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Heroes At Home
Dragon's Tribute
It was Grilled Birds' turn to host a Bhutanese team, and they welcomed IV.37 side Bhutan Heroes to The Cooking Pot, drawing nearly four thousand spectators in the process. The Heroes had strung together twelve wins to finish second in a highly-successful season, but for FC Cow City (Bhutan)'s perfect run.
Bhutan Heroes head coach Tshering Tashi had just brought Maltese goalkeeper Alex Stivala and Croatian winger Nikola Kresoja after selling eccentric Hungarian custodian Ante Jurišić to Norway's Real Toase CF, with Kresoja starting on the left beside local favourite Kishmat Oda. Facing them was Grilled's usual second team with Japanese reserve goalie
Dahan Bok, who however would have next to nothing to do for the day.
It soon became evident that Grilled were engaged in a glorified offensive training drill, and
Genki Nagano found Kresoja still tactically undecided as he anticipated
Fu Wenlong's overlap, to lash the cross home. Fu would find his excellent swerving effort tipped aside by Frenchman Rudy Vieira the very next minute, but the Chinese defender was just getting started in any event.
The one-way traffic continued as the Heroes' basic 4-4-2 were unable to retain any semblance of possession, with
Kendell El Khateeb celebrating a neat finish in the 27th to dissent by and eventual booking for defender Kinley Yangchen.
Wu Ping De then came in from the other flank for 3-0, with
Damian Hutter missing an absolute sitter 36th minutes in, after more hardworking approach work from Wu was followed by a Fu corner.
Vieira found himself overworked with young centreback Phurpa Dorji often looking all out at sea, though it was Nikola Kresoja he had to look out for in the 40th minute after the Croatian winger absent-mindedly hit it back towards his own goal. A penalty was called anyway for a handball right before that, which Fu slammed home confidently.
Mason Glendinning then joined Kendell on the scoresheet on clever
Hwang Teck Fu movement up the left, making it 5-0 by the break.
Bhutan Heroes made it their mission to keep the scoreline down after that, and they turned out to be rather capable once they set their mind to it. This would not receive much appreciation from the home fans, of course, but Tobgay Rinchen and company were certainly not out to please.
Chad Thach's entrance for
Mohd Marzuki Khairul didn't move the needle much, as the Heroes bunkered down.
Their concentration finally snapped nine minutes from time, as Grilled Birds finally got it into their penalty area, after camping on its outskirts for a long while.
Hwang Teck Fu appeared to latch onto Chia's tap-on, only to leave it... and be upended by a careless leg left out by Tshering Yangki. Italian referee Davide Porri had no qualms about giving the penalty, and
Fu Wenlong stared Rudy Vieira down before slotting it into the other corner this time.
Fu was not done yet, and after a long stoppage following Rabten Wangmo's booking for grabbing
Kendell El Khateeb's sleeves, Fu would be left standing over a free-kick from about eighteen yards out. Vieira signalled for a five-man wall, but it did him no good as Fu simply dropped the ball over it, for his hat-trick.
Damian Hutter would shortly after depart for
Markus Pallas to stretch his legs, with
Wu Ping De clipping a credible effort marginally over next.
