Jostakovic Outjousted
Hutter From Behind
Grilled Birds would eventually overcome Belgian VI.367 representatives OHL Jostakovic 6-2 to advance in the September Tournament as the Group A winner, but it was hardly a smooth ride, with Jostakovic actually taking the lead twice before the Birds romped away with it. It was a strong showing by Jostakovic given that they had already lost their first two games and were unable to qualify, and Grilled would nearly pay for their assumption that it would be a cakewalk.
Jostakovic's midfield of Abraham Gabriël, William Decatelle and Hugo Fagundo was truthfully rather more competent than their earlier results would have suggested, and when all three were on the same wavelength, they could create quite the chance. This was what happened in the tenth minute, as some lax Birds dallying about in the middle, allowed Decatelle to emerge with the ball at the head of the box, and with both strikers offering themselves. He picked Gatien Blaimont's run up the left, and
Aw Keng Chuan's sliding tackle was all too easily skipped past by the 35 year-old veteran, en route to a sizzling finish.
The Birds had
Joe Reece go over for a free-kick from the restart in angling for a dropping high ball against Fagundo, but
Federico Parada would nick it some metres wide as Elios Tallieu assembled a six-man wall.
Damian Hutter did equalize four minutes on as Grilled advanced in force, but Jostakovic's own dynamism was not to be underestimated. Jack Van Herzeele had the run of the right wing in the 26th minute, and it would be 20 year-old star Duco Van Landuyt to pop it into the top corner this time.
Once might have been an accident, but Jostakovic taking the lead for a second time would raise expectations amongst their fans that a huge upset was on the cards. That state of affairs didn't last long this time either, however, as Grilled soon responded in kind.
Ibnou Balde would justify his pick at left wing with a run past the over-ambitious Van Herzeele two minutes on, and after some clogging-up inside the penalty area,
Mohd Marzuki Khairul would seize the moment with a precise drive aimed at the near post for two-all.
With GOUDENPLOEG having taken the lead against Meet Your Maker, Grilled were in danger of going out with four points if the draw stood, and this had them raise the tempo several notches to start the second half off with.
Chad Thach had also been identified as holding the Birds back with a number of unforced errors, which had him substituted by
Gandhik Chitre. This did seem to give Grilled's midfield the shot in the arm that it needed, and after a sustained spell of passing it about Jostakovic's danger zone,
Ibnou Balde would confidently flash past his man, before lifting a brilliant effort over Tallieu, and in at the far post.
Jostakovic would attempt to rally again, but their first-half heroics had taken too much out of their players. A comeback was looking less and less likely as Grilled started to look extremely assured on the ball, and it would be 4-2 to the Birds on the hour.
Aw Keng Chuan, mostly freed of his defensive responsibilities after a difficult start, would knock a corner on to fellow centreback
Damian Hutter, who dodged a lunge by Decatelle before whacking it home.
That goal meant that Grilled were in the running if the scoreline remained as it was in the other fixture, not that
Phua Ming Xin and company were going to depend on that. The young Number Nine had well and truly grown into his headliner role at the club, which has been reflected in his increasing decisiveness when called upon. A newly-arrived Phua might have wasted precious seconds searching for his teammates when the 69th minute through pass reached him, but this improved version would put his head down, tap it to the side of the approaching defender, and power it beyond the goalkeeper without fuss.
It was just what
Tian Yonghang wanted to see, and enough for the happy head coach to withdraw
Lim An Keng to allow
Chia Kwang Tse twenty minutes to prove himself. To be honest, Chia continued to be fairly indifferent on the pitch, but with
Joe Reece blasting a sixth goal in after 78 minutes, it hardly mattered.
Orest Tokarz and
Federico Parada would then have near misses, with Vic Ramoudt collecting the only card of the day for an ill-tempered hacking down of Balde.
