CCP Bites Back
Ng's Influence Sticks
CharlesCheesePie razed Grilled's seventy-minute resistance with an astonishing double in two minutes, as payback for the Birds throwing a spanner into the works at See Mee Lan Park late last season. A repeat of the 1-4 upset was always unlikely, but the team in green had it all up in the air until Manfredo Noriega and Zulharisan bin Mamud shut the door on them.
Last season's runners-up were coming off their first competitive defeat of the campaign to heimu XI, but had been otherwise flawless, with their star-studded midfield entering its prime. Not only that, they had the reliable Quirze Sans to lead their line, and he was within an inch of building on last week's goal against heimu when he looped a free-kick onto the top of the net in the fifth minute.
There was perhaps less flair than was expected as the seasonally-wet weather made a reappearance, and poor
Walter Ross, who had just earned his first start in ages, got left on his backside in the 16th minute as former national forward Ng Wee Kiong bounded past him with practised footwork. Ng topped that with a left-footed shocker in the same swift movement that left Stacey grasping at thin air.
Grilled were not the only ones affected by the rain, and CCP would soon have reason of their own to begrudge the heavens, with Lai Yau Meng stumbling in the mud after having been played through for what should have been a certain second. It got worse, as captain and heartbeat Ng fell awkwardly after chasing a stray pass into the advertising hoardings, forcing 37 year-old journeyman Yap Ho Guang to hastily pull on his strip.
Ng's departure was a certain boost to the Birds, who almost immediately gained the courage to advance in earnest. The brightly-shining
Mohd Safri bin Mohd Kassim crashed a brilliant drive down off the crossbar and seemingly over the line within two minutes, but referee Fernando Vasco da Gama was spared a tough decision when
lu Zunwen took it out of his hands with his forceful follow-up.
That had the recently-replaced Ng hobbling straight back to the sidelines to direct his teammates, and buoyed by his dedication, the home side shook their lethargy right off. Grilled were fortunate to make it to half-time still level, as Quirze Sans and Wong Chang De accepted the duty of driving the Pies onwards.
Grilled actually recovered to do quite well for themselves at the beginning of the second half, though Mexican gunner Manfredo Noriega nearly replicated Mohd Safri's effort with a dizzying sidewinder shaving the crossbar in the 52nd minute.
That was the cue for the Birds to make their move for the points, and they could have put themselves in good stead for a second shock, but 38 year-old veteran goalkeeper Ioan Diaconescu elevated himself to heroship with two fabulous saves in succession.
There appeared to be little to fear when Ibrahim Rambli gave up a free-kick some distance from the penalty area, but
Qassem Madaini's unsated appetite for goal saw him send a scorcher that Diaconescu proved himself equal to.
Abdul bin Jantan caught up with the hasty clearance and sent it right back, but Diaconescu again exhibited agility that a lad half his age would be proud of to bat it aside.
With there being little movement, Grilled pulled
Walter Ross off for
Lin Jungui and
Alex Fonseca for
Paolo Iten, but that proved to be their undoing as the loss of stability allowed Noriega to get onto the end of a tame-looking through ball from Soon Yew Yeng. Lin and Qassem looked to each other as it cut between them, and despite some desperate recovery work by Lin, Noriega held him off to nick it past Stacey.
The Birds had not yet fully comprehended what had happened when Zulharisan bin Mamud made it game, set and match with an adventurous dribble right through the middle. Diaconescu, who might have suffered a knock, came off to a long ovation together with Iskandar Zulkernain bin Saidi in the 85th minute, their work well done.
