buðbrøl Bypass
Bellamoli Banged Up
The Birds achieved their first victory over a Faroese club, having lost on both prior trips north of Britain. FC buðbrøl, also from league II.2 of their respective national system, had in all honesty not scored in their last four friendlies, a consequence of playing youngsters in a defensive five-man backline. Today would be no different, but with only
Leong Wan Kang plowing a lone furrow, Grilled just about managed to secure bragging rights.
It was not the best of times for the close to five thousand who found time to attend, what with the continual rain and the Birds deciding to work on their 4-5-1.
Djan Bacelar, normally operating in the hole, was pulled back to be a libero, with
Shiya Shaahee conspicuous by his absence.
Ling Fuquan and
Liang Liyong would claim the wings, leaving Leong to find the goals by himself.
They had plenty of opportunity to practise their crossing as buðbrøl made it their main objective to guard their centre, but it was
Tian Yonghang who put in the pick of the first half, getting ahead of Ling to flight in a threatening ball at head level. It was all Türker Aytış could do to get a fist on it as Leong barged at him, but with all the numbers surrounding him, buðbrøl were able to get it away quickly.
It was otherwise a sluggish game, making Sverri Tórgarð's questionable fall right on the edge of the Grilled penalty area one of the highlights of the game. Referee Tesse Dassen put it down as simulation, perhaps helping
Liang Liyong in his decision not to appeal when he similarly lost his footing deep in the opposition half.
Leong would not accept finishing the half without at least a shot, and he did rather better than might have been expected when he forced the issue in the 43rd minute. Closely marshalled by two defenders, passing back was the clear option, but the lone forward had grown tired of that and swung wildly in the general direction of goal. Amazingly, he managed to find space between his markers, and went narrowly over.
Encouraged, Leong continued his aggressive approach into the second half, and the tandem of
Ling Fuquan and
Tian Yonghang provided much of the necessary thrust. All their efforts finally came to fruition in the 58th minute, as Leong finally escaped on the left, and just about managed to get off a drive that squirmed away from Aytış' gloves.
That was the signal for the clearly expended Leong to come off, with Italian lad
Pompeo Bellamoli his replacement. However, Bellamoli would last no more than twenty minutes, as he sprained a muscle stretching to touch a loose ball on the Bacelar, who didn't even manage to score from that half-chance. That coming after
Rashid bin Ahmad had likewise exited,
Harry Hoy therefore became Grilled's last substitution, ahead of
Gleb Dorogan, who had been warming up in preparation.
FC buðbrøl nearly broke their friendly duck soon after as they put together their best counterattacking move of the day, but Franciszek Statkiewicz couldn't keep it down.
