The Big Time
Grilled's perfect streak in the Trophy of Legends would extend to six matches, as they again turned up three for three on the second day. Indeed, they would arguably not face any club the pedigree of Rustenstorken - though former Dutch Eredivisie winners Pielewiepers probably came closest. They were some years from their golden era, though, and while Harmen-Jan van Huut and Dylan 'Lionheart' Leeuwerik matched
Bernie Egan's goals early on, the redoubtable Irish striker would go on to round off a hat-trick, in a 5-2 thriller.
That had the Birds up to 83rd - within touching distance of the Top 64 to qualify for the knockout stages - which they reached by thrashing Parisian third divisioners Sunseeker of Paris by five goals to nil. Unable to accept his team's sound 0-5 defeat, the Sunseekers' Romanian captain Valeriu Năipeanu would go in hard on
Teo Chuan Yong in time added on, for which he would be duly dismissed.
That had Grilled in twentieth, but yet better was to come, as they kept up their uncompromising attitude against venerable Italian Division Four club, Toismadigre. Against what was widely recognized as the greatest team in their long history, the Birds would yield no breathing room with pure tempo and bloody-mindedness, and this was enough to secure a 6-1 victory with Carlo Maria Pavarotti bagging a consolation - and rising to the dizzying heights of fourth among over seven thousand participants, with a +24 goal difference.
Bernie Egan, who had earned the distinction of scoring in every tourney match thus far for a total of nine goals, felt that the club could well go all the way. "Why not? It's up to the others to stop us, and they haven't so far!"
The Farmer Bunnies had a good second day too, as they kicked off with clean sheet wins - first a 3-0 against Iranian Division Four side hellish-shadow, with
Wong Ting Yew,
Mushtag Al-Nameeri and finally
Namdar Zarar scoring. They would then have to call upon
Nurlan Ablaev's considerable individual talent against three-time Faroese Challenger Cup victors _Tottenham_Hotspur_, with the Russian forward giving Mihovil Hogać the slip, on a tricky set-piece routine.
Their fine run would be stopped by Spanish sixth division visitors zombies z, whose sustained pressure in difficult conditions brought goals from Marcelo Lopes, Ricardo Ravelo and Santiago Negrete.
Richard Agyei professed to be displeased about the result. "We never really made them worry." he analyzed. "That brought a lot of trouble onto ourselves."
The Buns further went back to winning in the V For Victory Cup, taking themselves back up to third position with a 5-0 smashing of Saint Vincent III.14 side Saint Vincent BG. In an exchange of counterattacking intent, the Buns proved themselves the more experienced and patient, and
Aitykul Zaripbekov's stealthy goal in the 41st minute would be enough for the day.
Grilled International went two from three like the Bunnies, beginning with an epic 4-3 comback against Chilean V.12 winners, Toos Cosios. The first half belonged entirely to Zaid Bin Ali Al-Sulaiti's warriors, but the initiative then shifted entirely to International, with
Fausto Perono sealing three points with his last-minute bludgeon through the centre.
Perono was on target again versus Slovenian Division Four champions FC Minipro, although
Ragib Banović outdid him with toal goals in the 4-1 win. Minipro had Udo Wriechen's soft penalty saved by
Vadym Gorozhankin early on, only for Alfonz Per to make it up, but that proved but an aberration. Another rally seemed on the cards against Oceanian III.4 representatives Eastern Wanderers, but Belgian forward Eppe Boldo's brace would eventually be enough for them to lock it down, 4-3.
