sherm

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?"

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

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"

Sorry to hear this will be on hold WLKRAS Hope all is well mate and things take a turn for the better soon 👍

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

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"

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

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

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

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]

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

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

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

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"

"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"

"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

"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

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

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]

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"

"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

"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

Love the off field aspect of this WLKRAS, really intriguing

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

"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