Laundering Cut
Phua Builds Rep
Offshore Haven were not expected to pose too much of an issue after the Birds' 7-0 rocking three weeks ago, and it would indeed be another washout at The Cooking Pot. Polish boss Cezary Dokurno did attain his target of reducing the damage at least, as Haven retreated having conceded one goal fewer than before.
There would be no pretense of leaving a man up top this time, as fulfilled by Ng Xin Chin then; instead, it would be Habib Minhat to sweep in a five-man backline, moreover with the central midfielders sitting deep. This was ever the classic formation for loss limitation, and from how the visitors conducted themselves over the first twenty-odd minutes, they weren't half bad at it. After
Aw Keng Chuan's stylish free-kick curler floated barely high in the eighth minute, the Birds found themselves clogged up near the Haven box, with
Phua Ming Xin getting no sympathy from the referees after being taken down together with the ball by goalie Mok Kum Da in the 15th minute, and then getting booked for protesting after yet more roughing up.
It was not just Phua, really, as the other Grilled attackers found themselves squeezed out of position, more often than not.
Chad Thach would nearly break the deadlock with a flash of inspiration right after that card, but Phua would find himself not paying attention as the inside-out ball flashed past, something that he would instantly regret. Fortunately for the Number Nine,
Ibnou Balde had legs to spare as he reaved his way down the left in the 25th, and Phua would be more than ready this time with his right boot for 1-0.
Haven were still comporting themselves well, and a draw did not look completely out of question, as they managed the odd, short, breakout. The home fans realized this as their demands for a second goal increased in urgency, but there was no obvious direction thence, until another free-kick was awarded at the right side of Haven's penalty area. Aw dinked it to
Chia Kwang Tse, and although that first attempt was miscued, it fell nicely for
Chad Thach to knock past a wrongfooted Franco Petrozzi, and he copped the finish nicely too.
That made two at half-time, and more negative - if effective - play by Offshore Haven for most of the second half. Grilled's attacks would inevitably grind to a halt for the first fifteen minutes or so against Haven's double wall, until
Tian Yonghang made to pick up the pace by replacing the ineffective
Egemen Dinçer Ferzan with Paulinio Trindade, fifteen minutes in. That had Phua take over as captain, a responsibility that he accepted with some relish. Goals continued being scarce, however, with Mok stopping excellent headers by
Orest Tokarz and then Phua, as he maintained an unbreached goalmouth to the 80th minute.
All began to fall apart for the visitors once
Chia Kwang Tse slashed inside to stroke the third across the line then, as they could no longer hide their exhaustion from constant ball-chasing. Dokurno appeared to be making preparations for substitutions, but by the time he made up his mind, the Birds were already six up; Balde must be Phua's best mate for the week after another inch-perfect assist in the 84th, which was followed by straightforward passes chopping through the centre for
Joe Reece and then Tokarz. A decent outing would become a nightmare for Mok, then, as
Damian Hutter was off with a minute remaining, for
Hwang Teck Fu to rack up another league appearance.
