Less Than Zhaii
Khairul Saad
Grilled disposed of Division Five side zhaiiteam without breaking too much of a sweat, as the first team enjoyed a useful run-out before the season opener against Chemistry.
zhaiiteam had never made it far in the Cup despite being moderately well-established, having made it to the second round only twice in a number of tries, and they didn't appear too motivated to change things.
There was a distinct lack of drive as the local XI went through the motions, thus it came almost as a relief when
Ola Martinsson flew in to crack the opener past Kum Huat. Not even getting much of a sniff of the ball, zhaiiteam decided to defend in depth, but were then overrun by Sid, who entered the fray in front of the hosts' goalmouth at just the right time.
Team captain Kum Huat futilely tried to wave his teammates up to relieve the pressure, and it couldn't have done his authority much good after he let in two rather soft goals from Simon and Martinsson respectively before the break. Forward Dong Hon Yui was one of the few who made a go of it, but he was let down by his touch whenever the ball went to him, which was not often.
Grilled were content to work the flanks and put in a cross whenever the opponents spread out to cover, and this led to the 63rd minute goal which went from Spirig to the head of Paullin. The same strategy worked twice more, with Simon and Kek-Tjiang the scorers, before the Birds wound down the final ten minutes.
zhaiiteam's Khairul Azuar bin Saad displayed some late fire as he attempted to barge his way through a wall of Grilled defenders in the 81st minute, only to be booked for lashing out at Fredgård. Paullin could have scored another as the free-kick was quickly taken and sprayed accurately to him, but Kum Huat turned his shot around the post at the last possible moment.
