Penalty

Nobody ever forgets their first real penalty kick in a school match.

After years spent jeering the professionals on TV who have their penalty saved or who shank the ball into row Z in the stands, now it's your turn.

You've rehearsed it in your head and you've practiced with your mates on the back field and the garden with jumpers for goalposts. You might hit it low and to the left, or into the top right corner. Or maybe just wait for the keeper to dive and then dink it over him.

And then you put the ball on the spot.

Flaming hell, it's a lot further away from the goal than you thought. And the goals look really small, and the keeper really big.

Then the whistle blows.

And you hoof it over the bar.