Leicester left back Callum Davidson. He had over 120 games at the top level, but due to their financial plight, they had been unable to renew his contract (along with several other players). This deal was harder toi complete, many clubs vying for the defenders signature, but it was the personal touch of Peter himself meeting him, and the promise of first team football, that swayed the decision their way. They were two signings he was delighted with, and he felt they would certainly boost the numbers the next season .. "So, Mr and Mrs Daish, thankyou for coming today. It's just a formal meeting to discuss your options and find out more about you both" Peter sat across the desk taking in his surroundings. Charlotte had done most of the work and research for the meeting so he was happy to let her take charge, but as it turned out the first question was aimed at him "Mr Daish, on your form I noticed it said you were a manager. What sort of business are you in?" Peter folded his hands together, interlocking his fingers "I'm a football manager. Mansfield Town" "Oh I see. So that must take up a lot of time?" "Well training is three times a week for two hours. Matchday on a Saturday or Wednesday. It's not too bad, I'm home a lot of the time" The woman across the desk nodded, scribbling some notes, before turning to Charlotte "Mrs Daish, what about yourself?" "Well I work from home in the main, because of health issues in the past, but again I'm at home a lot of the time" The meeting had gone pretty well, their answers seemingly satisfying the adoption agency, and they were officially on the waiting list. Although there was no clue as to how long they would need to wait on that list Edited Tuesday at 08:19 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted Tuesday at 17:14 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 17:14 (edited) Familiar opponents were next up, as promotuon chasing Watford provided the opponents for their fourth successive home game, and it turned out to be the game of the season, both sides putting attack over defence and treating the fans to a nine goal thriller. It started at a frantic pace, both sides creating chances in the opening ten minutes, Cesar and Samba for Peter's side, while Liam Miller had the best chance for the visitors, but on 17 minutes, little Wouter Kos opened the scoring, bombing forward in support of the attack before the ball fell to him on the half volley, and he finished with aplomb. The lead only lasted four minutes however, Miller capitalising on a rare Benjamin Kibebe error, the midfielder's misplaced pass allowing the Irishman in and he slotted home past Jose Ros. From then though, the Swede was determined to make amends, and he assisted both the second and third goals before the interval. The second was a lovely little reverse pass into the path of Claus Jensen, who managed to poke the ball home, but his crossfield pass to Cesar was a thing of beauty, the Spaniard taking it on his chest and using the outside of his right goot to guide it into the far corner. Peter had taken great delight in the way his side took the control of the game away after the equaliser, and when Cesar scored his second twelve minutes into the second half to make it 4-1, it looked like game over. The visitors however, had a different opinion, and they turned it on for the final half an hour, somehow inexplicably managing to score three times and level things up. Antti Pohja started the madness just after the hour mark, using his pace to break free and finishing nicely. The Finnish international assisted for the next goal too, sliding in Trond Ludvigsen who curled the ball past Ros. Peter was almost pulling his hair out, but when George Matthews levelled the scores, a third goal in ten minutes for the visitors, he turned round and aimed a kick at the Lucozade bottle by the side of the dugout. The final fifteen minutes seemed to be a frantic effort, both sides trying to win the game, and fortunately for Peter, it was his side who grabbed the winning goal, Cesar completing his hat trick in injury time, rising highest into the crowd and heading home to seal the win in a ridiculous game .. "I don't think I can take many more games like that at my age Damien" They met for their debrief in the local pub on Sunday afternoon, deciding to unwind while they did so "Tell me about it gaffer. I thought we'd blown it for a minute" Peter took a swig of his Guinness before he spoke again "Me too. Oh, did we hear back from Corneliusson?" Matthew looked into his bag for the paperwork "Here it is. AIK have accepted the bid and our contract offer has been sent to the lad. If we can pull this signing off I think it's a great addition to the team. He's quality, full international aswell" "From what I've seen of him he's a step up from what we have now. As well as Marek has done for us, he still needs time to develop" Edited Thursday at 20:05 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted Tuesday at 17:16 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 17:16 (edited) Following the hectic nature of the Watford game, Peter decided to give his players an extra day off. He took the opportunity to sit down and watch Everton's relegation battle against Nottingham Forest while Charlotte spent ther day with her mum. His old side had been struggling, sitting 19th in the league, and they needed every point they could muster. They started well, but after a promising opening, they did their usual thing and went on to lose the game. Peter was saddened to see the plight of his former club, and while he had hoped to play them in the Premier League next season, he had resigned himself to the fact they would be in separate divisions .. Portsmouth were their next test, and the trip to the South Coast was vital in their pursuit towards the title. Moukoko had been ill in the run up to the game, so he wasn't in the squad, while Marek Szmid and Lee Collins also missed out. Keko and Cesar regained their places in the team thanks to their recent good form, and it was the two Spaniards who combined for the opening goal after 9 minutes. Lawrence had slid the ball down the right for Lilley, who slid it inside for Cesar. He looked prime to shoot, shaping to do so, but he saw Keko out of the corner making his run into the box, used his left foot to slide it into his path and Keko slotted home coolly to open the scoring. Wouter Kos could have doubled the lead not long after, forcing a save from the Portsmouth 'keeper, while Lee Collins headed over the bar from a corner. The home side never really managed to get into the game, and this showed when they went 2-0 behind, Keko again finding the net after a lovely little through ball from Simon Rusk allowed the Spanish striker to round the 'keeper and slide comfortably into the net. Peter was pleased with his side, their composure and possession through the game aliowing them to control the tempo of the game, and while they didn't score any more goals, despite numerous chances, they claimed a simple three points "Hey. Good day?" Charlotte had entered the kitchen as he sat at the breakfast bar on his laptop. He kissed her on the forehead as she got to him "Not bad. You?" "Lovely. Had some lunch with Mum, meeting the girls for cocktails later too" "Very nice" With that the cat jumped onto the counter, meowing and nuzzling into her arm "Oh, Mum asked if we'd be interested in going away with them over the summer. Not abroad, just a week or so in the Lake District. Nice cottage, chilled out week?" Peter took her hand in his "I'd be up for that, I love the Lake District. When were they thinking?" She shook her cardigan off and started to head upstairs as she spoke "Not sure yet, I'll find out" Edited Tuesday at 19:32 by sherm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted Wednesday at 09:22 Share Posted Wednesday at 09:22 On 22/04/2024 at 22:03, sherm said: Authors Note ; Just wanted to say a massive thankyou to everyone who has read this story and taken it to 4,000 views. It's a story I've thoroughly enjoyed writing and one I've put huge effort into so to know it's still keeping everyone interested is a huge compliment! Still following along and it's still superb. KUTGW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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