Chorro Come Close
Che Steps Up
Despite the extinguishing of their promotion ambitions, the Birds managed to display their resolution for the coming season with a 4-3 extra time win over Panama top division visitors CFP EL Chorro. The former national league and cup winners worked their way through ninety minutes courtesy of a solid, if lopsided, backline and the considerable one-man offence of Manuel Antonio Oviedo, but 37 year-old Grilled favourite
Che Harun bin Sabtu lit it up with a hat-trick to press the case for the keen judgment that only comes after numerous matches.
A narrow loss to Cooł Hëąďš Hoť Hëąŗŧš may have spoilt Chorro's own chances of a second LPF title, but they were themselves undaunted by the bad news, with up-and-coming Panama star Antonio Rangel leading his team from midfield instead of his usual wingback position. Together with former youth colleagues Gerardo Arciniega and Juan Carlos Morán, the trio made a good contrast with Grilled's own repositioned pair of
Mohd Safri bin Mohd Kassim and
Chow Ying Lee.
Not wholly unexpectedly, the two banks of players more or less neutralised each other to begin with, and there was little to separate the sides before
Ling Fuquan gave Chorro and opening with a rash tackle on Morán. Polish goalie
Krystian Rykowski lined up a four-man wall that deflected the free-kick overhead, only for Morán to savour a fitting headed goal from the corner.
Grilled took only four minutes to reply, though, as their previously-dormant attack finally kicked in.
Leong Wan Kang made a thrilling foray straight towards the opposition goal, which was so sudden that the Chorro defence were uncertain of who should pick it up, and by the time they had decided, Leong had pawned the ball off on Che, who was well prepared to drill it in.
The second half saw
Nicola Vandeneynde and
Pompeo Bellamoli make their appearance, with the latter's energy especially giving the Birds a sudden boost. The Italian was a sheer livewire ranging all over the attacking half, to the effect that when Mohd Safri slung a long pass to Che, there was nobody on his tail. The finish was also spectacular, as he slammed it over Brazilian keeper Luis Bailo and off the underside of the crossbar.
The fans were really getting into it now, with even the home diehards having to applaud Chorro's next goal - Oviedo had basically created most of their attacking opportunities on his own, as their Spanish lone forward Xosé Canzobre struggled against the much younger
Rashid bin Ahmad. The 70th minute saw Oviedo somehow spin out of the corner despite having two men on him before delivering a pinpoint cross to José de Jesús Patiño, which was worth the price of admission alone.
Patiño's next act was to catch Ling late, though, which was not warmly received by the crowd, who were however prepared to forgive as Grilled scored on the counter after
Qassem Madaini restarted it quickly.
Tian Yonghang ran onto the tempting pass, outfoxing Martin Éder with a well-timed hip swing, before making it 3-2.
Ling then nearly put it to bed himself with a brilliant effort from outside the penalty area that Bailo did very well to punch aside, but Chorros were not prepared to head home just yet, with who else but Oviedo extending their stay at The Cooking Pot. He burst past Madaini from a standing start before taking Rykowski out with his quick feet in the 82nd, forcing extra time.
After all that drama, however, the contest would be decided in relatively mundane fashion, following a careless trip on
Chow Ying Lee in the box, that the striker might have embellished a little.
Che Harun bin Sabtu polished off the penalty for his third, and other than a fine effort from Rashid immediately after, there would be no other notable attempt following that.
