Green Lights
Easy Lee
Grilled survived into the sixth round of the Singapore Cup, unlike several of their S-league colleagues who will have to wait for another chance. They were helped by the unexpected inclusion of
Hidde van Liere, who contributed heavily to disorientating DeathStar United F.C.'s stingy back four, cumulating in a 0-7 win for the Birds.
DeathStar's tactics were unchanged as they banked on the counterattacking strategy that they had utilized for both league and cup - no confusion there for their well-drilled warriors. Grilled knew that very well, however, and van Liere's extra firepower was geared towards getting them out of their comfort zone. The flying Dutchman lived up to his billing, and sent over a sixth minute chip that
Lee Jie Siong worked into the opening goal.
Having claimed first blood, Grilled paced themselves, and tried to convert only the best chances. Kadak got a bloodied head when he dove low to meet with a miscontrolled pass, which was held on the line by the hosts' Bulgarian goalie, Ümit Usuk. The uncontrollable van Liere again combined with Jie Siong to produce a second, and a bandaged Kadak badgered Badrul Afzan bin Hasan into a mistake to sling home a third.
Shen Kek-Tjiang got back his defensive midfield berth, and made that role look so easy as he herded insurgents off his turf. He even found the lungs to go box-to-box late in the first half, when he reached the opposition penalty area barely twenty seconds after making a clearing header from his own one. That feat was concluded with a spanking goal hard from his favoured right foot.
Ulf Hjortlind continued the barrage right after the restart, the 28 year-old Swede cutting back sharply from in front of van Liere to open himself up for a crack at goal. He hit a flat lob perfectly, and even though Usuk appeared to have his back covered, he was powerless to stop the ball from dropping into the top corner.
DeathStar were denied a parting gift as Sid bothered a bursting Badrul Afzan bin Hasan enough for Sulaiman to block with his elbows, and
Fabian Bona kicked in his first of the season, before Jie Siong jumped furthest to complete a rare headed hat-trick.
