Troll Toll Paid
Grilled International saw off V.187 champions Trollbrook Balltrollers in defending their Division Four status, with
Zaini bin Hj Kaling especially active from the right wing. He caused the most trouble in the first half of this qualifier, with Paul Westermo barely keeping up, despite being nearly a decade younger. Zaini would drill a strong drive narrowly wide within three minutes and be booked for rough play in the 33rd, before feeding
Chua Jun Long to finally open with a delicate chip.
The challengers' defensive 3-5-2 would keep them in contention even as International threw
Tibor Atzenhain on for an under-the-weather
Wang Chu Chi for the next half, but it got much tougher for them, after the reliable
Wang Hanxuan made his way through for 2-0 in the 58th. Zaini would then contribute a third as the match wound down, to cap a classic performance.
Although Grilled International did not encounter too much of a challenge today, their continued tenure in IV.54 remains under a cloud, with there being uncertainty over whether
Didi Reidenbach's squad could stage a realistic challenge for the title. The 42 year-old Swiss head coach would remain largely mum about that, as he chose to lay on the platitudes after doing the necessary.
"For today, we should just savour this victory." Reidenbach suggested. "Well attempted Trollbrook, but they have some distance to go."
Grilled Birds would move 17 year-old trainee Phua Ming Xin to local Hattrick Anniversary League participants Tempo Determinato F.C. today, with the Holland region side hoping to improve from their seventh-placed finish in VII.761. Phua will contribute a rounded threat in attack, as evidenced by his hat-trick against Danish opponents Homers Elementary in the Kopalnia Diamentów youth league.
"Phua's very coachable." his scout Mok Feng De added, as the free transfer was concluded. "Give him a good trainer, and he can surely be moulded into a far better striker."
