Kicking Into Gear
Tang Produces
Six of Grilled's youngsters started their first senior competitive game against Sentosa Division Five side Sternchenkicker, and half of them managed debut goals, to their unmitigated delight. Swiss winger
Paolo Iten chalked up an assist and two penalty conversions, for an altogether very enjoyable outing for the fresh-looking squad.
There was a palpable sense of anticipation, and no little trepidation, as Grilled's collection of teenaged hopefuls warmed up before the game, and they went for the jugular with a determination that unnerved Sternchenkicker's experienced part-timers.
The home team attempted to use their midfield to bring the ball up, a strategy with which they overcame BOMBOMB in the first round, but ended up getting the runaround for far younger legs. Nine minutes had barely passed when a harried Sternchenkicker defence neglected to watch over
Walter Ross, who stormed the middle and scored the opener unchecked.
Grilled's few veterans were understanding enough to let the younglings have their day, and much talked-up forward
Tang Hengcai, whose seventeen goals at youth level put him behind only Mohd Safri and Chan Woon Jin in the Chicken Wings record books, was crestfallen to see his effort batted away by the goalie after
Zhu Changchun had made him an opening.
That disappointment did not stay long, as Tang soared in a manner some described as uncannily similar to Mohd Safri to head in an Iten corner kick. That began a frantic finish to the half, which saw
Hung Wee Li seeing his shot across goal touched just beyond the post, before
Wardi Azhari hammered the third in.
Neo Da Teck supplied perhaps the most eye-catching celebration of the day as he executed a couple of cartwheels after slicing a shot home in the 50th minute. Tang might have had a hat-trick or more, continually getting into dangerous positions, but his knack for finishing hasn't yet caught up with his intuition, as he fired hopelessly high three minutes later despite having plenty of time.
Zhu went off after a solid hour's work to be replaced by
Krishnan Adabala, who jogged on only to watch Tang upended in the penalty area.
Paolo Iten, who had been desperately unlucky with a spectacular free-kick in the first half, easily sent Fu Jing Eng the wrong way.
Some might have thought Tang disappointed not to get his treble as the 18 year-old slithered through soon after, only to see the striker turn down the opportunity to take the next penalty despite being offered it by Iten, which came courtesy of Abd Karim bin Abdullah's late lunge in on Wardi. Iten didn't put a foot wrong, blasting it in right down the middle and off the crossbar.
