Shining Eclipsed
Nine Against Nine
Grilled gave reigning Cup champions Shining Lights a near-record drubbing at home, but the accomplishment was tarnished by the fact that the visitors only started with nine men. This came after they forfeited the week previously due to having less than nine men, a sure sign of strife in the club.
The Birds were in no position to be charitable, and were unbecomingly eager to flood Shining's depleted team. They didn't take long, as a lazily swinging free-kick was headed on by a soaring
Dani Spirig.
Matthias Branbilla beat the offside trap on cue to appear at the far post, where he glanced the ball in unchallenged.
The game descended into pure farce when Shining midfielder Teng Yun Yeow couldn't get up after a hefty blow by MacKinnon in mid-air, and since Shining didn't even have eleven men to start with, they continued with eight. There was some murmuring about whether the match should be cancelled, but the fourth official confirmed that while nine was the minimum needed to begin a match, there are no rules about how few players may remain.
That was bad news for the visitors, although Grilled, perhaps sensing that there was no glory in going full strength against such a weakened side, weren't too eager to get forward. This sorry state of affairs lasted for nearly half an hour, with some seats vacated, before an unrelenting Liehner began screaming at his charges to play football.
Freed from their restraints, Grilled shifted up the gears and soon notched a second. Subri, who hadn't looked too happy at his teammates holding back, gleefully brought down a tasty lob by Árva and ran straight at the defence. Underestimating Subri's turn of pace, the central defenders stood off too far, and could not recover in time to prevent him from dashing right through.
John MacKinnon then banged one past Gago almost ruefully, and
Quah Han Kok at least entertained by dribbling by three men on his own before doing the honours. Penati's finish after nice distribution from the midfielders was pleasing to the spectators, while Talib's clumsy charging down of Wagemaker didn't win much admiration.
The second half followed in like fashion, as Rotteveel shimmied stylishly into the box to make it six. Eight then became seven as the hardworking Lin Khong Hai fell prey to a back cramp, and in the remaining turkey shoot Penati, Árva and Subri all found the target.
