Adieu Anfield
Rottman Rocker
Grilled laboured to a 3-2 win over a hardy Anfield Reds team well aware that defeat would scuttle their slim hopes of avoiding a rapid return to Division Two soccer.
Jan Langeland was first off the mark, threading his way far right and then boring back infield through veteran Swede defender Claes Sundstedt. The home fans were barely into their seats when that initial attack yielded up a sublime goal, Langeland beating Anfield's Canadian goalie Dom Wheatley by a fraction of an inch.
It was only the third league goal for the highly-feted Norwegian, who put his lean streak well and behind him when he turned a harmless pass from Martinsson into an assist. With Tellén and Rogersson ahead of him, he picked his side and forged ahead, buying enough space with solid running to trace a hard grounder into the lower corner of the net. A nice double, and the previously hostile fans were quick to acknowledge their newest hero with chants of "Jan! Jan!".
Wishing to please, Grilled continued with several pushes that broke down with
Jon Andrea Rottman's classy looping header being warded off by Wheatley.
Ola Martinsson, without a goal in two games now, came close with a fast lob that passed over the crossbar.
Anfield stepped up a gear, and Grilled's scourge Robert 'Planno' Strandhall plagued the defence once more. Put on the left wing this time, Strandhall was just too wily for
Fabian Bona, who for all his athleticism was made helpless by the winger's fluid footwork. A wall pass scattered the rest of Grilled's backline, opening Harlow up to an unsavable stinger.
More was to come, when transfer-listed Swiss winger Alexander Wasescha bruised the bar from close range. National forward ZhangCai Yongye roared into action, flinging himself at the rebound and scoring in an act of supreme dedication. Anfield were clearly relishing the possibility of their second S-League victory.
Grilled desperately bombed the Anfield box with long crosses, and two of their men competed for a tasty hanging free kick that was wasted to the consternation of the bench. The returning Siu-Yue kept his new-found aggression, and got booked for his war of words with Ignatieva over some slight contact. Anfield won that case, but Rottman restored Grilled's lead two minutes later with a run across the face of the penalty area, topped off with a strong left-footer.
Anfield's Alexander Wasescha was yellow carded for bringing
Aznan Noor Yadah down as Anfield chased the game.
Ola Martinsson though had the final say when Stanton found him with a brilliant defence-splitting pass, but stumbled as the bore down on goal and squandered the golden opportunity with a shaky strike that went well wide.
