Manaburn For Eight
Reece No Peace
Bahraini III.2 challengers Croatia Wizards would visit for the day, and with Sebastián Magallanes's club clearly dedicated to revolve about Croatian international midfielder Noel Nobilo, who was not even present today, the final scoreline was perhaps not unexpected. The Wizards' other function had been to serve as a hotbed for young potential, and on this the Birds would narrowly miss seeing 18 year-old Comoros goalkeeping prospect Saïd Ali Selemani, who had just left for Italy's scimpi01 for just over eight hundred thousand dollars.
Want was left was essentially a youth team of newer faces eager to make a name for themselves, amongst of which the most interesting were probably Myanmar forward Zin Ko Chit, and his Cambodian fellow Chantrea Oeurm. Neither would see much actual action despite
Yee Jian Hui looking quite vulnerable, however, not with
Lim An Keng captaining an international U20-level midfield three.
Chia Kwang Tse had to be accounted amongst that flock, as he weaved in and out of incoming tackles in the eighth minute, before striking powerfully to the far bottom corner of goal with great precision.
The goals would continue rolling in after that, and three more would arrive between the 20th and 30th minutes, with a
Joe Reece solo dribble followed by two
Orest Tokarz finishes up close. That last would be answered by the Wizards' best moment of the day, which had Scottish playmaker Samuel McShane leave
Lim An Keng on his behind with a sensational turn, before testing
Dimitris Germanakos off a fine rising drive from just outside the box. Germanakos was equal to it, but even Lim had to admire the audacity there.
That minor distraction over, Grilled resumed their plundering, with a stilted-seeming
Egemen Dinçer Ferzan briefly regaining his usual flourish in overrunning Tsegase Yifter to assist
Damian Hutter in the 33rd. The poor Ethiopian leftback would be hamstrung by Reece five minutes later, for which Reece gamely accepted a booking, but that would also just be the catalyst for
Paulino Trindade to score, as the visitors were too loose from the free-kick.
Half-time had the Birds wind it down perceptibly, with Tian seemingly having injury avoidance on his mind.
Lim An Keng - who had an ankle still taped up - would reserve himself to finding open passes, which took some edge off Grilled's midfield creation process. This gave the young Wizards the go-ahead to express themselves, and the Birds would take some blows with
Yee Jian Hui booked for trying to hold-up a free-kick in the 60th minute, and Tokarz putting too much weight on his right ankle in the 72nd. A consolation goal even seemed on the cards as Croatia Wizards massed for a corner, but Januário Sousa's brave header had just a bit too much on it.
Bhavya Panigrahi's entrance for
Damian Hutter, who was just going through the motions at this point, renewed Grilled's impetus, and they would add two more within two minutes of his arrival.
Ibnou Balde, who had been sniffing about all day, finally got his wish with a timely charge forward right as
Chad Thach released the ball. Reece would then end it with a solid header, and the pair would then go off in the final minute for veterans
Kalki Parvathaneni and
Bilal Mohammad Harun.