Held By Heaven
Grilled thus finished their fifth S-League game still pointless, but it was fair to say that even the most devoted of their supporters weren't expecting much here. "It would have been difficult on last season's form." one of them mused. "What more today?"
Head coach
Hovaness Noubaryan could not help but be fatalistic, what with both
Kalki Parvathaneni and
Gilbert Webb unavailable for the midweek cup game through suspension and injury respectively. "We're taking this one match at a time now, no use thinking too much about it."
With the win, Fringeheads stay hot on the tails of Bot Team FC, who continued their perfect run with a fifth straight league win, 6-2 against United Legends FC. Arrogancae rose into third by shutting Haha out 2-0, though they will have to deal with lengthy injuries to defenders Filippo Cornoldi and Cuno Ulrich Dupp. Mia San Toa Payoh remain within three points of the Birds, with a loss to KingofNoobs United.
Farmer Bunnies dropped points too, as they played out a goalless draw at home in a dreary derby against Heaven Skys.
Wong Ting Yew's dismissal in the eleventh minute spoilt what had been an energetic start for the Buns, and they were thereafter reduced to banging their heads against the visitors' walls.
Vishnu Tallapaka nearly made the difference - as he so often does - with his 49th minute free-kick, but the seam delivery struck the post.
Dalibor Kostadinović saw a silver lining in
Sunil Patel's mature outing in central defence, although the 17 year-old copped a yellow card for dissent. "Patel was smart in his reading of the game today, only getting involved when it mattered. It's sad that we couldn't find a goal - Heaven Skys knew what they were out for, and got it."
This result sees the Buns sink beneath JUtd and littlehorse, as they recorded good home wins against Red Freaking Chillies and The EV. Erstwhile frontrunners Ambush F.C. gave up top spot to JUtd on goal difference, after they were likewise held to a nil-all draw by Club Dinosauria.
It was left to Grilled International to show how it was done, as they ran out 5-2 winners against Belgian visitors fc Snoetie. Victory was far from assured, with Sorin Zidaru equalizing stylishly in the 73rd minute after International managed a single goal from
Wang Chu Chi in a dominating first half. That turned out to be
Fausto Perono's signal, though, and the Italian hotshot completed his brace in the next four minutes, with
Hardi bin Besar and Wang padding the score in an extended period of injury time.
With this, Perono now leads the race for the V.231 Golden Boot with five for the season, and International join Nice litle pingvin, AC Uettligen and Manchesthair United FC at the head of the table, all on ten points. K. Olsa Brakel are only one point behind, having upset Manchesthair 2-0, spurred on by a memorable half-volley strike from a corner by Sjarel Verstrynghe.
