Free Tiger Boots by Joe O'Brien

from Danny.
    Darren Lyons, the under sixteen’s number nine, nominated himself to jump against Danny for the throw in. Darren was determined to show the Hammer how not to be made a fool of by a younger club player.
    Danny asked Jonathon if he wanted to jump; once Danny had one hundred per cent convinced Jonathon that he wouldn’t have to face the Hammer, Jonathon accepted.
    The whistle was blown and the second half was away.
    Darren Lyons easily beat Jonathon to the ball, but Jonathon put a fair challenge to him and the ball fell lose into the path of Danny and the Hammer.
    The Hammer had been watching Danny carefully in the first half and had learnt a thing or two about this new sport he had chosen to play.
    The Hammer craftily turned his back to Danny and shielded the ball from the Crokes’ captain.
    Danny, who never pulled out of a challenge and gave everything to win every ball, crashed into the Hammer’s back side and was sent tumbling head first across the middle of the field.
    ‘Is he alright?’ gasped Jimmy.
    Mick watched, worried, as Danny slowly picked himself up. He was a bit shaken, but not injured.
    ‘Watch this, Jimmy.’ Mick smiled with relief.
    Danny shook himself off as he got to his feet, and nodded over toward the Hammer with a smile.
    The Hammer had sent a good solid pass up field to his forward line, and then turned around to see if Danny was okay. Danny knew that Hammer Hughes wasn’t like Sean ‘Dirty’ Dempsey or Deco Savage. He had respect for his opponent no matter what the sport.
    Danny gave the Hammer a thumbs up, then sprinted to help his defence keep the under sixteen’s from scoring yet again. 
    Big Johnner Purcell was the first to show that he had taken on board every word that Danny had said when he threw himself, hands first, at a thundering shot from the under sixteen’s centre full forward to reflect the ball away from goal and into the path of Darren Ward, Crokes’ right halfback.
    The Crokes’ number five heard Danny calling for the ball. Danny had found a free space between two of the under sixteen’s players. Darren Ward lobbed a lovely pass over the under sixteen’s number twelve, straight into Danny’s hands.
    Danny turned sharply and went on a Danny solo.
    Hammer Hughes lunged himself towards Danny, trying to knock Danny and the ball to the ground, but Danny clipped the ball over the Hammer’s head, and like lightning, he side-stepped to his left, leaving the Hammer to fall face first and skid along the grass.
    The Hammer rolled over and sat bolt up. He looked like a soldier camouflaged from head to toe in mud.
    Billy Stapleton laughed so loud that he could be heard from both ends of the pitch, but he swiftly shut up and turned his head away and began whistling as soon as he realised that the Hammer was staring over at him.
    As Danny powered towards the goal, he seemed to pick up momentum.
    ‘Over here Danny!’ Doyler called. He had left his player and moved into the space between Splinter and Barry Sweeney.
    Danny lobbed a perfect pass over Doyler’s marker, the under sixteen’s centre halfback.
    Doyler caught the ball, then took one quick look at goal and had a shot.
    Doyler’s shot fell short, and Barry Sweeney charged in to win the ball against the under sixteen’s goalkeeper and full back. The goalkeeper bravely lunged himself at the ball, punching it away from goal.
    The ball flew through the air towards Danny. Danny caught the ball and like Doyler, took one quick glance at goal.
    Danny released the ball and hooked it around the chaos in front of the goalmouth, smashing it into the top right corner of the net.
    ‘GOAL!’ Jimmy screamed as he and Larry both danced around Mick.
    Heffo saw all the excitement and wanted to join in so he spun around the training bag, barking like mad until eventually, there was no more lead. The team mascot decided that it would be more fun to resume chewing on the straps of the bag, and occasionally stopping to snarl at