Bowled Over
Majestic Mirchev
Grilled's new youngster
Ivaylo Mirchev got a buzz going as he excelled on the left side of a three-pronged attack, garnering two goals on his competitive debut. The Birds looked eager to tear into their undermanned opponents after the disappointment of last week's walkover, and started brightly with a third-minute Spirig sizzler.
Conceding so early seemed to deflate the optimistic Corsair team slightly, and highly-rated
Nawaz Talib displayed additional qualities that will serve to endear him to the Grilled faithful. Displaying uncommon sharpness, the capped Pakistani defender scooped the ball up after Yat-Sau fell over the ball, and drilled it past 41-year old goalie Mohd Fauzzi.
The frustrated Yat-Sau soon got himself carded for pushing, and the Corsairs were reduced to eight fit men after Yat-Sau's overworked defensive partner collided head-on with Hjortlind. Grilled's players suddenly looked distinctly unenthusiastic at continuing the mockery of a contest, but obliged as professionals; Hjortlind and Ødegaard had few qualms about pulling the trigger when called to, and by half-time Grilled were sitting on a 4-0 lead.
Lim Chuan Jing was hardworking but unimaginative down the left side, and Grilled might have reached double figures had he put in the early cross more frequently. Fellow youngster Mirchev was far more dynamic on the day, and he combined well with Mohd Firdaus' creativity to bag his first goal for Grilled.
The cheeky Bulgarian gave the spectators their money's worth with some tomfoolery down the sidelines, and knocked in a sixth once he got back to serious mode. He had the decency to look slightly shamefaced since the Corsairs had only one defender, and Grilled decided to stop the humiliation and pass the ball around until the final whistle after that.
