City Chained
Lax Cruise
Grilled's second team didn't move out of third gear, but still walked all over semi-pro side City FC in the second round of the Singapore Cup. Not helping City FC was the fact that Grilled had one inspired player in each position, namely Abed-Sulaiman in goal, Bona in defence, Han Kok in midfield and Martinsson in attack, and their industry glossed over most of their teammates' lethargy.
City FC had advanced after abandoned ex-Division III side Heaven hitters conceded, and were intent on scraping out a result with a team consisting mainly of white-collar professionals in their thirties. The mixed bag of accountants, engineers and managers were captained by one-time Combined Schools player Mohd Ariffin bin Mohd Idrus, now 34 and a criminal lawyer.
Hui Boon-Kin played above himself to deny Martinsson a couple of free shots, and leaned into Han Kok just enough to shake the National U-20 player off his header within the first ten minutes. Goalie Min Yeh-Wei hung on to the weakened strike just enough to prevent Hjortlind from following through.
Boon-Kin blocked a Borup flyer in the 22nd minute, but the ball hit his hand as it came off his boot. He protested his innocence vehemently, and the referee ruled that while it may not have been deliberate, his hand had stopped a certain goal. Therefore, the defender was not booked but had to watch as Martinsson dispatched the penalty.
Soon after, Grilled raced three goals up as Hjortlind jumped magnificently to nod a Paullin cross with the side of his head. Han Kok was sharp as a needle when he stuck out his trailing leg to claim an untidy backpass from midfield, and passed between the central defenders to bang it into the roof of the net.
Game, set and match for Grilled, as City FC were having a problem with even moving the ball out of their own half. Grilled hogged the possession, but ended up making plenty of horizontal passes as the players tried to create the perfect set-ups for shots, which more often than not ended with a City player putting the ball out.
Bona reminded his teammates how soccer should be played, as he pressed up after the kickoff and skewered in a delicious lob from an outside angle, despite his back being to goal. Olaru, inspired, embarked on his best run of the evening that took him past two men, but he tried to beat one too many and was well taken down Gao Kam-Pui ten metres from goal. Incensed, he badgered for another penalty and needed a booking to cool off.
Martinsson could have had a few hat-tricks had he been at his most aggressive, but the friendly-like atmosphere at City Palace curbed his enthusiasm somewhat as he laid off the aerial challenges and fifty-fifty balls. He powered in a left-footed volley but missed a boatload, most notably a one-on-one in the 81st minute that he had just to get a boot to.
