The whistle hadn't even blown for the free kick before Jake Ashbourne felt the system flare to life.
The Experience Card shimmered in his mind. Without hesitation, he clicked Use.
Instantly, his vision changed.
Dozens of glowing circles appeared in front of the Watford goal — each marked with a number.
The circles were target zones.
The numbers? The probability of scoring from that spot.
The near post was heavily guarded — low percentage.
But the top-right far corner… 90%.
The perfect kill shot.
Passing? Not worth it. The system's pathing showed the odds were too low. This was his chance.
Jake stepped back, measuring his run-up. Took a deep breath.
Please… let this be one of the ninety percent moments.
---
The crowd sensed something.
"Looks like Ashbourne's taking it himself…"
"He's staring at that goal like he's already scored."
Even the Middlesbrough fans — knuckles white, eyes wide — held their breath.
No one thought he'd go for goal from this distance. Everyone expected a clever pass to Onajeke or Ter.
Jake sprinted up.
His boot struck the ball with crisp precision.
And then —
"It's a shot!"
"Top corner?! No way!"
The ball screamed through the air, dipped at the last second, and curled just inside the top-right post.
The Watford keeper read it early — but the drop was brutal. He stretched full length, fingertips grazing leather, but it wasn't enough.
GOAL!
---
The Riverside exploded.
Fans leapt to their feet, scarves waving, voices cracking as they screamed:
"Jake! Jake! Jake!"
Jake turned to the stands, arms raised.
For a second, the noise was so deafening it was almost silent in his head.
Then the sound came rushing back, like a wave.
Teammates swarmed him, thumping his back, ruffling his hair.
Finally — after being pinned for half an hour — Middles could breathe.
Mark Marrow punched the air on the touchline.
He hadn't expected Jake to have that kind of set-piece in his locker.
Future tactics just got a whole lot more dangerous.
---
Watford's bench was rattled. Their coach barked orders, signaling for more aggressive pressure. He knew Middles' backline wasn't impenetrable — but now he had to shackle Ashbourne, too.
Whether it was the goal or the sudden surge of belief, Middles saw out the rest of the half without giving Watford a sniff.
Halftime: 1–0.
---
In the dressing room, Marrow clapped his hands hard.
"Hold firm. Work with Jake. Get the ball to Ter and Onajeke.
And for God's sake — move. Don't stand like statues waiting for the ball."
The second half kicked off with Watford's new plan clear — press Jake every time he touched the ball, then shove him after he passed it.
Small fouls, never enough for a card, but enough to smear grass stains across his shirt.
Jake didn't rise to it.
Instead, he started drifting — never in one spot long enough to be marked, never giving them the fight they wanted.
His movement pulled Watford's shape apart like loose thread.
The commentary caught it.
"Ashbourne's playing smart — avoiding contact, making the ball do the work, and dragging Watford's midfield into uncomfortable spaces."
---
By the 80th minute, Watford were visibly frustrated.
They had the ball, but no way through.
Middlesbrough's back line held, Onajeke waited up top, and Jake patrolled the middle like a ghost they couldn't catch.
The Watford midfielders looked like men chasing smoke — always close, never touching.
It was driving them mad.
An embarrassing situation for Watford.
Jake Ashbourne had been waiting, watching. He knew the moment they made their final choice, the game would swing.
That choice came in the 72nd minute.
Watford pulled off a midfielder and threw on a striker.
Jake smiled to himself.
There it is.
They weren't settling for a narrow defeat. They wanted to claw it back, maybe even steal a win. But with their shape stretched… it was the opening Jake had been waiting for.
He caught Onajeke's eye.
The striker nodded. No words needed.
---
Watford's full press kicked in. With so many forward, Jake suddenly had only one man tracking him. The rest pushed high, desperate.
From the wing, Watford broke forward, whipped in a dangerous cross.
The Riverside roared — but Middles' defence stood firm.
Ogilvy rose like a tower, met the ball with a clean header, and cleared.
It fell to a Watford midfielder at the edge of the box. He lashed a volley — straight into the keeper's arms.
Our keeper stayed down for a second, clutching the ball, letting the seconds tick. Then, with a big wave, he signaled everyone up the pitch.
---
As he prepared to launch long, Jake gestured for the ball. The keeper hesitated — risky, deep in his own half — but instead rolled it to Epson.
Epson barely took a touch before feeding it into Jake's path.
Jake didn't waste a heartbeat. Sliding in with a low, driven pass that split Watford's high line, he released both Tell and Onajeke at once — double trouble.
Tell slowed his run just enough to drag one defender out of position. That was all Onajeke needed.
The Nigerian striker surged through, eyes locked on goal. One touch. Shot.
GOAL!
2–0. Game over.
---
The Riverside erupted.
"Another Ashbourne–Onajeke link-up! Brilliant football!"
Mark Marrow punched the air on the touchline.
Middlesbrough fans sang in unison, voices cracking from joy.
---
When the final whistle blew, the players collapsed into embraces. The stands shook like the whole stadium was alive.
Marrow bellowed from the touchline, fist raised:
"We won!"
Back-to-back victories. Six huge points. Out of the relegation zone.
---
Post-match, reporters swarmed.
When asked about Jake's stunning set piece earlier in the game, Marrow shrugged with a grin:
"Epson was meant to take it, but Jake said he was sure. I trust my players — especially when they're that confident."
He didn't stop there.
"Watford are strong, maybe the best we've faced so far. But Jake… Jake's got Premier League quality, no question. And Onajeke? He killed the game with that goal."
---
The next morning, the papers were flooded with headlines:
"One pass, one goal — Jake Ashbourne shines in the Championship!"
"Riverside finds its prince."
"Genius midfielder lights up Middlesbrough."
Even Onajeke had his moment:
"The goal machine delivers again — top clubs take notice."
The mood in training was electric. Mark Marrow held up the newspapers.
"Play like this, and no one will remember the bad days."
---
Round 15 – Rotherham (Away)
Rotherham, also stuck near the bottom, were there for the taking. Jake started again, racking up two assists in a 3–0 win.
By the 60th minute, with the game safe, Marrow gave him a rest.
---
Back at the dorm, Jake lay on his bed, feeling the system's familiar pulse.
+5 Attribute Points.
Then — a new notification.
[Accumulate 25 attribute points to unlock a new attribute slot]
He'd done it. Time to choose.
Two glowing options appeared:
[Positional Play]
[Speed]
Jake grinned. Another step forward in his rise.