BIRKIRKARA 2
HAMRUN SPARTANS 1
Birkirkara made it three wins out of three to maintain their perfect start and join Valletta and Balzan at the summit.
It is indicative of the current, flawless scene around Birkirkara so far this season although they had to sweat more than expected to down a robust Hamrun side, galvanised by the introduction of six foreigners in their starting line-up, including debutants Massimiliano Giusti and the returning Haruna Garba, giving coach D’Amato more attacking options.
That meant there was no place for Mark Anthony Borg, Luke Grech and Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza.
The Spartans were initially on the back foot. Then, with half-time approaching, they finally rediscovered a measure of the ruthless efficiency that underpinned last season’s promotion campaign to cancel out Brikirkara’s early lead and draw level.
Although Birkirkara were the better team in the second half, it took them quite a while to regain the lead – a winning goal on 78 minutes by substitute James Brincat who again made an immediate impact on the match.
Birkirkara made only one change from the side that beat Tarxien in the previous match. The in-form Ryan Scicluna started instead of Matthew Guillaumier.
Hamrun tried to stifle their strong opponents in midfield and it was down to Andelkovic to take charge of Birkirkara from the back, with his intelligent distribution to relaease the likes of the maurauding Ryan Scicluna, Frank Temile and Vito Plut in attack.
Not surprisingly, Birkirkara took an early lead. After 12 minutes defender Cain Attard advanced down the right flank, cut through the middle and beat keeper Cassar with a low drive from a tight angle.
As the game unfolded, Birkirkara recognised their superiority and kept up the pressure.
Midway through the half a Sciberras cross created embarrassment inside the Hamrun area. Temile had his effort blocked. Plut miskicked the loose ball.
Hamrun threatened on 35 minutes with a Jake Grech free kick going narrowly wide, before Plut tested the Hamrun keeper with a powerful shot.
Hamrun drew level on 39 minutes as they showed pace up front to really trouble the Birkirkara rearguard. Haruna Garba took possession inside the area on a Motta low cross, he dodged Jovic before beating keeper Kopric with a low strike.
Hamrun were growing in confidence.
Birkirkara tried to hold more to possession in the second period, working their way from behind,with Hamrun well poised defensively.
On the hour Plut was unlucky when his shot rebounded off the upright on Temile’s short pass inside the area.
On 66 minutes, Birkirkara coach Besek thought it was time to change and he introduced Shaun Bajada for Scicluna.
But it was other substitute James Brincat, who had just gone in for the inocuous Dimitrov, that changed the complexion of the game. He found space and the ball at his feet, on Temile’s cross, to score from close range and restore the lead for the Stripes.
Hamrun looked demoralised. They also changed personnel and towards the end a Raphael cross shot from the right narrowly missed the target and a Giusti shot was parried by Kopric. But Birkirkara were not so naive to let three points slip through their fingers.
Birkirkara: M. Kopric, G. Sciberras, M. Andelkovic, S. Dimitrov (J. Brincat), V. Plut, N. Vukanac, F. Temile, J. Zerafa, R. Scicluna (S. Bajada), C. Attard, P. Jovic (S. Bonnici)
Hamrun S: D. Cassar, P. Chircop, G. Azzopardi, H. Garba, S. Raphael, L. Sciberras, M. Giusti, L. Motta (J.P. Mifsud Triganza), J. Grech, J. Mesque Neto, S. Nanapere (D. Falzon)
Referee: M. Spiteri
Asst.refs: L. Portelli, M. Borg
4th official: G. Tonna
Scorers: C. Attard 12, H. Garba 39, J. Brincat 78
Player of the match: C. Attard (Birkirkara)
TMI top 3: 1. M. Andelkovic 2. C. Attard 3. H. Garba
Attendance: 1,430
ST ANDREWS 1
TARXIEN RAINBOWS 0
After two consecutive defeats, St Andrews managed to hold to their one-goal lead to register their first Premier League win of the new season against Tarxien Rainbows.
St Andrews dominated for long spells and although they did not create many scoring opportunities, they deserved their win for the way they remained composed, even when playing with ten men for a whole 20 minutes.
Winless Tarxien were overrun in midfield when they were beaten to several second balls while the less said about their attack, the better. Nilsson and Joao Pedro were second best in the physical battle with Johnson, Kisinovic and Udoh.
Tarxien may regret Joao Pedro’s penalty miss in the early stages thanks to Saints’ keeper Jake Galea’s smart save.
Both teams went into this fixture following defeats before the international break. St Andrews dropped players like Bon Wong Che, Belacevic, Mc Kay and Ivan Paz. They gave a debut start to U/21 Slovenia striker Ziga Kastrevic.
On their part, Tarxien, who lost to Birkirkara, also tweaked their line-up.Philip Schranz started in goal instead of Andrea Cassar while Ayrton Azzopardi was given the nod ahead of Daniel Zerafa yesterday. Emerson Marcelina was making his first apperance since joining the club.
St Andrews dominated possession but Tarxien rode out any early pressure and the game lulled. With little atmosphere, the Rainbows were comfortable to keep the tempo down and the only flashpoint in the opening quarter hour was the double save of the Saints’ keeper Jake Galea, first on Joao Pedro’s penalty, after Udoh had fouled Azzopardi inside the area, and then on Ponce’s effort from the rebound.
Azzopardi failed to recover from the knock and had to be substituted after 37 minutes. Soon after, Ponce went past Johnson through the middle but keeper Galea was alert to rush out and block.
On the other end, Brandle hit horrendously wide Udoh’s cross from the left, but otherwise both teams offered little threat in a barren first half.
The deadlock was broken eight minutes into the second half. St Andrews won a corner by Farrugia from the right and Kyran Nwoko’s header beat keeper Schranz, who looked capable of holding it out.
But on 67 minutes the Saints were reduced to ten men after Bakmaz’s collected a second yellow card and was dismissed. Coach Jose Borg retreated forward Darmanin and put in Bong Won Che to defend their lead.
Pushed on by their disgruntled fans, Tarxien were forced to make a reaction and exploit their numerical superi Caruana’s free kick caused panic inside the Saints’ area as finally the ball was blocked into a corner.
Tarxien pressed hard belatedly. Alves headed Marcelina’s cross straight at the keeper before the Rainbows were also down to ten men for Baker’s dismissal two minutes from normal time.
St Andrews held on to a narrow hard-fought win.
St Andrews: J. Galea, A. Bakmaz, M. Johnson, K. Kasinovic, F. Udoh, D. Camilleri, J. Farrugia, D. Brandle, K. Nwoko (J. Walker), R. Darmanin (B. Che), Z. Kastrevic (I. Paz)
Tarxien R: P. Schranz, E. Baker, T. Caruana, D. Ponce, A. Nilsson, A. Azzopardi (M. Brincat) (D. Zerafa), E. Marcelina, S. Prendes, A. Alves, J.Pedro Oliveira (D. Micallef), K. Zammit
Referee: T. Farrugia Cann
Asst.refs: T. Debono, D. Castillo
4th official: C. Pisani
Scorers: K. Nwoko 53
Yellow cards: A. Bakmaz, F. Udoh, E. Baker, Z. Kastrevic, E. Marcelina
Red card: A. Bakmaz, E. Baker
Player of the match: J. Galea (St Andrews)
TMI top 3: 1. J. Galea 2. F. Udoh 3. D. Ponce
Photos Domenic Aquilina