Marbri Marked
Two Tang
In the first meeting between Grilled and a South African side for 25 seasons, the Birds overcame Division Three representatives Marbri United to balance up the records. 18 year-old
Tang Hengcai was the architect, scoring twice to seal the win, after his consolation against Al Hilal Gaza last week.
Sticking with their potpourri of youth, Grilled stirred
Alex Fonseca into the mix, after the 32 year-old had been given only spare minutes in defence over the weekend. Fonseca, who had nearly won it for Grilled despite that, quickly gave the fans another look at what they had been missing, as he outclassed the Marbri defence, finding the space between Abba Salman Ali and wingback Lasse Aass to slide the opener in.
The visitors demonstrated that they had not travelled so far to give up without a fight, and their exciting new find Bagindawo Makeba, just a month removed from Marbri Juniors, scored his first for his club in only his second full outing. Aass made up for his defensive shortcomings with some sparkling dribbling down the touchline, and Makeba kept his wits about him to flip it past Bakhtiar from close up.
Unexpectedly, they didn't have time to be emboldened by evening things up, with
Wardi Azhari giving Grilled the advantage the very next minute. There appeared to be nothing in
Niculae Stanca's blind low clearance through the middle, but it somehow evaded everyone until brought down by Azhari close to the penalty area. The young forward then stunned many, chief among them himself, with his curler right into the far corner that Sibusiso Ngubane didn't even bother reaching for.
While Marbri were never afraid to push forward, doing so left Grilled's pack plenty of spaces to explore, and with the visitors slightly slower in retreating than advancing there had to be at least one more goal in it.
Tang Hengcai would collect one in the 20th minute, running at an unconvincingly-backtracking defence to angle a third in.
Li Boon Boon might have dealt them a double blow, but Ngubane swatted his powerful strike away.
The half came to an end none too early for Marbri, who had not quite looked like cracking Grilled's defence after winger Gatsha Kebairejang's booking diminished his output. They posed much more of a threat after a strategic realignment after the break, helped by
Teo Yong Yau, in for Li, taking his time to get into the swing of things.
Mayur Gudivada also began to be worn down by the soggy ground, with his originally smooth runs becoming ever more laborious.
It was against this backdrop that Marbri struck back, Romanian forward Tănase Mateaş clipping another close-range effort in right after the outstanding Fonseca was taken off for
Chow Ying Lee, who never looked comfortable in central midfield.
Hilal Bakhtiar wasted no time in berating his defence for their poor coverage as he picked the ball out of his net, but it was more luck than anything that stopped Marbri from going level, as Aass' free-kick slid inches wide of the post.
Grilled had their own chance at winning it from a dead ball, but Ngubane beat out a respectable effort from
Walter Ross in the 85th minute. No matter, as the Birds played the corner back, and this led to Tang's second soon after.
