The seventy-first minute began with Foxmere having the ball, but they didn’t have it for long. Noah Mbete-Sekou, playing in the holding role, intercepted a weak pass with ease. He didn’t just pass the ball; he drove forward, showing the physical power Maddox had praised in training.

Mbete-Sekou played a sharp ball to Ishaan Bhatt. Bhatt, who had been a key player in the previous match, was playing with a point to prove. He turned his marker with a "Cruyff" turn and sprayed a forty-yard pass out to the right wing.

Ollie Pritchard was onto it. His pace was frightening. He reached the ball before it could go out of play and immediately ran at the Foxmere left-back. The defender, who was already suffering from cramps, couldn’t even get close. Pritchard burst past him and whipped in a low cross.

Zayn Carter was waiting. He didn’t go for a header. He controlled the ball on his thigh, turned his body in mid-air, and fired a volley toward the roof of the net. The keeper made a reflex save, but the power was too much. The ball hit the underside of the bar and bounced down.

[> "CARTER!" <] Michael Harrison yelled. [> "Did it cross the line? The referee is looking, yes! GOAL!" <]

Fweeeee!

[> "Five-nil!" <] Peter Walsh shouted. [> "Zayn Carter scores within two minutes of coming on! The fresh legs are absolutely punishing Foxmere now." <]

[> "The gap in quality is widening by the second," <] Michael Harrison noted. [> "Northcastle are playing with a terrifying intensity. They aren’t just winning; they are dominating." <]

Maddox leaned against the dugout, his arms crossed. He watched the new group celebrate. This was the depth he needed for the Ascension League. If a starter got injured or lost form, he had a hungry replacement ready to step in without a drop in quality.

In the seventy-third minute, the Red Team, as they were now basically playing as, showed their own version of the Maddox press. As soon as Foxmere tried to play out from the back, Myles Garrison and Ollie Pritchard squeezed the wing-backs, while Bhatt and Alden cut off the passing lanes to the midfield.

Foxmere’s Miller tried to clear it long, but Finnley Mayers, the young center-back, rose high to win the header. He directed it to Toby Kuipers, who played a quick one-two with Reece Alden.

[> "The passing is so crisp," <] Michael Harrison said. [> "Alden and Bhatt are playing like they’ve been teammates for a decade. The understanding in this squad is incredible." <]

[> "Maddox has them all reading from the same playbook," <] Peter Walsh agreed. [> "It doesn’t matter who is on the pitch; the system remains the same. High press, quick transitions, and clinical finishing." <]

The seventy-fifth minute saw another Northcastle attack. Reece Alden picked up the ball in the ’number ten’ role. He saw Jonny Dacres overlapping from right-back. Alden played a disguised reverse pass that put Dacres in behind the defense.

Dacres didn’t cross blindly. He looked up and saw Bhatt arriving at the edge of the box. He cut the ball back. Bhatt took a touch, feinted a shot to send a defender sliding past, and then curled a ball toward the far post. It was heading in, but the Foxmere keeper, who was performing miracles despite the scoreline, managed to tip it around the post.

[> "Another world-class save!" <] Michael Harrison screamed. [> "If it wasn’t for this keeper, Foxmere would be double digits down by now." <]

[> "He’s been their best player by a mile," <] Peter Walsh noted. [> "But he’s a lonely man back there. His defense has completely evaporated." <]

The corner was taken by Ishaan Bhatt. He whipped it in with pace. Will van Drunen rose at the near post, his header flicking the ball toward the back post where Noah Mbete-Sekou was waiting. Mbete-Sekou tried a header, but it was blocked. The ball fell to Mayers, whose shot was also blocked.

The ball was bouncing around the six-yard box like a pinball. Finally, a Foxmere defender managed to hoof it clear.

The seventy-seventh minute was a display of defensive solidity from the new backline. Foxmere managed to win a free kick near the halfway line and sent their big men forward for one last attempt at a consolation goal. The ball was pumped into the box.

Finnley Mayers didn’t just clear it; he attacked the ball. He rose above the Foxmere striker and headed it with such force that it traveled thirty yards back into the midfield. Toby Kuipers collected it and immediately looked for the counter-attack.

He found Ollie Pritchard, who was already sprinting. Pritchard bypassed his marker with a simple knock-and-run, his speed making the defender look like he was standing still. Pritchard reached the byline and looked for Zayn Carter.

The cross was a low, hard delivery across the face of the goal. Carter was sliding in, but Miller made a desperate, goal-saving tackle at the last second, putting the ball out for a corner.

[> "Miller is still fighting," <] Michael Harrison noted. [> "The Foxmere captain is the only one left with any energy. He just saved a certain sixth goal there." <]

[> "He’s a warrior, Michael," <] Peter Walsh said. [> "But he’s fighting a losing battle. Northcastle are just too fast, too fit, and too well-drilled." <]

The corner was taken quickly. Bhatt played it short to Alden, who crossed it deep. Mayers won the header, but it went wide of the post.

As the clock ticked toward the seventy-eighth minute, Maddox stood at the edge of the pitch. He could see the fatigue in the Foxmere players’ eyes. They weren’t even looking at the ball anymore; they were looking at the referee, praying for the end.

Maddox looked at his System.

[TEAM PERFORMANCE: 92%]

[TACTICAL ALIGNMENT: 95%]

[GOALS: 5]

[CLEAN SHEET: ACTIVE]

He was satisfied. The first half had been about breaking the spirit. The first fifteen minutes of the second half had been about breaking the scoreboard. And these last few minutes were about showing the world that Northcastle Rising Stars had a squad capable of competing with the best in Europe.

[> "Seventy-eight minutes gone," <] Michael Harrison said. [> "It’s 0-5. Northcastle have been ruthless, professional, and quite frankly, terrifying. Eric Maddox has turned this team into a machine." <]

[> "And the scariest part, Michael," <] Peter Walsh added, [> "is that they don’t look like they’re done yet. They’re still pressing, still hunting for that sixth goal. This is a team with a very high ceiling." <]

Maddox whistled, catching Ishaan Bhatt’s eye. He made a gesture to slow the game down, to keep possession and make Foxmere chase. He didn’t want to risk any late, frustrated tackles from the opposition.

The ball moved between Mayers, Van Drunen, and Kuipers. Foxmere players tried to chase, but their legs were gone. They were staggering now, their heads down.

The seventy-eighth minute ended with Northcastle in total possession, the ball moving in a rhythmic, hypnotic circle in the midfield.

"Control," Maddox muttered. "That’s how you win."

The game continued.