Infantry Shelled
Ling Hits Home
This second-round Cup tie saw second-half sub
Ling Fuquan utilize his eye for goal, which meant that he had scored without having made an official start for Grilled, while returnee striker
Leong Wan Kang enjoyed a full debut, but he and the younger set yielded the striking duties to the Birds' main trio, who shared five between them.
Grilled experimented with
Tian Yonghang as captain, a hat he wore with far greater assurance than he mistakenly had some seasons ago, as he partnered
Mohd Safri bin Mohd Kassim in midfield, as
Chow Ying Lee was shifted to left wing, back in the usual 2-5-3.
Woodlands side Infantry CF used the 4-4-2 that had allowed them to get past NEWTON HEATH F.C in the first round, and that day's two-goal hero Winston Ng returned in midfield. Unfortunately, they would all find out that Grilled were a different kettle of fish altogether, and were forced deep from the start.
The dogged defending that had seen Infantry through so many encounters in the past perservered for twenty minutes, before Mohd Safri's developed understanding with
Chow Ying Lee proved too good to be denied. Chow did his direct but effective push-it-and-run against Chee Jun Jian, before invading the opposition area with his second touch and tapping it to Mohd Safri with his third.
Shiya Shaahee was no less active down the right, but his energy was put to incorrect purposes when he cut Lee Keong Kim down with his trailing leg while flailing to regain the ball. That marked the end of the game for Lee, who was replaced by expat player Don Forrester in defence.
Shaahee wasn't affected by his booking at all, barging through the very next minute to feed
Tian Yonghang, and the forward then won a penalty that
Hilal Bakhtiar converted. Tian's burst of action came to an end only after he charged Lim Tse Tong violently, for which he was immediately carded.
The match was getting charged up, and Neo Hui How was next in the referee's book for a retaliatory snap at Shaahee, after being clipped by the Maldives winger.
Abdul bin Jantan tried to contribute with an attempt from afar, but put it hopelessly high.
That was bin Jantan's last notable act as he didn't return for the second half, having been replaced by
Ling Fuquan, who again operated as a defensive shield. Defensive duo
Colby Awyong and
Hilal Bakhtiar were grateful, and they combined to convert a corner in short order, Awyong heading in from Bakhtiar's inswinger.
Chow Ying Lee then struck for what would have been an incredible tenth game in a row, had he not been kept at bay against heimu XI, after drifting into a central position. Ling then got his first for Grilled with a calm sidefooted effort within twenty minutes of coming on, which was immediately followed by another from Chow.
Finally,
Mohd Safri bin Mohd Kassim made it seven Cup goals for himself in two games as he sliced
Tian Yonghang's quickly-taken free kick pass, given after a clumsy foul by Khoo Kiong Jun.
