Never In Doubt
Not Some Balde Fraud
It has been twenty-two seasons since the Birds occupied the same Division Two league as Controlar, and little had changed in the sense of them still retaining the upper hand - and more than before, with a 4-0 home win that had the visitors entirely passive. Piotr Kolberg's side didn't even manage a single clear shot on target through the ninety minutes while plying a deep-lying 4-5-1, which could be taken as a measure of how suffocating Grilled were.
While the Woodlands club had punished EF City 5-2 last Sunday, their other results this season have not been too encouraging, with a 0-3 shutout on opening day by Phantasm Hotspurs followed by back-to-back cup knockouts by frunzelax and Fapl-2020. This could not have been for want of talent, with talismanic midfielder Masato Ezure right up there with anybody in Singapore, and some exciting wing wizards in Paulino Faladoiro and Marko Nisstrand. Nisstrand would not make the starting lineup today, however - and neither with rising midfield star Li Kok Kuan, though that may just be a precaution after his exertions and a left knee tweak, in the midweek cup exit on penalties to Fapl-2020.
Ng Yi Ping and Tan Keng Kwang were more than serviceable as partners for Masato, but their very conservative setup with David Ramos as an isolated target man, did them no favours at all. The main battles would be waged on the wings, with Faladoiro coming up against Bolivian
Federico Parada on their right, the key factor being that Parada would generally get the ball fifty yards further upfield compared to Faladoiro. This would tip the odds heavily in Parada's favour, and a bold dribble cutting inside in the seventh minute, would yield his first league goal for Grilled.
Ramon Laurent will have to be kicking himself after letting the fairly pedestrian strike through, which left his team with few options. The Birds were refusing to leave, having parked themselves in Controlar's half, and under these conditions, it was merely a matter of time before Grilled padded their lead.
Bhavya Panigrahi got the fans going with a superb attempt from the right edge of the box that had Laurent just about get his hands on, and the attacks would keep on coming up to the 27th minute, when Senegalese forward
Ibnou Balde finally broke his scoring duck in his fourth start, with an awkward-looking trap turning into a blistering ten-yard romp down the left, for 2-0.
Grilled were doing very well on the left flank at this point in the game, perhaps due to Controlar trying to keep Faladoiro in an advanced position, which was leaving far too much space for Parada and
Chan Ze Han to roam.
Aw Keng Chuan was next to utilize that side as he trailed a Parada dribble, and wound up offering up a very good cross, just outside Laurent's reach.
Joe Reece was waiting to nod it in, but for an amazing recovery leap by Iranian central defender Hesam Ferdos. Reece protested that Ferdos had climbed all over him, but seasoned German referee Hansjürgen Draxlbauer saw nothing in it.
The second half continued in like vein with Controlar only too willing to wait for an obvious counter opportunity, which never really came. Moreover, Faladoiro got his pocket picked by Parada in the 51st minute, which had David Ramos bring the winger down in a panic, for a clear yellow card. The Grilled fans had to be concered as the medic came on to inspect Parada's right ankle, but the player would soon be back up and about, after some bandaging.
The Birds would go with more direct advances with their visitors having all but abandoned any offensive intent, and this grinding, percentage-based style would suit Tian just fine, with Grilled being two goals up already. It was up to Controlar to pose some questions if they wanted, which they never did, with Ramos having to pop into his own half to call for the ball. Balde would be presented with an open look after 69 minutes with
Chad Thach delaying his pass to great effect, and he buried it hard in at the near post.
Given that the Senegalese had been copping some talk for his profligacy in front of goal recently, this brace would see him over the moon, but a hat-trick remained tantalizingly out of his reach with Controlar's backline now extremely keyed to his movements.
Chan Ze Han stepped up with four minutes remaining to keep his league scoring streak going, with their attentions thus occupied; a pass appeared the easier route to take when Chan received the ball with back to goal, but his considerable experience informed him to Li Loong Siong on instead, and it worked.
Four was certainly enough for
Tian Yonghang as he put
Chia Kwang Tse on for
Damian Hutter towards the end, having already swapped Panigrahi out for Webb. The final substitute would be forced, though, with Balde holding his right hamstring and wincing, in time added on. Tian saw no reason to risk him further, and
Orest Tokarz was only too eager to collect another appearance.