Tirpákok Crocked
Fresh Worries
Grilled officially concluded their season with a four-nil friendly victory over Hungarian Division Three visitors Örökösföldi Sport Club, but this came at a heavy cost as first-choice goalkeeper
Wong Tian Han was injured late into the game. The Birds Number One is now a doubt for next Sunday's momentous opener against Charis FC.
It was a mixed lineup again for the Birds, with a
Mohd Safri bin Mohd Kassim still fresh off the buzz of his international hat-trick treated to a standing ovation from the home fans as he strolled in. Örökösföldi for their part went with an expansive 4-3-3, which gave up the middle in favour of stretching the defence and making things happen with three out-and-out strikers.
This wouldn't happen for them, as for all the graft shown by the tireless Ferenc Némedi, they were unavoidably overrun by the Birds' dedicated engine room. An inspired
Tian Yonghang alone was too much for Némedi to cope with, and his spectacular cannon of a strike fifteen minutes on would have made reruns on television had it snuck in.
The visitors had their moments, such as when a soft effort from
Pompeo Bellamoli was sent back the length of the pitch and then laid nicely on for Gergő Bakos swinging in from the left, but the teenager's touch was slightly lacking.
Wong Tian Han returned the favour, and this time Tian was spot-on with his faking out of opposing stand-in goalie Tibor Pospisek.
Pospisek had been mostly an outfielder by trade, and it showed in his reaction to
Che Harun bin Sabtu's aesthetic-but-slow free-kick minutes later. A decent goalkeeper should have gotten that one without too much trouble, but Pospisek misjudged the drop of the ball, leading to an unexpected score by the oldie.
Half-time didn't see much change in the tenor of the match, as Grilled's continued dominance translated quickly into a third, bagged by the refreshed Mohd Safri. The long season didn't seem to have taken any toll on the ever-confident forward, who blithely shrugged former Hungarian international Dávid Schwarz out of the way before drilling it low past Pospisek.
Pospisek did manage a save to his name in the 65th minute off Tian, after
Woon Shun An somehow stumbled his way out of a sitter. Reserve coach-in-charge Luis Alcántara then began using his substitutions in view of the draining heat, resting veterans
Joan Cisquell and
Qassem Madaini as the temperature soared past thirty-seven degrees.
He would in retrospect be kicking himself for not protecting one of Grilled's most important positions instead, as goalie
Wong Tian Han pulled up sharply in the 79th minute coming off his line, after having little to do all day.
Rashid bin Ahmad cleared with some effort, but the coaching staff were far more concerned about their custodian's condition.
They at least weren't waiting this time, and
Dan Seng made his way in for the limping Wong. Mohd Safri added one last goal, before young Spanish referee Juan Polo sent
Zhao Jing Wei off for a silly second bookable offence.
