Feryat Flounder
Fernández Flurry
Spicy Spanish wingman
Antonio Fernández Riviera deposited two goals, single-handedly defeating Turkish Division Three side feryat genclik in the second round of the Trinity Cup. Clothed in their country's colours of red top and white shorts, feryat drew nearly eleven thousand natives to their eighty-thousand capacity Zgy Sharp Arena.
Grilled were forewarned of feryat's Erdal Musa, a combative, creative striker widely regarded as the best in the competition. He demolished Spanish side Cigales 6-1 in the previous round, together with his two partners Lemi Hatip and Umut Can Kuntay. Grilled were no slouches in midfield, and with Han Kok appeased with a more advanced role, churned out openings against a top-heavy feryat side. Hjortlind and Hobson touched their chances poorly to Fahrettin Tüzgü.
Up against heavier defending,
Tim Hobson took a tumble in the area and was pleasantly surprised when the referee came running up, pointing to the spot. Unable to take the penalty in good faith, the responsibility fell to Riviera, who had ice running in his veins as he sprung a cheeky chip on the unsuspecting keeper, who dove to the left post at the whistle.
Hobson later delivered a long corner that landed at
Dani Spirig's boots, but the young midfielder shot instantly and brushed the top of the crossbar from five metres out, a gaffe that left the lad sprawled on the ground disbelievingly until an opposition defender helped him up.
It was all Riviera's when feryet's captain Fredrik Niklasson guarded a high bounce, but slipped at the last instance letting Riviera jut in and scramble the ball over the line. Riviera seemed to be the only decent finisher on the pitch, as feryat had an off-day upfront while Paullin and Hjortlind blew straightforward goals.
With minutes to go, rightback
Nor Suhaimi bin Che Lah went for a through ball together with Umut Can Kuntay, and in the final leap Kuntay's boots caught Che Lah in the groin by accident. As could be expected the Malay defender was put in great pain, and had to be replaced by
Kau Siu-Cheung.
Grilled could have bettered their goal difference as Hjortlind put full power behind a thunderbolt that went too high, and when
Dani Spirig was manhandled off the ball for what was certainly a legitimate free-kick, the referee booked him instead and blew for full-time.
