Announcer
"Ladies and Gentlemen, your Southampton team for today!!
Number 22, Maarten Stekelenburg!!!!
Number 2, Cedric Soares!!!
Number 26, Steven Caulker!!!!
Number 6, and your captain today, Jose Fonte!!!
Number 21, Ryan Bertrand!!!
Number 12, Victor Wanyama!!!
Number 4, Jordy Clasie!!!!
Number 11, Dusan Tadic!!!
Number 9, Jay Rodriguez!!!
Number 10, Sadio Mane!!!
And Number 32, Charlieeeee Austin!!!!
The sound of the announcer was ringing in my ears as I walked through the tunnel. A Wembley final, the last time I was here was with Southampton for the Johnstones Paint Trophy back in 2010. The hairs on the back of my neck were on end, how far have we come since then. The teams came out into the tunnel and Jose Fonte clapped me on the back and winked at me. "We got this boss" he said confidents as the referees led the teams out of the tunnel to deafening noise.
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Kick off! - Everton kick the game off! shooting from left to right!
22 minutes - A beautiful, flowing Southampton move had me up and out of my seat as Sadio Mane broke free and chipped Tim Howard, only to see his shot hit the post and bounce away.
27 minutes -
Martin Tyler - "Steven Pienaar lofts an ambitious cross in from the right of the penalty area. Maarten Stekelenburg leaps to claim it but disaster! hes dropped it into his own net!! its an absolute nightmare from the Saints keeper and now they have it all to do!
1-0 Everton!!"
Half Time - I stood up from my seat and walked straight down the tunnel, heading into the dressing room. I waited for the team to file in and take their seats. Sports drink and energy bars were passed around the dressing room.
"Your better than this lads!" I started, seeing some of their heads dropping. "Your letting yourselves down! actually no.. scrap that.. you are letting the fans down!! they have spent their money and used their precious free time to support you every inch of the way! and you get here and give them that cr*p!"
"But boss.." Bertrand started to say.
"No.. I dont want excuses.. I want you.. to get back out there, and play for the shirt!! play for the badge of this great club! and if you cant bring yourself to do that, do it for the fans!"
I wasnt really angry with them, the lads had done alright, but maybe that was the kick up the backside they needed to really take the game to Everton.
45 Minutes - Martin Tyler - "Bertrand.. brings it over the halfway line for Southampton. He looks up and see's the run of Mane, its played long down the wing and Mane is free, running for the byline! What can he do here... he cuts inside Coleman and squares it for chARLIE AUSTIN!!! ITS THERE! A WONDERFUL GOAL FROM SOUTHAMPTON!"
Alan Smith - "Its too easy, Austin has just cut across the front of his marker! he is unmarked in the area and has a simple side foot into the net! a gift of a goal! and we are all level here! I dont know what Rickie Lambert said to them at half time but its worked, less than 20 seconds into the 2nd half, its
Southampton 1-1 Everton."
80 Minutes - I sit in the dugout, on the edge of my seat, so tense I can barely watch. The game had simmered out into a cagey affair as neither side wanted to risk being countered.
84 Minutes - I watched as we worked the ball neatly around just inside the Everton half. Everton were sat deep and holding their shape. Bertrand lofted a cross in from deep left and it was headed away confidently by young John Stones.. now way through there.. the ball came back out to Wanyama who laid it off to Cedric with his first touch. Cedric picked his head up and curled a cross right into the mix of the penalty area. I rose from my seat as I saw the lone figure of Charlie Austin leap mightily in the box and then groaned with the red half of Wembley as I heard the ball smack against the bar. There was no way through. I was turning and walking back to my seat when Doddy grabbed my arm and pointed "Look!" he screamed. Charlie Austin was wheeling away with his arm in the air and the stadium was just waking up to what had happened. The referee, stood pointing at the centre circle. It had gone in!!! goal-line technology confirmed it!! Wembley erupted as Austin disappeared under a pile of Saints Shirts by the corner flag.
"Its gone in!!! CHARLIE AUSTIN!" I could hear Martin Tyler screaming from an ipad, blaring its commentary. Was this really happening? this was no time to celebrate. I rushed to the touchline and started shouting at my players "Hold your shape! give them absolutely nothing!!!!"
93 Minutes - The final whistle! we had done it! Red and White confetti had been released from the roof and the noise was simply deafening as the substitutes and support staff rushed onto the pitch with the players. I wiped the tears from my eyes as I joined them on the pitch, my arms in the air, clapping the support.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THE WINNERS OF THE 2014/15 CAPITAL ONE CUP! SOUTHAMPTOONNNNNN!!!!"
[video=youtube;TQOrHaaY3Mo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQOrHaaY3Mo[/video]
was happy with 7 mil for him