Harbinger Of Glory

The Luton Town defenders had swarmed around Fletcher, hoping to keep the ball away, but their efforts failed them as the ball slipped through the gaps and went into the bottom corner.

The net snapped back in the next second, and the crowd behind the goal went first before the wave of noise hit the rest of the stadium a half second later as Fletcher turned and began running towards the left corner.

”FLETCHERRRRRRRRR!! IT’S ASHLEY FLETCHER AND WIGAN HAVE THE LEAD. THE BUILD UP, THE PASS FROM LANG, EZRA WITH THE DELIVERY AND FLETCHER WITH THE FINISH. IT’S TWO TO ONE NOW HERE AT THE DW.”

Fletcher ran toward Ezra near the byline, and the Wigan players came from everywhere.

The Wigan bench looked like they would burst onto the pitch anytime soon, but Dawson stopped them instead, pointing towards the space on the sidelines where they could join their celebrating teammates lest they risk someone getting booked.

”WHAT A BALL FROM EZRA AND LANG,” the match analyst fired off quickly.

”But credit to Leo, too. Clark may feel wronged because his mates weren’t pressing, causing him to step up, and that may have been the catalyst for this goal because Leo sent the ball right past him the moment he decided to press back. What a well-worked goal from the Latics to possibly give themselves the advantage heading into the second leg of the Playoff semi-final!”

While the players and crowd celebrated, the referee still hadn’t pointed towards the Wigan half to credit the goal, and it took a moment for people to notice the referee standing still with one hand pressed to his earpiece, the other held out slightly as if asking the world to pause.

The players turning around to move back into their half spotted that.

Fletcher, emerging from the huddle, looked around, read the faces of the officials, and understood before anyone said anything.

”And we may have to hold our celebrations,” the commentator said, the earlier energy draining from his voice in real time.

Seeing the scenes on the pitch, the away end, which sounded disappointed, suddenly began to come alive again as they looked at the referee’s body language, wondering if the goal could be cancelled.

”The referee has his hand to his ear. Something is being checked. We’ll have to wait.”

The Wigan players drifted back toward their half with the reluctant shuffle of people who had been told to sit down before they’d finished standing up.

The Luton players, on the other hand, stood where they were, some with their arms folded and others with their hands on their hips as they awaited the verdict.

A while later, the referee motioned towards the VAR stand on the sidelines while the Jumbotrons around the stadium flickered, showing one message.

REVIEWING: POSSIBLE OFFSIDE.

The Wigan end groaned as one after they spotted that while the Luton town crowd’s murmurs turned to cheers despite the verdict not even being out yet.

”So it’s an offside check,” the commentator confirmed.

”And we wait. This is the playoff semi-final, this is what VAR was put here for, and right now the question is whether Wigan’s lead will stand.”

The referee stood at the pitchside monitor for what felt longer than it was.

And while the stadium watched the Jumbotron to pass the time, it gave nothing away.

It was only a while later that the referee stepped back onto the pitch and raised his hand in the air, pointing towards the Wigan half, and the home fans didn’t need the announcement to tell them what had occurred.

The sound that came from them was almost draining.

Fletcher, who had scored the goal, stood with his arms spread, mouth open and turning to find someone who could explain it to him.

He found the referee instead, who had heard enough of what he had to say.

The match official stuck his hands into his pocket before fishing out a yellow card and booking Fletcher for his language and bad conduct!

That didn’t sit well with the home fans.

”Booked,” the commentator said flatly as the Wigan end began to show their outrage from the stands.

”Fletcher already on a booking, and that reaction has cost him. Now it’s Darikwa getting across to him now before it becomes anything worse.”

Darikwa had Fletcher by the arm and was talking into his ear, and Fletcher was still gesturing with his free hand, but the fight was going out of it, and eventually he let himself be steered away.

The game restarted and gave nothing back.

Dawson, not wanting to risk it, took Fletcher off with some 5 minutes plus what was going to be of added time, bringing Broadhead on in his place, trying to ease him back into match rhythm after a month on the sidelines.

Luton pushed once more in the final minutes, finding nothing, and when the referee finally blew his whistle, the DW released the tension it had been holding for the last twenty minutes in a single long exhale.

”So it’s full time at the DW,” the commentator said.

”And Wigan will have mixed feelings about that. They had the lead, VAR took it away, and now they travel to Kenilworth Road for the second leg, level and knowing that away goals don’t count for extra in this format. It’s simple. Win, and they’re at Wembley. Lose and the season is over.”

”It’s one all at the end of the ninety and now everything to play for in the second leg.”

On the pitch, Leo stood with his hands on his waist, looking at the Luton end where their players were embracing each other with the satisfaction of a side that had come away from a difficult ground with exactly what they needed.

One of the Luton players broke away from the group and came across, sticking his hands out, and Leo took it.

In the next second, Jake appeared from the tunnel end of the pitch with his puffer jacket zipped to the chin while still wearing the expression he’d had on the bench since the first whistle.

”We’ll get them away,” Jake said as he came to a halt beside Leo.

Ezra arrived alongside him without ceremony, and the three of them turned toward the tunnel with the crowd noise still present behind them but thinning now as the DW began its slow exhale into the evening.

....

Okay, guys, one thing I forgot at the start was that the playoffs, both the 2 legs of the semi-final as well as the final, are all played at Wembley. I forgot to incorporate it, and that’s why you see the DW having VAR despite that not being the case since Championship sides and the league in general don’t have VAR!