Pot Frozen Over
Senden, Rompca Roam
Grilled were shut out for the second time in three days as Croatian Division Three visitors Iced Hell took to the field in their customary all-red with black diagonal stripe, and proceeded to mop the floor with the Birds' reserves. This was actually the second time a Croatian team had come, with then-national Cup champions Zastava beating Grilled here in a historic inaugural Hattrick Masters match.
It was not even close this time, as Grilled could not even muster a substitute goalie in time, having just completed the transfer of Alvero Silvera to Poland. In the end, a spare keeper's kit and pair of gloves was placed at the end of the bench just in case, and thankfully - or unfortunately - for
Hovaness Noubaryan, they were not needed.
Hopes of a quiet day for the backup goalkeeper evaporated in the first seven minutes as Hell blazed off to a two-goal advantage, with veteran Dutch forward Harris Senden using his intuition to pick the right moment to pull the trigger. Noubaryan was caught in the process of coming out, and dove fruitlessly at the ball as it rolled by him in mid-stride.
The Birds showed no indication of recovering, and conceded tamely to the 35 year-old Vid Srdoč, who blew through the other flank for the second goal in the seventh minute. There was a distinct lack of coverage in Grilled's final third, and Srdoč repeated his feat after
Leong Wan Kang tried to clear it along the ground but could only have the ball reach Andrija Antić, who was stationed well. The young returnee would do well not to repeat that.
Senden, a jack of all trades, pressed Nourbayan very close with a great free-kick to start the second half in earnest, before putting in a dipping corner that Polish midfielder Hieronim Rompca had only to stoop to head in. Coach Luis Alcántara had seen more than enough, and withdrew the disappointed
Shiya Shaahee. In his place came the 19 year-old
Harry Hoy making his senior debut, and while Hoy might have hoped to make an entrance in better circumstances, his energy was much appreciated by the team.
Raw enthusiasm was hardly going to be enough against a Hell side who knew exactly what they were going to do, and especially not against Draženko Aralica's magical scissors kick in the 68th minute, which deserved a platform of far higher profile. That goal brought appreciation from even the home fans, whom could have been doubly roused as Hoy robbed Marijan Ferlin of the ball in the box, but the debutante rushed his shot wide.
It was the visitors who struck the final goal, Rompca from twenty metres, and Grilled's only response was to replace their defence with
Walter Ross and
Yvan Lefébure in the 88th minute.
