Hot-Shot Harry Read Free Page A

was brilliant. She dived low to her left to grab the ball, snuggling it to her chest so that it could not escape.
    â€œTop stop, Charlie!” Harry shouted.

    â€œTo me, Charlie!” cried Leela as the goalie got back to her feet.
    Charlie rolled the ball into Leela’s path. Two York players tried to trip Leela as she sprinted forward, but her speed and balance fooled them. Glancing up, she saw that Harry had found space to her left.
    Her pass was perfect. Harry did not even have to control the ball and he hit it firmly, past the York keeper.
    â€œHot-shot!” he bellowed at the top of his voice.

    At full-time, the teams were still locked at 2–2.
    â€œThere will now be a shoot-out to decide which school goes through to the Final,” called the referee. “Choose three players to take the penalties.”
    Mrs Phillips had already made her choice, Gateway’s main scorers – Oliver, Leela and Harry.
    â€œDo these goals count for the sponsor money?” asked Oliver.
    â€œCourse they do,” Harry said firmly. “Goals are goals!”
    Oliver took the first spot-kick, but he sent the ball high over the crossbar.
    Harry glared at him. “Great!” he said nastily. “Thanks a bunch.”
    The first York kicker also missed with a wild shot, and then it was Leela’s turn.
    â€œKeep it low,” hissed Harry as Leela walked by him, trying not to show how nervous she felt.
    Her hands were shaking as she settled the ball on the penalty spot.
    She met the keeper’s eye on purpose, and flicked a glance towards the bottom corner of the goal, to his right.

    The boy thought it was a trick and dived to his left, but it was a double bluff. The ball zipped into the other corner. Leela threw her arms up into the air in relief.

    â€œOne-nil to Gateway,” called the referee.
    Thirty seconds later it was one goal each. Charlotte had dived the wrong way too.
    Harry showed no sign of nerves. He didn’t have special tricks for penalties, like Leela’s mind-games. He simply pretended that the goalie was not there. He always practised penalties without one and now he kicked the ball as hard as he could. The keeper jumped out of the way!
    â€œTwo–one to Gateway.”

    York took their last shot. It was a hard ball too, and Charlotte was not as sensible as the York keeper. She blocked the fierce shot with her right hand.
    Gateway had won the semi-final!

    Charlotte’s cry of pain was lost in the crowd’s cheers. Her team-mates all jumped on top of her.
    It was only when she didn’t get up that they realised she had been hurt. It wasn’t her ankle this time, but her hand.
    â€œI’ve bust my little finger,” she wailed.
    It was dislocated. A first-aid attendant put the finger back into position, but it was still very sore.
    â€œNo Final for you, I’m afraid,” Mrs Phillips told her. “Somebody else will have to go in goal.”
    â€œDon’t look at me,” said Ravi.
    â€œI’ll do it,” Harry said, to everyone’s surprise. “Captain’s duty.”

Chapter Six

The Final
    â€œThey say all goalies are crazy,” Leela told Charlotte. “And Harry sure is crazy!”
    Charlotte gave a weak smile. “Well, that’s a good start, then.”
    â€œWe’re going to miss you in the Final,” Leela said.
    â€œJust make sure you win,” Charlotte said. “I don’t want to go home with a losers’ medal.”
    Leela nodded. “But Ashfield beat us 2–0 in the last round, and they won their semi-final pretty easy, too.”

    Leela was right. The all-boys’ squad of Ashfield School was full of confidence.
    They even ran onto the pitch in an arrow-shaped formation. Then they did some warm-up exercises.
    â€œHuh! Just look at that load of dummies!” scoffed Harry. “Who do they think they’re going to impress?”
    â€œUs, probably,”