Conquerors Basted
The game would mark Chan's tenth league goal - and 13 overall - with the season barely half-over, which is already more than his haul for all but four of his eighteen previous campaigns with Grilled Birds. "Chan's really never been that prolific of a pure striker." head coach
Tian Yonghang admitted. "But it sure looks as if he can become one, if he wants!"
Chan himself wasn't in a hurry to disabuse of that notion. "I've just been feeling good in striking the ball these days." he grinned. "And I am ready to serve in whatever capacity the team needs me."
The victory had the Birds clamber over Mayuyu AKB48 into fourth, after the Woodlands side were hammered 0-6 by a rampant Merlion F.C. - which doesn't bode well for Grilled over the next fortnight. There wasn't much to write home about in the other two fixtures, which had frontrunners LKS FC and HEBFC Tonners FC thrash Cloud Palace and Ocean's 1g respectively. Gay An Soon replicated Chan's feat with four goals of his own, but remained three behind in the Golden Boot race.
Farmer Bunnies claimed another valuable three points in their own struggle for survival, as they replaced Forever Black Plum in fifth spot in III.9, thanks to
Vitaliy Efendiev's clinical thirteenth minute winner. Mieczysław Hamala will rue letting the hard-but-straight-on drive from a poor angle creep under him, as the Buns defended their way to the final whistle after taking the lead.
Lau Keng Kwang had a great day on the left, even disregarding his assist for Efendiev.
Finally, Grilled International would recover from a 0-7 collapse against Switzerland's VSF Basel City in the Zürisee Winter-WM Cup 2022, to come up tops against Dundgovĭ Conquerors in the league. Six goals were in the offering with
Chua Jun Long getting two, as International adapted to Hardi's departure. This left Safari and Sazwan to head up a new-look forward line along with Chua, but frankly not too much was needed against a leaky Conquerors defence today.
The match also saw
Remond Bergervoet get his first-ever goal for his new club, a sly little poach after picking Ogotai Borchu's pocket in the seventh minute. Fellow midfield trainee
Leri Bezhanishvili would follow him on the scoresheet with a resounding boomer of a right foot, and
Egidius van der Duin would be the odd man one, with only a yellow card for his pains.
