Harbinger Of Glory

McClean set the ball down and stepped back a few paces, giving himself room to deliver the ball.

Leo, meanwhile, kept moving upfield, passing the first line of Burnley’s defence as though he had little interest in the restart.

That changed the shape of the home side’s defensive line.

Two players glanced at Leo, while another edged away from his marker, wary that the Wigan midfielder might suddenly burst into space.

No one wanted to lose sight of him, especially with the ball about to be sent into an area where a single touch could change the game.

When the referee allowed play to restart, James McClean began his run and struck a through ball, sending it high and deep into Burnley’s half.

Leo tilted his head back as he tracked its flight.

The ball descended towards a cluster of players, and one of Burnley’s defenders called for his teammate to leave it as he moved underneath it.

It seemed like a no-contest for Wigan, but Leo ignored the shout and accelerated into the challenge before springing up to reach the ball first.

And just as expected, he lost the aerial duel.

Josh Brownhill got there ahead of him, winning the header and sending the ball away from the immediate danger.

Leo came down awkwardly, but he caught himself with both hands against the wet turf.

Before Brownhill could turn to see where the ball had gone, Leo was already pushing himself upright.

He sprang back into the chase and saw the scene.

Ahead of him, Reyes was struggling to keep his balance as he tried to reach the loose ball.

He managed to get a touch on it just before going down, nudging it towards Leo as he fell.

The pass was hardly ideal, but it was enough to bring the ball within reach.

Leo glanced over his shoulder as he closed down the ball.

Brownhill was closing from behind, while another Burnley player was approaching from the opposite side.

They were converging quickly, narrowing the space around him.

If Leo waited for them to arrive, he would have to fight his way out of a challenge with little room to manoeuvre.

So he made the first move.

His body leaned to the left, and his right leg curled around the ball as though he intended to drive towards the teammate who had just played it to him.

Brownhill read the movement and reacted immediately, shifting his weight across to block the route.

But Leo had never intended to go that way.

At the last moment, he pulled the ball across with his right foot and switched it onto his left.

The movement was so quick that Brownhill was already committing himself before he realised the ball had gone in the opposite direction.

Leo then dragged it backwards with the sole of his left boot, allowing it to slip through the narrowing space between the midfielder’s legs.

Brownhill tried to bring his feet together, but the ball was already beyond him.

A ripple of surprise travelled around the stadium.

The away supporters rose from their seats in excitement as Leo darted around Brownhill, leaving the Burnley midfielder turning in place and trying to recover.

For a moment, the move seemed to have opened everything up.

Leo accelerated into space, ready to collect the ball again, but Reyes got to it first.

The Portuguese midfielder had recovered from his fall and was now in a position to carry the attack forward.

Leo immediately changed direction, darting towards the left side of the penalty area.

He saw the space and knew Reyes had seen his run, but, to his surprise, or not, the return pass never came.

Instead, Reyes shifted the ball onto his right foot and struck from the edge of the area.

”Reyes with the shot,” the main commentator bellowed as the ball, lashed across the wet grass, narrowly missing the post before disappearing behind the goal.

Leo watched it and then slowed to a halt.

For a second, he stayed put, watching the ball roll out of play.

The burst of adrenaline that had carried him past Brownhill drained away, leaving him bent forward with his hands resting briefly on his knees.

He had beaten two players, escaped the pressure and found himself in a position to hurt Burnley.

He had done the hard part, and all he needed was the return pass, but it didn’t come.

”Oh, that was a chance! Leo Calderon has done brilliantly to get them out of trouble there. Brownhill thought he had him, but look at the way he shifts the ball. He’s gone before Brownhill can even get his feet together!”

As his partner spoke, the co-commentator shook his head.

”Reyes has to take another look there. I understand why he wants to shoot, but Leo’s body language is telling him everything.

He’s gone beyond the defender; he’s moving into space, and he’s asking for the ball. If Reyes slips that back into his path, Wigan might have a much better opportunity. Instead, he’s rushed the finish.”

As they spoke, the camera found Reyes turning towards Leo.

Their eyes met briefly, and the midfielder seemed to understand what had been missed.

Leo was already jogging back into position, without complaint.

There was little point in standing around arguing when the match was still there to be won.

Reyes turned away and walked towards his position as Burnley prepared to restart.

On the touchline, Dawson slowly rolled his head from side to side, then let out a breath.

”That’s it,” he muttered.

When he said that, he turned towards the bench and gestured to Tiehi, who had been warming up.

”Get yourself ready.”

At that, Tiehi immediately began pulling off his training top.

The manager’s decision had been made, and the next stoppage would provide the opportunity to make the change.

A few minutes later, the opportunity came when a challenge near the touchline sent the ball out of play.

The Wigan supporters watched the fourth official prepare the board, many expecting Max Power’s number to appear.

Tiehi had been warming up for a while, and Power had been doing much of the defensive work in midfield.

It seemed like the obvious substitution, but when the board went up, Reyes was called off.

The Portuguese midfielder looked towards the touchline, visibly surprised.

He had been involved in the attack that had nearly put Wigan ahead, and he had clearly hoped to remain on the pitch.

Deep down, though, he knew he’d been selfish the whole game.

From the start, he’d made plays he wouldn’t normally make, and he was doing it in this game, hurting Wigan’s chances.

He was sure the chance he took instead of finding Leo was the last straw for Dawson.

Still, he understood the reason, not that he was pleased with it.

Reyes jogged towards the sideline and passed Tiehi without a word.

Then went by Dawson and continued towards the bench.

As he reached his seat, he kicked lightly at an ice chest beside the technical area before dropping into his place.

Dawson watched him quietly, then turned back to the pitch.

There were more pressing matters than a tantrum.