Football singularity

Chapter 309 309 Redemption

[32]

The roar of the Hearts fans still echoed around the stadium as Celtic lined up for the restart. Edouard stood over the ball, his expression stern, ready to make amends for the chances he'd missed earlier. He could vaguely hear the shout of Bain telling his defenders to remain sharp as he clapped his gloves. Despite feeling like the world was against him Edouard remained professional and passed the ball back to the feet of Rogic.

Rogic controlled the ball, glancing up to survey his options. The Hearts players had already fallen back into a compact shape, clogging the midfield and forcing Celtic to work harder for space. It was only their striker who put in effort to win the ball as he came charging towards him. Rogic felt the pressure building as the Hearts striker closed in, his boots pounding the turf.

He sidestepped with a smooth feint, drawing the striker just far enough to flick a pass to McGregor, who was positioned deeper in the midfield. McGregor took the ball under control and quickly scanned the field, noticing Celtic's wingers hugging the touchlines, trying to stretch the compact Hearts defence. He wasted no time in sending a crisp pass to Forrest on the right flank knowing it was easier to break a defensive team on the wing.

James calmly received the ball brining it under his control as he started dribbling forward but to his dismay Mulraney made no effort to close him down. He simply held his position waiting for him to get close enough so he could be surrounded by nearby Hearts players. Seeing this Forrest performed a few stepovers as he accelerated towards him trying to get him to bite but Mulraney remained composed.

Simply angling his body towards the flank as Forrest approached, he performed text book defensive skills. The Celtic winger wanted to take him on but upon seeing Djoum and Hickey tightening up the angles he knew if he took the bait, he'd most likely lose the ball. Stopping in the last moment he was forced to pass the ball back to Brown before he could lose it to the hearts players in front of him.

Forrest wasn't the only one to stumble under the Hearts defensive tactics as the boys in green found themselves struggling to break into the final third of the pitch. Hearts new compact defensive style changed the entire floe of the match as despite Celtic having the bulk of possession they couldn't launch an attack.

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[37]

McGregor moved the ball quickly to Brown in the centre of the park, the Celtic captain raising his head to assess the Hearts defence. Their compact shape still held firm, every gap seemingly filled by a maroon shirt. With no obvious openings through the middle, Brown pivoted and knocked a diagonal pass back to Ajer, urging his teammate forward.

Ajer advanced cautiously, nudging the ball ahead as Hearts retreated, but the moment he crossed the halfway line, Clare and MacLean burst out from their positions, closing him down. Ajer didn't hesitate, sending a sharp ball into the feet of Edouard, who had dropped deeper to create space. Edouard turned swiftly, holding off the tight pressure from Haring with his body. He flicked the ball out wide to Johnston on the left wing, who surged forward with purpose. The Celtic fans in the stands urged him on, sensing an opportunity.

Johnston took the ball in stride, accelerating as he bore down on the Hearts right-back Smith. Smith didn't commit, holding his ground, waiting for Johnston to make the first move. The Celtic Winger feinted to the inside but then pushed the ball down the line with a sudden burst of speed. He managed to beat Smith for pace, driving towards the byline, but as he looked up to cross, Souttar slid in from the side, executing a perfect block to send the ball out for a corner.

"Brilliant recovery from Souttar!" Roy exclaimed. "He was calmly waiting for his opportunity when the winger was facing Smith and didn't disappoint when he got the chance."

[39]

The Celtic corner was a rare opportunity to break through Hearts' stubborn defence. Rogic jogged over to take the corner, positioning the ball with deliberate care. The tension in the stadium once again rosea as Celtic fans held their breath, hoping for an equalizer. Players jostled for position inside the box, with Ajer and Simunovic making their presence known, towering over Hearts' defenders.

Rogic surveyed the penalty area before stepping back. With a smooth motion, he whipped the ball into the box, the delivery spinning dangerously towards the far post. Ajer timed his run perfectly, leaping above the pack of maroon shirts, meeting the ball with a powerful header. The ball rocketed towards goal, but Zlamal was equal to it, diving low to his right to make an excellent save. Berra didn't disappoint him as he launched the ball up the field ending the danger that they were in.

"Great effort, but Zlamal keeps his side ahead with an impressive stop!" Callum McDonald exclaimed, his voice rising with the excitement of the moment. Zlamal's quick reaction was met with cheers from the Hearts supporters, their relief visible as the danger was cleared. The Celtic fans could only stare at the man in anger at denying them yet another goal, but they were forced to accept it in the end.

Seeing his team struggle in the match Lennon stepped up to the sidelines and started shouting instructions. His players were too rushed for his likening and he let them know that wanting a more controlled approach going forward. His instructions worked wonders for morale as he watched them ping the ball about with much more calmness.

[42]

Scott dropped back towards his defensive line picking up the ball from Simunovic before slowly dribbling forward. He could hear his teams fans shouting for him to attack and he wanted to give them that, but it was proving harder than usual. Crossing the halfway line, he faked a pass to McGregor before nimbly accelerating past MacLean.

He was just about to continue or send a pass to one of his wingers until he spotted a passing lane open up. Edouard noticed this too raising his hand and immediately started running towards where he expects the ball. He wasn't left disappointed as Brown didn't hesitate in pulling the trigger sending a weighted pass through the figures of Hearts players.

The ball travelled at speed that left the Hearts player a second behind when they attempted intercept it. In the next second it reached the Celtic striker as he rushed in-between, they are of Souttar and smith. Edouard didn't break the momentum of the ball instead piercing into the box with it leaving the defenders a step behind.

Moving it just a step beyond his right foot he scanned the goalies position, instantly noticing how he was trying to shut down the near angle as he charged out. He didn't mind this though as he had already chosen where he wants to send the ball. No longer hesitating he swung his right foot smashing it powerfully with the inside of his foot sending it sweeping towards the far right corner.

As Edouard struck the ball, time seemed to slow down. The stadium collectively held its breath, watching as the ball arced towards the far post. Zlamal lunged, fully extending himself in a desperate attempt to parry it away, but he was too late. The ball nestled into the bottom corner of the net, rippling the side netting as Edouard wheeled away in celebration.

The Celtic fans erupted into cheers, their voices drowning out the groans of the Hearts supporters. Edouard's teammates rushed to him, swarming around him as he pointed to the sky, relief and joy etched on his face. The score now read Hearts 1 and Celtic 1 bringing them back on level terms allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief as some of the pressure that had been on them dissipated.

"Edouard makes amends!" Callum McDonald shouted into his mic, barely audible over the noise. "A cool, composed finish from the Celtic striker to finally break down this resilient Hearts defence!"

"That was textbook from Edouard," Roy Townsley added. "He timed his run perfectly, and the pass from Brown was inch-perfect. You can't give a player like Edouard that kind of space in the box—he'll punish you every time."

On the sidelines, Lennon clenched his fist, a mixture of relief and satisfaction washing over him as the equalizer brought Celtic back into the game. The momentum had shifted, and now his team was back on level terms.

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To Be Continued...