Grilled Birds 4 - 2
GTI 
G For Two
From Deep
The Birds downed Latvian Division Three visitors GTI 4-2 in an entertaining encounter at The Cooking Pot, in which GTI's reserves distinguished themselves against some of Grilled's regulars. With their usual starters like Vegard Syvertsen and Philipp Weiss missing, they had to count on Czech skipper Petr Mlčoch more than ever, who did well to obtain a respectable result.
Arrayed in the same 2-5-3 as Grilled, GTI were certainly not out to scratch out a drab draw, which the home fans appreciated. The game was open if a bit disjointed from the start, with the first shout coming when
Leong Wan Kang played
Chow Ying Lee through in the eighth minute. Marcos Clotet was on quick-response duty, though, and just about scrambled it clear as Chow sped in.
GTI's players, clad in their away strip of black blazoned by red, demonstrated an endearing attitude towards the game, and were always ready to take it forward despite the odds. Grilled kept the lion's share of the opportunities, and with 23 minutes gone Chow came within a whisker with his snipe from outside the area.
It would be the visitors who would strike first, and it came after a deserved corner, earned as
Joan Cisquell was forced to touch the ball when herding it out against the effervescent Thilo Tümmel. In the ensuing buzz of movement within the box, nobody picked up Martin Rubashenko as he peeled away to power in the corner kick.
Pompeo Bellamoli would set that straight right from kick-off, as he blew past Adrián Ramírez before shimmying by the remaining defenders to complete a memorable solo goal. Several minutes later,
Tian Yonghang gave Grilled the lead for good, as he turned a slightly awkward cross from
Low Aik Jia past Clotet's reach.
GTI buffed up their defence following instructions from the sidelines, and held off Grilled's advances till half-time. However, the reorganization didn't survive the interval, and Chow and Tian scored in quick succession courtesy of some rather lackadaisical marking from the centrebacks.
Now three down, the visitors figured they might as well go down fighting, with
Che Harun bin Sabtu getting on the end of a stiff but legal challenge from Patrice Landsman. The positivity did work, and teenaged Portuguese forward Dimas Rosa got a neat consolation goal with sixty minutes gone.
Djan Bacelar, who fielded himself for the first time since taking on coaching duties, had seen enough by the 75th minute, and allowed
Qassem Madaini to replace him. A while later,
Colby Awyong came in for an exhausted-looking Che Harun, as the match petered out uneventfully.
