Pig In A Poke
Seven In The Sack
Grilled Birds took a flight up to Fujian in their first friendly trip to China in twenty-five seasons, which was against II.4 club happig. Currently ranked top in the province, the former Ruby Challenger Cup winners have however not had it easy in the league, having lost their latest three fixtures - the latest 0-2 against a Frankonia Shanghai team that they matched in about all departments but scoring.
None of happig's biggest stars such as Cao Guanghang or Arnold Frommhagen would make an appearance today, although they did keep to their counterattacking philosophy as enforced by French rightback Jacques Bouteiller. He Fangyu and Su Ruojia made for a decent tandem in central defence, with Swiss utility man Heinrich Storchenegger deployed as their only striker, but the rest of their side would be filled out by warm bodies.
As for Grilled,
Chia Kwang Tse started in the forward line despite his irresponsible red card on Sunday, with
Toma Tamiya restored to the starting lineup for a rare start on the wing. Other than that, it was mostly the usual friendly lineup, and one that was more than well-equipped to handle this happig side.
Mohd Marzuki Khairul showed canniness beyond his 24 years of age when he baited a defender into ignoring him nine minutes in, but could only glance the ensuing cross into the bar. It took
Aw Keng Chuan's delayed run six minutes later, to put the Birds ahead.
The hosts would not lack for combativeness with teenaged midfielder Qian Kaiying getting tangled up with
Gandhik Chitre after a challenge, before refusing to release him; that was an easy yellow for Belgian referee Antoine Hilven to give, but happig's obduracy did serve them well in preventing clear shots from Marzuki and Chia in quick succession about the 27th minute. Aw came up with a banger after 38 minutes for the second, however, and one of
Toma Tamiya's hidden skills came to light soon after, as he bent a gem of a free-kick up and over the happig defensive wall, and past Swedish goalie Tomas Bohbom.
Three it was at half-time, which also saw
Gandhik Chitre swap into the firing line for
Hwang Teck Fu, where he again excelled. As it is, there will definitely be questions asked of
Tian Yonghang as to why Chitre isn't getting played up top if this continues, as the sprightly Number Nineteen first fed
Damian Hutter in the 50th, before running smooth as butter onto
Lim An Keng's forward pass six minutes on for 6-0.
Mohd Marzuki Khairul would finally get the goal he so roundly deserved in the 72nd minute, after a morning of hard work in admittedly what was not what his best role.
Paulino Trindade came up with the assist from the right wing then as Pang Guoxian failed to track him, thinking that the whistle had gone. Oldies
Chan Ze Han and
Bilal Mohammad Harun would get ten minutes in the sun, replacing Aw and Hutter respectively, before transfer-listed Czech playmaker Igor Čechovský enjoyed an even briefer cameo for happig.