November passed by in a flash in England.
The colder winds of winter came with the month of December, along with the ever increasing news about the upcoming winter transfer window at the turn of the year, and the disgusting amount of football fixtures before the year ends.
The FA Cup makes its grand return in the month of December too, with England's premier cup competition closing the first weekend of the month with the forty teams that advanced from the first round proper battling it out in the second round proper.
As for Sheffield Blades, the Second Round has been rather kind, pitting them with a team from the division below them: Lincoln City.
The Blades easily thrashed their sixth division opponents Boston, 5-0 in the first round to advance to the second round. Steve Bronson hoped for a tougher test than a non-league side, so technically he got his wish. Albeit it's still a team from a lower division than them.
Even though he was sad he didn't get a side from the same division, Steve Bronson had always been a man that loves to fight while prepared for all possibilities. He won't discount the surprises a team from a lower league can bring upon them at the whistle.
So, he had his team training with some specialized set piece routines three days before match day.
"Atkinson, you go kick some corners for now." Steve pointed at the already sweating youngster. "Let's see the under 18s form you showed at the set piece."
The Sheffield players inside the box wore either red shirts or black shirts. Since Blaise was wearing a black shirt, he targeted the six players wearing the same colors as him.
The formation had a player in the near post, a lurking player in the far post, and three players at the mass in the middle. Someone else was hovering right outside the penalty box, waiting to either slam the ball or recycle it back to the sides or float it in.
Blaise knew this kind of formation was just a fundamental corner set up. So it really wasn't anything to write home about. Although sometimes, it's these kinds of basic formations that could give you the extra edge or two in games.
Plus, to the senior team, a newly promoted youngster swinging the corner in was a refreshing sight rife with new possibilities.
He swung the ball in from the corner for the first time in what would be a hell of a lot for the day…
***
Blair found his seat near the pitch on the away end of the small, yet quaint Lincoln City stadium, just almost an hour and a half from Sheffield. Unlike the legendary and bigger Bramall Lane, this lower league stadium gave him a different feeling. That's not to say in disdain for the place, but as a man that grew up in the Greater Manchester area, they have a lot of football clubs with stadiums just like this one.
Small, yet very close-knit. It gives anyone the profound feeling of community.
In his hands were a delicious, half-eaten quarter pounder he brought from one of the many food stalls, along with a glass of local beer. This is a perfect example of a great away matchday experience for the middle-aged professor. Even if as an away fan, the hostility he got from the home supporters while waiting on the line was immense.
He saw his son come out of the tunnel at the back of the pack, giving him bliss.
My son will finally start a bloody senior game!
Blaise and the Sheffield eleven are confident. They know that they've prepared for this game like it was any other game, even if it's a game against relatively inferior opponents from a division below.
Blaise was the designated free kick and corner kick taker tonight. Since this was a match where the veteran duo of team captain Damian Potts and Trent Hastings were sitting out for rotation purposes.
Of course, this wasn't much because of their manager underestimating Lincoln, but this was a case of resting them for the tough run of fixtures from Christmas week through the New Year, where Bronson needs them to be in their best shape for what could be a pivotal run of games.
Bronson also was keeping his eyes peeled for Blaise Atkinson's full game debut in the senior team. He was not afraid of their midfield falling apart with him in there, due to the commanding presence that is far above his age.
If he was being honest, Blaise Atkinson might even be a better player right now than the highly-rated youngster Alain Prosser.
Of course, he won't tell anybody that.
He stood there at the sideline, shouting some last minute instructions to his lads as his team welcomed the second round of the English FA Cup.
***
Lincoln City had gotten off to a flier.
They were not the favorites even if they were the home team. Just looking at their modest wage bill, small stadium, their lower division, and their squad strength, anyone would not pick them as favorites against Sheffield— besides their own fans, and those from Sheffield's rivals.
The thing that sets them apart from Sheffield though, is that they are the underdogs with nothing to lose, but all to gain.
So, their play became more precise and efficient than their opponents.
They exploited the counter attack, forcing the away side to make mistakes proactively, instead of sitting back and waiting for them to do so. Their aggressive play was rewarded after a miscue between Alain Prosser and George Williams.
Lincoln City was swift. They launched a long ball from the back, bypassing every level of the defense and landing on the Sheffield final third. The high pressing Blades line was late to react to the sudden over the top ball, giving one of Lincoln's forwards a precious few seconds to get to it first.
Within the next few seconds, almost the entire stadium stood up in rising anticipation of a stunning home goal a little over fifteen minutes in.
Their blonde haired striker didn't disappoint in the slightest.
The lofted ball was latched onto beautifully by the forward, as he bulldozed his way straight into his most comfortable shooting range, which is just inside the penalty area.
Sheffield's goalkeeper didn't come and meet him there, instead waited for the shot. Steve Bronson thought he should have, since there was a higher chance for him to make the man miss, or collect the ball than when he's given a chance to shoot. Well, to his credit, Bronson also knew that how a goalie reacts to a chance like this one relies on his instincts.
On the one on one, the blond man had his heart set of sending the ball one way. He fired…
The keeper had no chance! The ball went to the bottom right far post, accurately tucked into the inside of the post and into the goal.
Lincoln's die hard supporters hugged it out and yelled at their small stands, even if they were expectant of a goal, they knew that their team was a lot worse than their current opponent. So a goal here boosted everyone's morale, and shattered the tense atmosphere.
Quaint as it may seem, but the stadium still went full bloom after the opening goal by the hosts.
This is the beauty of the cup.
Blaise Atkinson was giddy for the restart. He made several mistakes in the first quarter of an hour, including a shot he hooked way wide.
This is not a game for him to lose.