The EV Levelled
Hatoum Gets Hit In
Grilled Birds made further strides at the top of the S-League table, as they picked up their fourth win in five league rounds - and it wasn't close at all. The EV, invincible in II.4 last season, were unable to turn their less-than-desirable record of five defeats out of five against Grilled over the past three seasons around, as they yet again succumbed in a straight contest of wills against the Birds.
The biggest news coming from the visiting side would be that their star Angolan striker João Infante Amanajás - S-League top scorer in Grilled's first championship season - had not been passed fit today, after his concussion against Ramseille Volliard FC last week. However, even accounting for that, Czechmen Alois Štajer and Zbyněk Ševeček still made for a formidable partnership. Not forgetting midfielders Chng Puay Leng, Yeoh Cheng Lai and ex-national U-20 star Barry Nakamura, all of whom were supposed to be entering their prime.
If that was so,
Moey Xin Seng wasn't hearing much of it for one, as he again started in central midfield for Grilled. He busted a route past The EV's vaunted middlemen in the third minute, and Lars Smalbil wouldn't be taking any chances with
Chu Xin Lee, as he bundled the Birds forward over as he received the ball, about five yards outside the penalty area. Smalbil might not have counted on
Mateja Jeftić, however, as the defender lifted the free-kick just over the jumpers in the wall, and past fellow Dutchman Pedro Zwagerman in goal.
Belgian referee Hadi Hamada saw nothing wrong about the returning
Teo Chuan Yong's antics after embedding himself in the wall, despite The EV's protests, and the match resumed with more than ample action featured at both ends.
Kalki Parvathaneni would clip the post skimming a half-chance across goal in the seventh minute, and The EV would consolidate their best attempt yet, two minutes later. Yeoh Cheng Lai would carry it deep into the Grilled box on an explosive run from deep, but would not keep it close enough to avoid
Jānis Salmiņš being able to collect.
That exchange had the match simmer down a bit, but then The EV would get their equalizer, through some delectable sharpshooting from Lebanese winger Naji Hatoum. Having been tied up with
Kalle ter Berg on the left for much of the match, Hatoum would be given time and space in the 18th minute, and he picked up the gauntlet with a cannonball towards the Grilled goal. Salmiņš might possibly have done better, but the power behind this shot was undeniable. One-all, The EV.
If the visiting fans thought this would spark a reversal, they were mistaken, as
Moey Xin Seng got Grilled back ahead within five minutes. Grilled Birds were otherwise by far the more assertive in midfield, after all, and one of their many chances created would have to get past Zwagerman eventually. This scuffed effort was hardly Moey's best, but the home supporters certainly weren't about to get picky!
The EV would shut the Birds down for the rest of the first half, much of it being down to Chng Puay Leng neutralizing Moey to the best of his ability, but the fifteen-minute rest would do the home team a world of good. Now refreshed, Grilled would resume their former unceasing press, which was exactly
Chan Ze Han's favourite environment to be in. Chan had somehow found himself in a six-game dry spell despite inarguably being Man of the Match for many of those, and this ridiculous record would finally come to a deserved conclusion, with his coolly-executed shuffle in the 56th minute.
That was somehow also Chan's first league goal of the season, but it would be further rectified soon enough. Before that, however, the off-colour Moey would be replaced by a raring-to-go
Bernie Egan in midfield; this led to a Grilled penalty within two minutes, as the Irishman burst into The EV's box without fear, only to be knocked off-balance by Giovanni Fiorilli as he made to shoot. Another referee might have let that pass, but Hamada was in an uncompromising mood, and in any case the bulk of the audience at The Cooking Pot were more than agreeable. Jeftić picked his spot to Zwagerman's left, and while the goalkeeper guessed correctly, he still couldn't get across in time.
The next swop would be made by The EV, with Chng Puay Leng having largely spent himself in shackling Moey, and Chang Wai Rong would come in for his academy buddy with fifteen minutes to go. This substitution would not presage good news for the visitors, as it turned out, as Chan would be put through by
Bilal Mohammad Harun as The EV's midfield struggled to regain its shape. Chan wouldn't miss his beat as he watched Zwagerman come out, and the Grilled forward smoothly slipped it between the goalie's legs, to an uproarious response from the fans.
There could be no coming back from that, and the following entrances of
Heng Dong Chu and then
Wu Jinglong for Kalki and Kalle respectively, would serve little more than to help preserve the latter for possible midweek cup commitments.
