4everton Nil
Tan Takes Toll
Four straight losses, including a humiliating thirteen-to-nothing record over two matches with Footwork FC, took its toll on 4everton, and Grilled were able to better their home result over them at the Toa Payoh Stadium.
Grilled were on six consecutive league victories in contrast, and it was little wonder that they were hot favourites for the day. Notwithstanding recent events, the hosts had been acknowledged to have a decent defence for this level, featuring 22 year-old ex-U20 defender Yusak Starlet, who cost S$7 million from Blues Jazzcanteen.
They were less than convincing up front, with ageing Swiss forward Silvano Silver usually coming off second best, which meant that their hopes lay mostly on keeping the Birds out. Initially, there was little indication that they could succeed, with MacKinnon's fifteenth minute cannonball off the post just one of Grilled's many shots made.
Strangely, that spurred 4everton's players to additional effort, and they at least nearly put Branbilla out of commission when two of their men sandwiched him in the process of going for a header. Branbilla recovered after spending several seconds winded on the ground, and took some time to get back into the game, which he did by playing a key role in setting Penati free down the right.
That was exactly what the home side had been trying to avoid, and once Penati turned Megat Amir Faisal Ayub inside out, the central defence was forced to meet the Italian head on. Rotteveel slid instantly into the gaping hole that opened up, and Penati cleverly chipped the ball to the Dutch striker, who rammed it into the net for all he was worth.
Any realistic expectation of the home team salvaging a point vanished as MacKinnon bundled the ball home minutes into the second half, but to their credit 4everton didn't crumble. The aptly named Starlet rallied his fellow defenders like a seasoned campaigner, and despite some pretty moves by Grilled's frontline, they were frustrated for the next half an hour.
It was not that the home team were faultless either. Right winger Chee Shi Hao was fortunate to stay on the field after a reckless lunge on Darong that could easily have crippled the Grilled player, and central defender Ang Ping Wen might have esteemed his illustrious partner too highly when he squared the ball across the path of Rotteveel. Starlet just about rescued Ang with an inch-perfect tackle that time.
In the end, Grilled doubled their haul through Subri and rookie
Tan Meng Guang, who got his second competitive start against 4everton. While his overall play was a notch below his debut, his acrobatic kick to score was out of this world, and did his burgeoning reputation no harm.
4everton's best opportunity came very late, as Polish winger Jacek Niewiński bided his time and sprung Grilled's offside trap, with the linesman ignoring Lik-Tsun's raised hands. Valdir was not in a generous mood, but he didn't have to do anything as Niewiński's final touch was far too stiff anyway.
