CHAPTER 52: AGAINST THE RUN OF PLAY.

The door to the coach hissed open, and Leo stepped down onto the concrete.

The air was different there — colder, sharper, the way underground places always smelled of damp steel and anticipation.

Above him, the muffled roar of the crowd rolled like distant thunder. Not constant — alive. Swelling and dropping with every cheer, every echo of the stadium announcer’s voice hyping the home end.

He could feel it under his boots.

The hum of thousands.

He swallowed.

Then, someone, a member of QPR staff in a navy track jacket, appeared at the ramp and motioned.

"This way, gents. Straight to the away room."

The team began moving, kit bags slung, expressions calm but unreadable. Leo stayed close to the middle of the group.

He caught glimpses as they moved — a flash of green pitch through a hallway gap, rows of blue and white shirts filling the stands, kids waving flags.

The announcer’s voice cracked over the system, followed by a cheer.

They were in enemy territory now, and it wasn’t glamorous.

Fluorescent lights, two long benches, wall hooks.

Bottles of electrolyte drinks in crates.

A whiteboard with formations scribbled across it.

A mounted flatscreen showing the tunnel feed — empty for now.

Leo took it in slowly, finding a spot along the left side of the room.

Players were already getting changed or sitting in silence with headphones on.

Some were stretching, others quietly chatting.

No music yet — just the low, collective breath before the real noise.

Dawson stepped into the centre.

"Settle in and start prepping."

That was all.

The kit bundle had arrived five minutes ago, and Leo sat on the edge of the bench, jersey number 22 folded beside him, his name stitched across the back like it had always belonged there — CALDERÓN.

He wanted to put it on, even grabbed the fray of the jersey, but it wasn’t time yet.

Instead, he reached for the training bib marked for non-starters — bright blue, lightweight, and the unmistakable crest of Wigan knitted into it.

"Let’s go," one of the assistants called from the door.

"Subs warming up."

Leo stood as Chris Sze walked beside him, pulling his bib down over his chest as they headed out through the side tunnel.

"You alright?" Chris asked.

"Yeah," Leo said, though his mouth was dry.

"You’re gripping that water bottle like it owes you money."

Leo smirked faintly and then let go.

His fingers were shaking just a little.

The tunnel eventually spat them out into sunlight and sound.

The roar from the home end hit like a wave, not deafening, but dense.

About 15,000 strong and growing louder by the minute.

Flags waved.

Drums pounded.

Someone shouted a name Leo didn’t recognize and was answered by a chorus of boos.

And then they stepped onto the grass.

Loftus Road wasn’t the biggest stadium he’d ever seen.

But today, it felt massive.

Every stand felt close, every voice pointed.

A proper pressure cooker.

Leo followed the others to the far side of the pitch.

The starters were already out, doing tight passing drills near midfield.

The subs lined up for their own routine — light jogs, heel flicks, side shuffles.

From the other side of the pitch, Dawson turned briefly as the warmups continued, eyes sweeping across the squad.

His gaze landed on Leo.

Just for a second.

And then moved on.

After a while, the subs were back on the bench, bibs still on, chests rising and falling from warmups.

Leo took his spot near the end, between Chris Sze and a keeper from the academy who’d gotten the third-string nod.

The seats were cold.

Narrow and Old-school.

He rested his elbows on his knees and glanced toward the dugout ahead.

There, Dawson stood motionless near the touchline, arms folded, speaking low to one of the assistants.

You didn’t need to hear the words to catch the tone. He looked focused and tight, like a man trying to control the size of a leak with duct tape and some good faith.

Up in the stands, the away section had filled out — a few hundred Wigan fans in navy, loud even when outnumbered.

The rest of the stadium buzzed with that strange matchday blend of casual impatience and electric hope.

Soon after, the announcer rattled off QPR’s starting XI to a thunder of cheers, his voice booming and cheerful like nothing was riding on this game.

But everyone knew differently.

The two matchday commentators sat perched behind glass, earpieces in, scripts half-read.

"Wigan," one of them said, voice measured, "have their backs to the wall today. Four straight losses. Injuries piling up. You can point to the bad luck, sure — but at this point in the season, results are results."

His partner nodded.

"This is where a manager earns his wage. Strip it down. Keep things tight. Fight for the ugly points."

"Well, we will have to wait till the end of the ninety to figure out what’s going to happen."

A roar swept through the stands like a gust of wind as the starters began coming out.

Leo leaned forward as the tunnel came to life.

QPR’s players led the charge, blue and white kits crisp, boots gleaming.

Then Wigan followed — heads down, faces steeled.

A few exchanged shoulder bumps, last words, and quick nods.

The announcer’s voice soared over the noise.

"Ladies and gentlemen — it’s matchday!"

The opening whistle sounded like a starting gun, and for a moment, everything went silent like the fans were bubbling before their deafening roar came next.

QPR’s back line immediately stretched wide, their centre-backs fanning out to invite pressure.

But it wasn’t casual.

Their midfielders demanded the ball with confident turns, clean first touches and no hesitations.

From the bench, Leo watched every movement.

This wasn’t youth football.

This was something else entirely.

Bodies moved quicker, but not sloppier.

Decisions were made before the ball even arrived.

There was no drifting out of shape, no lazy recovery runs.

Every step, every shout, every press had purpose.

"QPR looking to pin Wigan early here — lots of energy in the opening exchanges. They’ve set a high line, keeping their wingbacks pushed right up against the touchlines."

The ball zipped across the grass — sharp one-twos, layoffs around the corner, men in motion before Wigan could settle.

A half-chance came in the 6th minute.

QPR’s number ten drifted into the left channel, turned past a defender like he wasn’t there, and curled a shot low to the far post.

Leo tensed on the bench like he was the keeper, but the actual one made a full-stretch save and pushed it wide.

Gasps from the home end rang, and a few fans were already on their feet.

But the scoreboard stayed untouched.

Dawson paced in front of the technical area, shouting short and clipped words to his midfielders.

One of the assistants beside Nolan pulled a note from his pocket, already preparing adjustments.

"Good early test for Wigan’s defence — they’re sitting in a 4-5-1 out of possession, looking to absorb pressure. Dawson won’t want this kind of siege to last, though."

QPR had their foot on the gas.

Diagonals over the top, midfield rotations, a flurry of half-spaces that seemed to open and close within seconds.

The home fans were starting to believe.

At minute 13, Wigan got sloppy.

A clearance scuffed into midfield and QPR pounced.

The ball fell to their winger, who ghosted into the box and cut it back dangerously.

Another shot.

Blocked.

And the follow-up saved.

Clapping broke out from the away bench.

Leo’s heart beat harder.

This wasn’t child’s play.

"You can feel the nerves in this Wigan side. A lot of young players out there, and it’s showing in these early moments. But credit to them — they’re hanging on."

By the 18th minute, the match tilted slightly.

Wigan finally broke into QPR’s half with intent.

One throw-in became a corner.

The corner nearly became a flicked-on chance but was punched away by the keeper before the Wigan striker could have any thoughts.

The clock ticked toward 25’ and Wigan started to hold possession longer — not much, but enough to stall the tide.

And then QPR made their first mistake.

Wigan’s right midfielder and Captain, Darikwa, pounced and intercepted cleanly, and then surged forward, shrugging off the nearest challenge.

"Oh, that’s a giveaway! And Wigan look to break — they’ve got numbers here!"

Darikwa shuffled the ball between his legs before slipping it ahead of Keane, Agawho just let the ball run past him.

James Mclean, silent since the start of the match, suddenly popped out of the left flank and took the ball cleanly before driving inwards.

The QPR defender stuck out a foot hoping to foul Mclean, but he jumped over the challenge and nudged the ball forward, and next, his second touch drove the ball across the grass, skipping like a stone.

It slipped past the keeper’s gloves and into the corner.

GOAL.

A sudden roar from the away end — defiant and outnumbered, but full of belief.

"James McClean! Against the run of play,y and it’s the visitors who strike first! A cool finish from the veteran — and Wigan lead at Loftus Road!"

The Wigan bench stood as one.

Leo clapped twice, then again as the noise around him faded for a second.

Whatever else McClean was — brash, blunt, maybe even hostile — he’d just silenced fifteen thousand with one decision.