ST ANDREWS- 0
FLORIANA- 0
St Andrews: J. Galea, M. Johnson, K. Kesinovic, B. Che, Z. Kastrevic, G. McKay (F. Udoh), J. Farrugia, N. Belacevic, A. Friggieri (D. Brandle), I. Paz, K. Nwoko (R. Darmanin)
Floriana: M. Grech, A. Scicluna, E. Ruiz, S. Pisani, I. Varela, A. Monticelli, M. Vella (M. Fontanella), J. Pisani, N. Chiesa (C. Borg), A. Samb, R. Camenzuli
Referee: G. Nuza (Kosovo)
Asst.refs: B. Morina, S. Haziri
4th official: B. Kasumi
Yellow cards: S. Pisani, N. Belacevic, G. McKay, J. Farrugia, R. Camenzuli, J. Galea
Player of the match: I. Varela (Floriana)
TMI top 3: 1. N. Belacevic 2. S. Pisani 3. K. Nwoko
Silvio Vella
Floriana’s momentum and their push for a top-four finish was halted by St Andrews, the team 19 points adrift and six places below them in the standings, as both sides settled for a goalless draw.
This might come as a surprise result, considering that Floriana had put seven goals past same opponents in the previous two rounds this season.
Yesterday, the Greens’ cutting edge was blunted, despite having Amadou Samb, Ignacio Varela, and the inclusion of Mario Fontanella in the second half, in their attack.
St Andrews produced one of their best displays for a long time and deserved a share of the spoils. They mastered possession better than their opponents and always looked calm and organised, except for some late minutes when Floriana really pushed them hard.
A win for the Saints remains a rare commodity though as Danilo Doncic’s boys remain winless in nine league matches. And despite two consecutive decent draws against Birkirkara and Floriana, they dropped one place, following Gzira’s win yesterday.
St Andrews had defender Enmy Beltre serving his first of a two-match ban and Godwin McKay started as right back instead.
Floriana coach Giovanni Tedesco made three changes from the side that beat Pembroke the previous week. Steve Pisani, Ryan Camenzuli and Amadou Samb were all back in the Greens’ starting line-up, with Clyde Borg, Nayar and Fontanella making way.
St Andrews crowded the midfield through Farrugia, Friggieri, Nwoko, Paz and Belacevic with Ziga Kastrevic playing in a slightly more advanced role. This hampered somehow Floriana’s quick build-ups through Chiesa, Vella and Steve Pisani, with several long balls intended for Amadou Samb to exploit. The latter had a header going wide in the opening minutes. Past the quarter hour, Chiesa again failed to put his header on target after connecting to Samb’s cross from the left.
For most of the first half, both goalkeepers remained highly inoperative.
The Saints kept the ball at their feet for long stretches. Their defensive discipline and organisation forced Floriana to chase the game.
The sight of Mario Fontanella warming up on the sidelines before the interval, was a clear indication that Floriana needed to make changes.
Nothing changed though but Floriana created a good opportunity hardly three minutes after the restart. A Friggieri clearance was picked by Floriana defender Scicluna who crossed from the right. Varela thumped his header against the bar and Samb’s effort from the rebound was cleared by Kesinovic.
On the other end, Floriana keeper Grech failed to reach for the ball on a deep Paz cross from the left, but Nwoko failed to make a decent contact.
Fontanella finally did make his appearance for Vella towards the hour, and Clyde Borg substituted Chiesa as Floriana showed more attacking intent.
As expected Floriana started to push more forward as Steve Pisani took the reins in midfield.
A Kastrevec low drive narrowly missed the target. On 72 minutes Camenzuli drilled his shot from outside the area wide, after Floriana had forced two successive corners.
St Andrews dropped deeper and deeper, inviting Floriana to attack but the Greens’ inability to turn possession into chances made frustrating viewing for both their supporters and an increasingly animated Tedesco on the touchline.
Five minutes from the end, a heavy clash between Samb and Udoh inside the Saints area, left both players grounded, with Floriana airing loud protests for a penalty which the referee from Kosovo ignored.
For the remaining minutes, St Andrews were playing for time as they held on pluckily for another precious point, in their fight for survival, against a disappointing Floriana.
TARXIEN RAINBOWS - 0
BIRKIRKARA - 1
Tarxien R: P. Schranz, E. Baker, E. Marcelina, T. Caruana, D. Ponce, A. Nilsson, A. Azzopardi (D. Micallef), A. Agius (J. Galea), D. Zerafa, M. Tabone (S. Borg), K. Zammit
Birkirkara: H. Bonello, E. Herrera (S. Bonnici), G. Sciberras, E. Agius (J. Brincat), S. Dimitrov, N. Vukanac, J. Zerafa, M. Alba, C. Attard, P. Jovic, G. Malan (V. Plut)
Referee: C. Pisani
Asst.refs: J. Spiteri, T. Debono
4th official: S. Pace
Scorers: M. Alba 45
Yellow cards: M. Alba, A. Nilsson, P. Jovic, A. Agius, C. Attard
Player of the match: M. Alba (Birkirkara)
TMI top 3: 1. M. Alba 2. P. Schranz 3. J. Zerafa
Attendance: 552
Silvio Vella
Birkirkara rediscovered their winning touch yesterday after beating Tarxien Rainbows, with a Miguel Angel Alba free kick scored before halftime, following defeat against Floriana and a draw against St Andrews.
This victory leaves their position unchanged in the standings but will give the Stripes some much needed tonic in their push for a place in European competition next season.
After a quiet first half, Birkirkara grew in composure in the second to rubber stamp the legitimacy of their lead. They created chances that could have earned them a bigger win, but they can only rue their profligacy and the brilliance of Tarxein keeper Philip Schranz .
Tarxien meanwhile have suffered a third consecutive defeat and remain winless in the Premier League since January.
Edward Herrera, Edmond Agius and Joseph Zerafa were given the nod ahead of Gary Muir, Vito Plut and the suspended Ryan Scicluna in the Birkirkara side but that changed nothing tactically. Gareth Sciberras played in front of a three-man defence, with Herrera and Zerafa pressing down the flanks.
Tarxien had Alex Alves suspended and Sacha Borg relegated to the bench, to be replaced by Andrew Agius and Matthew Tabone. Philip Schranz played in goal instead of Andrea Cassar.
Marcelina and Caruana kept cover in front of the defence, with Agius given a more advanced role behind Alex Nilsson and Daniel Ponce.
Tarxien hinted to a positive start with the tenacious Nilsson shooting narrowly over at the first opportunity.
But that was a false dawn and the match soon took a sedatory pattern, with the two sides stifling each other in midfield. Scoring opportunities were few and far between with the Stripes showing up only past the half hour when Malan headed Zerafa’s cross straight at the goalkeeper.
With halftime looming, Tarxien could have taken the lead. On a Ponce cross, Nilssson’s hard drive was saved into a corner by the Birkirkara keeper Bonello.
The disgruntled Birkirkara fans were given something to shout about on the stroke of halftime, although the goal came in a fortuitious manner. Miguel Alba curled a free kick from the left, the Tarxien defence failed tro clear and the ball ended beyond keeper Schranz.
The surprise was that it took 45 minutes for Birkirkara to break the deadlock. The alarming element for Tarxien was that they were carved open with a really soft goal.
The Tarxien defence looked in complete disarray early in the second half as Birkirkara raked long balls inside their area that caused utter embarrassment.
It took some time for the Rainbows to resettle. Then, a Marcelina free kick rebounded against the Birkirkara wall. Ponce shot the loose ball narrowly wide. Tarxien inroduced Julian Galea for Agius past the hour.
Soon Galea chested a long Marcelina cross inside the Birkirkara area, and sent the low ball through Attard’s legs across the middle, only to be cleared into a corner, as Tarxien probed for an equaliser.
But on 70 minutes, Birkirkara went very close to increasing their lead. On an Alba free kick from the right, Edmond Agius hit a ferocious shot from the edge of the area. The outstretched keeper Schranz applied a telling touch to hold the ball out.
Tarxien threatened again on the counter after 78 minutes. Substitute Micallef’s shot took a deflection into a corner.
But Birkirkara ended the match stronger than their opponents. In the match’s added time, substitute James Brincat, who had just gone in for Edmond Agius, went past Micallef through the middle but keeper Schranz denied him with a superb block.
HAMRUN S.................1
GZIRA U.....................3
Ħamrun: B. Kambala, P. Chircop (J. Neto 26’), C. Anigbogu, L. Grech, K. Micallef, I. Misan, M. Micallef (J. Grech 56’), L. Motta dos Santos, B. Paiber, M. Giusti, S. Nanapere (S. Eddin Arab 60’)
Gzira: Ju. Borg, Ja. Borg, C. Gatt Baldacchino, S. Diamoutene, I. Azzopardi, Z. Scerri, G. Conti (C. Reyna 74’), J. Corbolan (K. Pulo 92’), A. Cohen, L. Zome, I. Adeshina (A. Neto 85’)
Yellow Card: C. Anigbogu 34’ (Ħ)
Scorer: P. Chircop 5’ (H), L. Zome 44’, C. Reyna 80’, J. Borg 92’ (G)
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri
Assistant Referees: Edward Spiteri, Chris Azzopardi
TMI Top 3: 1. J. Corbolan (G) 2. A. Cohen (G) 3. L. Zome (G)
BOV Player of the match: Andrew Cohen (Gzira United)
Stewart Said
Two late goals in the game enabled Gzira to continue with their revival as they defeated Hamrun Spartans for the first time this season to continue climbing up the table as they now surpassed St Andrews - they are only two points behind the Spartans.
Darren Abdilla’s team deserved maximum points from this game as they were the team that looked likely to win with a number of efforts on goal.
This was the fourth win as the transfer market of January continues to leave its mark. Hamrun didn’t build on their previous performance that frustrated Hibernians last week.
Both coaches made only one change from their last game, as Christian Anigbogu started instead of Sergio dos Anjos, while Ige Adeshina took the place of Moises Avila Perez who was suspended.
Before the beginning of the match, a minute of silence was observed in memory of Anthony Scicluna who was a former MFA council member of Gzira United.
Hamrun took only five minutes to take the lead as Philip Chircop was the fastest to react after a blunder by goalkeeper Jurgen Borg, who couldn’t handle a free-kick from the left that looked easy.
After this goal, Gzira started to involve themselves in the game and on the 11th minute, winger Juan Corbolan tried with a powerful shot from outside the box, but it finished off target.
Another effort by Gzira came on the 22nd minute as this time was Louis Zome who tried, but his effort was saved without difficulty by Kambala. On the half hour mark, Gzira almost equalised after Gianmarco Conti’s header finished a bit wide after a cross by Jacob Borg.
Hamrun could have regained their lead five minutes later as Brandon Paiber laid a good ball to Saturday Nanapere but from an ideal position he shot well over the bar.
Gzira equalised before half time when from a dangerous cross from the right, striker Louis Zome was in the exact position to slot past Kambala with a header from close range.
Gzira could have taken the lead in the first quarter of the second half as they had a number of occasions. First it was Andrew Cohen on the 54th minute who tried with a shot from a difficult position that finished over the bar and a minute later, a header by Conti finished over the bar.
Then three minutes later it was Corbolan’s turn to try but Kambala saved despite not handling the ball. On the hour mark, a central shot by Conti from a good position was saved by the Hamrun goalkeeper.
The Spartans had their first dangerous action of the second half, which could have resulted in a goal as young midfielder Brandon Paiber started a personal action from the midfield area, advanced and fired a shot that gave a hard time to Jurgen Borg but the Maroons’ goalkeeper saved the shot confidently.
The game entered into a phase where both teams were stalled in midfield, but Gzira managed to take the lead for the first time ten minutes from time. It was substitute Carlos Reyna who had just been on the pitch for six minutes, who scored the goal after Kambala failed to grasp a Jacob Borg cross.
Hamrun’s reaction wasn’t powerful, but they had a free-kick in the last moments of the game. But the free-kick was taken poorly and Gzira countered with a brilliant action as Corbolan passed to Machedo Neto who advanced and crossed to Jacob Borg who finished the action with a first time shot in his right corner to the joy of the bench and supporters present.
SLIEMA W.................1
HIBERNIANS............2
Sliema: G. Sarao, A. Muscat, S. Biancardi, J. Pearson (R. Spiteri 86’), J. Mintoff, G. Aquilina (M. Muchardi 73’), M. Scerri, F. Temile, W. Salomon, R. Correa, L. Incorvaia (J.P. Farrugia 46’)
Hibernians: A. Hogg, M. Dias, D. Boljevic (J. Bezzina 68’), R. Soares, A. Agius, C. Failla, B. Kristensen, J. Lima, J. Pereira da Silva, G. da Silva Ribeiro (M. Moore 81’), J. Degabriele (D. Vella 77’)
Yellow Cards: M. Dias 40’, C. Failla 61’, A. Agius 90’ (H), R. Correa 64’, G. Aquilina 70’, M. Scerri 90’ (S)
Scorers: J. Degabriele 7’, B. Kristensen 34’ (H), A. Muscat 62’ pen (S)
Referee: Glen Tonna
Assistant Referees: Duncan Sultana, Peter Abela
TMI Top 3: 1. G. da Silva Ribeiro (H) 2. J. Degabriele (H) 3. M. Scerri (S)
BOV Player of the match: Gilmar da Silva Ribeiro (Hibernians)
Attendance: 863
Stewart Said
Two goals in the first half, were enough for Hibernians to climb momentarily on top of the table as they defeated Sliema Wanderers 2-1. It wasn’t a brilliant performance by Hibernians but the important thing for them was to claim the points, after they failed last week.
Sliema didn’t have their best game as they were rarely dangerous to their opponents and also after scoring from the penalty spot, failed to pile up the pressure on their opponents.
Coach John Buttigieg made two changes from the defeat against Valletta as Wisdom Salamon and Riccardo Correa started instead of Jean Paul Farrugia and Denni Rocha dos Santos. On the other hand, Mark Miller made one change from the draw against Ħamrun as Andrei Agiuss started ahead of Johann Bezzina.
Before the game defender Jonathan Pearson gave a bouquet of flowers as a sign of respect to the Hibernians supporters, after playing for a number of years with them.
The Paolites broke the deadlock after just seven minutes. Youngster Jurgen Degabriele received a good pass from Jorginho, controlled the ball and in a calm fashion beat Sarao with a low shot. Despite taking the lead, Hibernians failed to produce dangerous efforts on goal.
But their opponents also failed to be dangerous and Hibernians doubled on their second real attempt. It was on the 34th minute when Gilmar crossed a ball from a free-kick and Bjorn Kristensen was ready to slot past Sarao from close range.
Mark Miller’s team could have made the score 3-0 on the 43rd minute as from after a mistake in Sliema’s defence, Jorginho advanced and passed to Gilmar who continued the ball to Degabriele, but the striker’s shot from an ideal position finished over the bar. Before half-time, a free-kick by Gilmar da Silva Ribeiro finished well over the bar.
The second half continued on the same rhythm and it was only just the hour mark when the game had a twist. Referee Glen Tonna judged a foul by Clayton Failla on Jonathan Pearson. From the penalty spot, captain Alex Muscat beat Andrew Hogg with a shot on his right top corner.
After the goal, Hibernians looked timid in their game and coach Miller made some defensive changes in order to keep the lead. Sliema were never dangerous and Hibernians had the chance to bury the game on the 84th minute with a personal action from Marcelo Dias, but his effort after a long run finished off target. Hibernians controlled the last minutes to claim the win.