Irish Ways
Senan Sees Through
Twenty-seven seasons after Grilled defeated Blazing rovers in Ireland, Limerick-based Division Four side SNF Banogue would repay the favour with a 5-4 win at The Cooking Pot. The Birds' friendly showing would mirror their tournament fate for the second week in a row, this coming over a similarly high-scoring loss against Ho Seh Liao.
Grilled's sole concession to the first team was
Shiya Shaahee, again kept out by
Paolo Iten, given free rein on the left. Banogue's main men to watch were wingbacks Joseph Crouse, the up-and-coming Israeli leftback, and Spain's Marcos Almarza, who would play a truncated part.
The vibe at The Pot was relaxed, in marked difference to the recent struggles that had taken place there, and some local spectators even had the mood to cheer when Adrian Vamesu slung one in from the right side, with visiting captain-coach Kees Hoenselaar then placing a free-kick over, after a mistake by
Neo Da Teck.
The fans' optimism was then borne out by a double raid by reserve forwards
Tang Hengcai and
Pompeo Bellamoli, with the latter already having hit the post once. Banogue's reply came through veteran one-club man Senan Costelloe, aided by the quick feet of Vamesu.
Another goalfest was brewing, with neither team overly focused on defence, and
Leong Wan Kang got through perhaps a little too easily, and then beat Nathan McCarthy with a low shot to the corner to restore Grilled's lead. Once again, the visitors roared back within minutes, Lucjan Alszer on Vamesu's second assist, then Costelloe once more after Neo unluckily shook the bar.
Alszer's equaliser came immediately after Almarza's departure, after the lively wingback clashed shins with
Hilal Bakhtiar on a twisting dribble. The Grilled defender could have been off for that, having already received a yellow, but referee Giuseppe Di Giorgio gave him the benefit of the doubt. Replacing Almarza was the experienced Eoin Flynn, who made up for a lack of exciting runs with his defensive know-how.
The second half was much lower-key than the first, and there was precious little to be said until Hoenselaar dropped his shoulder and stepped past a cautious Bakhtiar to stretch Banogue's lead to two. As against Ho Seh Liao, this was a bridge too far for Grilled, and although Michele Ravarotto somehow missed a sitter and
Mayur Gudivada sent a free-kick in, Neo's failed attempt to win a penalty meant that the Birds were lost once more.
