Cyco Halted
Paullin One-Two
Grilled crept into the eighth round of the Singapore Cup with little fanfare, as they outlasted Division Three club Cyco C.F. in a disciplined defensive performance. Valdir kept his first clean sheet for some time, but Cyco could at least take the honour of being the first side to keep Grilled to less than three goals in any competitive game this season.
As the chase for the S-League title enters what may be a pivotal phase, Grilled were anxious not to overextend themselves unnecessarily, and kept the 4-5-1 that kept them in good stead against Rajah XI. This would probably not win them many new fans amongst those thronging the Cycodel, but it proved impregnable for the hosts' main striker Jorge Horacio Sarría, as he came up against a brick wall several times in the opening exchanges.
With the opposition suitably stymied, it was time for Grilled's speed merchants to strike. The unfairly pacy duo of
Lorenz Paullin and
Maikel Rotteveel ripped down the left flank together from the half-way line, and Paullin did most of the donkey work as he escaped from a pesky Mauro Bizzarri and put the ball right where Rotteveel was shaping up to take it. Rotteveel's chip over French goalie Valère Blachère was his 25th goal in just thirteen matches.
Cyco's captain Sarría redoubled his efforts and gave Valdir some work to do with an accurate grounder, but it was Blachère who made the save of the game - a breathtaking one-handed punch to a Sid free-kick at the far top corner, that had appeared humanly impossible to stop.
The second half was even tighter than the first, as Grilled appeared satisfied with their solitary goal, which in fairness would win them the game. Cyco continued to put in some good passing moves in their approaches, but could only muster a close shave from defender Fernán Tomé, who lifted his strike about a metre too high. Provider-turned-scorer
Lorenz Paullin then closed out with a sidefooted goal born of good awareness.
