December 29th.
Christmas merrily came and went.
Sheffield won back to back matches after their draw at Shrewsbury, having eked out home victories against Luton and Milton-Keynes on the 20th and on Boxing Day respectively.
Those wins ramped up their end of the year run to a new high, with their final game of the year 2013 against local rivals Doncaster about to begin.
It was the kind of rivalry that isn't played that often, but still gives the game a whole new flavor for the fans and players to enjoy.
Such is the power of rivalries that are due to the geographical locations of the opposing clubs. The closer you are to each other, the more you hate each other, and the more you want to say you're the best club around.
Blaise Atkinson, who last played against Luton, was raring to go even more than usual. He wants to snap himself out of his Christmas holiday hangover…
***
Christmas.
"Dad, don't stuff yourself full with the pudding!" Blaise had already finished a massive turkey leg as he said that. "Oh, also slow down on the potatoes will you? We got other veggies better for your health to binge!"
"You know, son. Christmas is the day everyone in the world binge eats. It's also your cheat day, so grab the other turkey leg and have fun! Have some cheery Christmas spirit!" Blair Atkinson was basically drinking the gravy while munching on bacon too. "Oh, grab me some champagne, son. We should start drinking early, since you're not playing tomorrow!"
"Pops, I'm 17!"
"Shh! Just don't tell anybody, it's Christmas anyway!"
"You should ask mom for permission."
"If I asked her, she'll surely spite me where I stand and kill me!"
Thus, Blaise and Blair happily spent Christmas with turkey, bacon, potatoes, gravy, and booze without a care in the world.
"Where's Cameron anyway?" Blair realized they're missing someone… "Oh well, his loss…"
***
"You ready, kid?" Damian Potts asked Blaise inside the locker room. "Remember that the only acceptable result for derbies is a win. Anything else will mean getting burned at the stake!"
"I've been raring to go since Boxing Day, Captain." He said with a hint of eagerness.
"No way, Alain said you're drunk on Boxing Day." George gave Blaise a tap on the back. "You youngsters should control yourselves on Christmas Day, huh!"
"Do you wanna hear the story of George Williams showing up drunk on Boxing Day last—"
George turned red in embarrassment. "Shut it, you!"
After he said that, their manager Steve Bronson entered the room with a calm expression.
"Is everyone ready to ruin our rival's day?" His words held passion. "I will not take half-assed performances out there. We must close out the year with a bang."
"Yes, sir!"
Captain Damian Potts put his right hand at the center, before everyone else piled theirs.
"1… 2… 3… Blades!"
The home team came out of the tunnel in rapturous ovation from the crowd, while the away team received all sorts of insults, whistles, and curses. The attendance in total wasn't anything to write home about in a League One game, but the Doncaster stadium was filled to the brim with people wanting a piece of the derby.
The whistling, shouting, and singing was immense in the stands.
It doesn't matter how big the stadium is, nor how much the number of fans in attendance are, but to Blaise, a derby is and always will be a spectacle— no matter where you are in the world.
As the two teams kicked off, Blaise's mind was already hunting for the scent of the goal.
He's returned to the comfortable confines of the defensive midfield, something that he was a lot more looking forward to than playing center of defense. On his left side was their captain, playing as the anchor he usually is. His role meanwhile, was a deep lying playmaker. Someone that gets the ball deep, and creates plays by moving the ball forward, finding creases for his team, and for making things happen.
But of course, he isn't a full time playmaker at defensive mid. There is literally the word, "defensive" in the role.
He stuck a foot forward on the Doncaster midfielder, easily catching him out and stealing the ball. He launched the ball upfield like some sort of a clearance, but with vision of where he wanted the ball to drop… which is in the path of right winger Ahmad Traore and his speed.
Traore got there, but a bad first touch betrayed him and sent the ball straight out of bounds for a goal kick…
It got there, at least…
The ensuing goal kick was no slouch either, with Doncaster boasting a Premier League youngster on loan between the sticks. The eighteen year old keeper was sent down to get more first team opportunities, but is undoubtedly a star for the future.
His tall stature and massive shoulders already gave him Premier League upside, but it was his ball distributing skills that made the football giants believe in him. Well he's also primed to make the England Under-18 national team…
His goal kick beat everyone on Sheffield's defense, as if they were all caught napping, and landed a few yards ahead of the striker that sprung the offside trap so easily.
Calls for offside be damned, the forward pushed on with purpose, wanting to send the home fans into delirium so early. James Patton tried to keep up, but speed had never been his strong suit.
In a matter of three touches, the striker found himself at the edge of the area, and with the Blades keeper a few feet away… his eyes showed his resolve…
He hits it with his stronger left foot…
Steve Bronson watched on in the sidelines as a quick goal kick broke his team's line and found a fantastic goal scoring chance…
For everyone on the field, it was like everything went into slow motion. The ball was tipped by the glove covered hand, in what was a fantastic reactionary save from the Sheffield #1. It caromed to the outside of the post and out for a corner kick.
The keeper then wiped the huge beads of sweat on his forehead with a relieved expression.
Most of the players on the pitch went to the Sheffield box. It was an early chance to go ahead, so the Doncaster players will not miss it, especially with all the pressure of a derby on their backs.
And so, Blaise Atkinson was once again lingering at the edge of the box, marking their diminutive left winger who has a cannon of a long shot on his arsenal. He's someone that can cut inside and bang one from a distance, so he had no choice but to remain alert of the many possibilities in this corner kick.
For Sheffield, only George Williams was not in the play. He's near the middle of the pitch, around two last line defenders, meaning inside the box, it's a ten against seven.
The corner kick taker signaled with his left hand, as he sent the ball into the box.
The sweaty men inside the box rushed forward to meet the ball in the near post, but while most of them jumped, no one was actually able to get their heads to it.
It was like the ball phased through all of them.
Even the keeper, who's supposed to keep track of the ball's trajectory, seemed lost.
A Rovers player was free! The ball took a lucky bounce, and the lucky Doncaster player pounced at the free goal!
Even the player himself was surprised that the ball reached where he was, however, he still had the awareness to flick it onto what he saw was an open net… but just as the ball left his foot…
Blaise Atkinson stuck his foot in! His insanely swift reactions stemmed from the fact that he's laser focused into making a play on the ball. He saw the free man in the far post, and reacted the moment before the corner kick came in, even if that meant abandoning his marker.
His block slammed the ball onto the crossbar, but bounced the other way to the outside of the box.
That's where Blaise saw he might've made a mistake…
Rotherham's diminutive winger stayed outside the box, this time without any opposition, as even if the Sheffield defense were starting to fan out from the near post, they didn't have enough time to reach him. He smirked, giving a grin to Blaise Atkinson as he took a touch of the loose ball.
"Thanks to you, teenage hotshot." He struck the ball square in the middle, underlining the impressive power from his slight frame. Many of the Sheffield defenders that are closer turned around, wanting to block the ball with their bodies.
Atkinson, managed a yell to the keeper, but remained stuck inside the goal after sliding in for the initial shot.
There's only one way this could end.