Regency Extras
Bayliss Delay
Clementi side Bukit Regency might not have enjoyed much success in Division Two in recent years, but they were good enough to take Grilled Birds to extra time, in today's fifth round of the Singapore Cup. Slovak boss František Závodský seems to have hit on the right formula with his refreshing of the squad, with his three newest signings - Canaan Fikadu, Severo Quintiàn and Brad Bayliss - all playing major roles in holding the Birds to a regular-time draw at the Ballota.
For Grilled,
Chad Thach would be restored to the forward line after having been rested for the league defeat against FC Barca Singapore, with
Mohd Marzuki Khairul seeking to reclaim lost form at left attack.
Aw Keng Chuan would again beat out both
Hein Thiha Pyae Ko and
Genki Nagano for the central midfield spot, a testament to the 31 year-old's all-around versatility.
Gandhik Chitre would be pulled back into the middle too, and he would record the first shot of the day, a solid drive brilliantly stopped by 19 year-old goalie Abdul Razak Mohd Muslim.
National U-20 prospect Liew Meng Guang had somehow not started in goal for this one, but his absence would soon scarcely be noticed, as Regency's brutal pressing asserted itself. Although the Birds were hardly shrinking pansies, they would still be shaken by their opponents' willingness to get up close and personal. Referee Gaku Kinoshita would not discourage them with his laxity in calling fouls, and former Ethiopian national winger Canaan Fikadu would push his way past a distracted
Raúl Himadas to open in the ninth minute.
Obviously, a physical approach by itself would not be enough to create goals, and one should take nothing away from Regency, in their commitment towards bringing the game to the Birds whenever possible. This mix of harrying and hurrying on turnovers proved especially effective, and Fikadu's raw size and energy would give
Brian Reddy fits on the defence. Another penetrating run by the Ethiopian in the 22nd minute had several teammates advance in support, and Italian forward Leonard Sezzi would be left with a simple finish, after Chitre had let the low cross past him on the inside.
Grilled looked in real trouble as they reached half-time having barely tested Abdul Razak, but their possession advantage would inevitably start working in their favour, with Regency's intensity of pressing being unsustainable. Israeli stopper Sasson Hayut would begin to look all of his 34 years as he contented with the twin threats of
Lim An Keng and
Gandhik Chitre in midfield without pause, and the dam broke on the hour mark with
Ha Qicai taking over
Darko Andrović's industrious dribble up the left. The cross was quite something too, dipping as it did inches over Severo Quintiàn's leap, and
Chad Thach was only too happy to lash it past Abdul Razak without opposition.
Fikadu rallied the troops to keep up their marking efforts, but after a brief renaissance, it was evident that Regency simply didn't have the legs to maintain their previous quality.
Lim An Keng would find the equalizer 72 minutes in on a lucky rebound off Chitre's barbound strike, and four minutes later, the Birds would be in front thanks to
Chad Thach blowing past Alve Svensson. It was the Regency fans' turn to be aggrieved at what appeared to be a stray armbar from the Grilled forward, but Gaku Kinoshita remained blissedly unmoved.
This sure felt like mission accomplished by Grilled Birds, seeing as to how Bukit Regency had not created anything of note - nor even spent any perceptible time in Grilled's box - for the past thirty minutes or so. However, Grilled's complacency would also spell trouble, as they began engaging in unnecessary showboating long before the game had ended. This had Lim lose the ball in his own half playing it too fast and loose with Santo Ponzio nearby, and a swift release to the left side later, Brad Bayliss would have it in the back of Marcol's net, having outfoxed
Ha Qicai with his nifty footwork.
That had the entire Regency section standing, and they would still be bouncing when Gaku blew to get extra time underway. However, the Regency players could barely move by this point, with Závodský's tactics seemingly having made no allowances for this eventuality.
Gandhik Chitre would be nearly unhindered as he tested Abdul Razak barely three minutes in, and Grilled would be back ahead within ten minutes, as
Mohd Marzuki Khairul's superior endurance won out against the Regency backline.
Chitre would finally come good with his next chance coming three minutes later, as he nimbly skipped Mark Bak's tackle before taking the shot on - although to be frank, the 37 year-old Dane was about dead on his feet by then.
Tian Yonghang would use the stoppage to bring
Hein Thiha Pyae Ko and
Genki Nagano on for some minutes, with Aw and Andrović off; play restarted with
Brian Reddy finding Abdul Razak off his line with a sudden attempt from outside, and the game ended 6-3 with
Ha Qicai off for
Dimitris Germanakos in the Birds' final sub.
