Grubenmann Recrocked
Heng Dong Chu and
Wu Jinglong would come on late with the match already fully decided, and Grilled Birds back on top of the S-League table, three points clear of all challengers. There would be four clubs on seven points after this round, as it turned out - Crypto Moon, of course, but also Haha and Sarcastic Fringeheads after their draw, and Robbie Football Club as they dismissed a hapless United, thanks to an injury time winner.
Hilal Bakhtiar confessed to being thrilled by his team's excellence, while urging them to flaunt a similar flair against Dandy de Tazmania 2 in the Hattrick Masters tomorrow. "If we go forward like we did today, we have a chance against any team in the world. Joël Bastien showed why he is leading the charge for the Golden Boot, but we nevertheless won away by three clear goals. That has to be something!"
The chasing pack are hardly all that far behind, it has to be remembered, and the 2-2 between Haha and Fringeheads might aptly reflect how seriously both consider themselves as aspirants to the crown. With both having already suffered deflating setbacks - Haha in their opening day loss to Grilled, and Fringeheads in the Singapore Cup - neither could afford falling further behind, and this mutual resolve would cancel out. Haha might be the happier at the outcome, though, from how they had to survive the final half-hour a man down, as Vishvesharaiyah Gudivada got sent off for two yellows.
Grilled's next opponents The EV bared their fangs in a 3-2 away win at HighVolliard Park, and João Infante Amanajás looks likely to recover in time after his late concussion, but Grilled Birds should be feeling quite confident on the day's evidence. As for -= Manchester United =-, their nightmare wouldn't end, as they got edged by RFC at the death. Robbie Football Club had to pay a steep price, that said, with three of their main players sustaining injuries of varying severity.
As to injury woes, the Farmer Bunnies and
Vivian Grubenmann in particular would have something to say about that, as the Swiss goalkeeper would find himself re-injured on his first official match in half a season. He lasted just 37 minutes against Benfleet Branch before sinking to the grass after an awkward landing, and
Rashid Nasir al Din would have to replace him - and immediately concede in a 1-2 away defeat.
Dalibor Kostadinović could only bemoan the Buns' ill-fortune, as he had been open about counting on the Swiss first-choice custodian to help turn the Bunnies' already-sinking season around. "Who could have imagined this could happen?" he wondered out loud, even as a local sports journalist reiterated his warning about rushing Grubenmann back too soon. In any case, relegation to the third division looks a distinct possibility now.
Finally, Grilled International would enjoy a 5-1 hammering of Swedish visitors Söder Glöder Int BK in the Battle for Division IV tournament, as IV.54 ousted IV.59 with three victories and one defeat. This was, of course, International's old series from a few seasons back, with Dihania and The Eagle Flies Alone remaining from their time there. Dihania would get IV.59's win with a late reply against Male Diven, The Eagles would be taken down 0-4 by The Sun men, while FC Havana Club 3YO fell 1-3 against Livius International.
