Shung-Tat Takes To The field
But Hobson Steals Show
Coach Ouyang Shung-Tat adopted a more hands-on approach to teaching when he named himself in the lineup for today's away friendly against Apostate. Shung-Tat, who had briefly played as a amateur midfielder for now-defunct Motown F.C., put himself beside Hobson.
The 46 year old did not have the easiest of times against much younger opponents, but showed an endurance far beyond most people his age as he lasted the whole game in admirable fashion, completing a grand total of five passes and even mustering a single weak shot on target towards the end. It was his strike partner, Hobson, who hogged the limelight though, as he notched up yet another hattrick haul while making Shung-Tat look good on occasion against a team trying to adapt to a 5-3-2 formation.
Numbers kept Grilled out for the early part of the game, until Hobson somehow eluded the three men placed on him for a second, long enough to place a shot into the top of the goal. Apostate, in putting so many men behind the ball, barely had anyone on it at all, and in fact only held on to the ball for three out of the ninety-odd minutes played.
Grilled capitalised on the uncertainity of Apostate's players to go in hard on them to keep the ball, and received four yellow cards and plenty of warnings. Hobson got a lay-off from Shung-Tat in the 71st minute, and duly found a path through Ying and Chhong to finish it. Two minutes later he went to air unchallenged and struck a textbook header firmly downwards onto and over the goal line. Tuan-Mu, coming up from defence, rounded the goalie to finish an entertaining friendly.
