Coons Plumbed
Gandhik Chitre agreed that his full league debut as Grilled Birds' centre forward was a dream come true, before confessing that he was devastated by his inability to do the required job. "I had several good chances, but they just didn't go in." the homegrown seventeen year-old said. "It's really haunting - but I will get over it."
This second loss sees the Birds somehow rise to sixth place, with Winnetou Reborn plunging to the basement after suffering a 0-6 thrashing by TeamNigma. Lawrence, KS FC carry on their march and are second after a scarcely less impressive 5-1 home win over fc.tower, while Psyduck FC got off the ground with a 2-1 away upset of Mayuyu AKB48, with Lau Kwang Keng finding the all-important second-half winner.
Tian Yonghang admitted that he saw faint hopes for his team against TeamNigma next Sunday, but that he still expected the players to make the best of it. "This is not the start I had envisaged, maybe we did underestimate the division after all. The guys will have to stand up and be counted."
Fortunes were better for Farmer Bunnies and Grilled International, both of whom bounced back from their opening week setbacks. The Buns would get it over Forever Black Plum by three goals to one, if with
Xue Kangfang's 40th minute volley answered immediately by Chai Chee Kok.
Vitaliy Efendiev put another one in after 69 minutes in difficult circumstances, thankfully, and after combustible centreback Kwok Jia Ping got himself sent off for a second yellow,
Sunil Patel secured the three points by rounding Teo Yeng Jun.
This had the Buns back up into the top half of III.9, though they have few illusions about contesting for the title against The EV this season. Moreover, several major sport publications have broken the news that the Buns' biggest current star
Richard Agyei is looking for an out, with his national team place in jeopardy due to an unsuitable training regime. Head coach
Dalibor Kostadinović would all but confirm the rumours, when he noted that the club were seriously considering all reasonable offers for the Ghana international.
Friday had seen Grilled International hammer the UAE's The Coon! for four goals, as
Chua Jun Long,
Tibor Atzenhain,
Hardi bin Besar and
Li Xin Chi - basically all of their up-and-coming crop of attackers - getting on the scoresheet. Bilal Al-Jasmi would earn a consolation with an excellent header from Derrick Hornby's 34th minute cross, and to be fair, the hosts would have been the more likely to win this fixture, were it to be replayed.
Chua Jun Long was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, though, as he relished the win, which also got them up to fourth in the H.I. IV.54. "We have had more than enough losses against supposed underdogs." the 25 year-old remarked. "It's nice to be on the other side for once!"
