Samb runs the show as Gzira widen gap at the top
GZIRA UNITED 4
HAMRUN SPARTANS 0
Gzira U: A. Curmi, G. Muir, C. Gatt Baldacchino, S. Diamoutene, S. Borg, Z. Scerri, R. Briffa (N. Muscat), A. Cohen (S. Ogundare), J. Corbolan, N. Okoye, A. Samb (C. Sammut)
Hamrun S: S. Sultana, K. Micallef, D. Zerafa, D. Camilleri (M. Marinho), T. Caruana, T. Agius (T. Souza), G. Castro, T. Espindola, C. Zaccardo, L. Micallef, S. Arab (F. Clavero)
Referee: G. Tonna
Asst.refs: M. Scerri, R. Aquilina
4th official: S. Spiteri
Scorers: A. Samb 66, 70 pen, 78 pen, N. Okoye 90+
Yellow cards: S. Diamoutene, Z. Scerri, N. Okoye, T. Souza, F. Clavero, T. Espindola, S. Sultana
Player of the match: A. Samb (Gzira U)
TMI top 3: 1. A. Samb 2. A. Cohen 3. G. De Castro
SILVIO VELLA
Gzira United grasped the chance to defy footballing gravity and break away from their rivals, opening a three-point gap at the top of the BoV Premier League, with an emphatic 4-0 win over Hamrun Spartans.
All the focus before the match might have been on Hamrun's new arrival, that of 36-year-old Italian central defender and world champion Crisitian Zaccardo who made his debut in Malta's Premier League yesterday.
But Gzira's Amadou Samb stole the limelight, with a well-taken hat-trick that takes his total to 11 goals already in this campaign.
It was a scratchy game and Gzira were a long way from their best. But Amadou Samb helped to settle their nerves with a well-taken hat-trick, including two penalties, in the second half, as Okoye completed the formalities in added time, and they can look forward with optimism.
Gzira's focus did not waver from the task in hand. After a draw against Floriana, and Valletta catching up with their win on Friday night, coach Darren Abdilla could not contemplate further dropped points against opponents that his team knew they ought to be beating. Samb's goals swung the contest after a tight first half and it did not matter that the Maroons were off-colour.
Notable absentees for Gzira yesterday were the suspended midfielder Moises Avila Perez and striker Samba Tounkara. Anthony Curmi was back in goal after missing the match against Floriana. Coach Darren Abdilla shifted to a flexible 4-4-2 formation, with Juan Corbolan starting in midfield and both Roderick Briffa and Andrew Cohen taking a more advanced role.
Hamrun kept their shape and they had a couple of flickers in the first half, but were completely overrun in the second and were denied back-to-back victories.
The Spartans dropped Maurico Marinho and Francisco 'Cico' Clavero to the bench, while Artur Faria Machado is still injured.
The first half was played high on energy but lacked quality football.
Hamrun harrassed their opponents and allowed them no comfort on the ball. For the opening half hour neither side managed a shot on target, with a couple of Lydon Micallef's efforts lacking precision.
Both defences were sharp enough to suffocate the threat posed by the opposing forwards.
Gzira won the first corner of the match after 21 minutes, after a dangerous Okoye incursion inside the Hamrun area was halted by defender Zerafa.
On their second corner kick past the half hour, Hamrun keeper Sultana fumbled the high ball that fell to Briffa whose shot at goal was cleared on the line by Lydon Micallef.
The latter, one of the most active players on the pitch in the first half, again found space inside the Gzira half but his effort narrowly missed the target. Before the break, on a Corbolan free kick from the right, Cohen's header at the far post was easily saved by keeper Sultana.
The second period belonged to Gzira and Amadou Samb in particular.
Gzira moved the ball with greater pace and the game became more watchable. Samb's hat-trick within 12 minutes demolished the Spartans who were left licking their wounds.
Gzira opened the scoring on 66 minutes when Cohen played a free kick low inside the Hamrun area and Samb darted in from the right to beat keeepr Sultana with a low flick.
Hardly four minutes later Espindola bundled the Gzira forward inside the area to give away a peanlty which Samb himself tucked away.
Samb won a his side a second penalty on 78 minutes, after going past the static Zaccardo and felled by the onrushing keeper inside the area and stepped up to score his third of the match.
Samb could only watch his side score the fourth goal from the bench as he had been substituted in the late minutes to a standing ovation. Team mate Ndubisi Okoye headed over keeper Sultana to add some excessive gloss to Gzira's win.
Sliema win to leave Birkirkara in dire straits
SLIEMA WANDERERS 3
BIRKIRKARA 0
Sliema W: G. Zammit, S. Bianciardi, M. Muchardi, F. Temile (A. Martinelli), G. Aquilina (P. Xuereb), J. De Assis, J. Pearson, E. Agius, F. Qeros (R. Spiteri), J. Mintoff, G. Adamovic
Birkirkara: P. Schranz, E. Herrera, L. Mulemo (K. Zammit), N. Vukanac, L. Maia, M. Andelkovic, R. Scicluna, J. Grech, C. Goncalves (M. Guillaumier), C. Attard (R. Camenzuli), L. Montebello
Referee: P. Farrugia
Asst.refs: J. Spiteri, W. Debattista
4th official: S. Pace
Scorers: M. Muchardi 45, G. Aquilina 57, J. De Assis 79 pen
Yellow cards: C. Attard, E. Herrera, P. Schranz
Player of the match: M. Muchardi (Sliema W)
TMI top 3: 1. M. Muchardi 2. F. Qeros 3. P. Schranz
Attendance: 1,335
SILVIO VELLA
This match between two teams struggling for consistency so far this season, sitting in the lower half of the standings with only one point separating them before kick off, was won by Sliema Wanderers who showed some dynamism in their play.
Both were coming into this match at the back of defeats before the international break.
Sliema's victory was one founded on fluid teamwork but Matias Muchardi deserves merit in particular for his selfless contribution, running the channels and unsettling the Birkirkara forwards with his defending.
Birkirkara's awry start to the season meanwhile continues and problems persist as they remain in tenth place, with seven points in as many matches.
When the Stripes needed leadership, the team merely looked confused and dazed by Sliema's more organised play.
Sliema Wanderers made two changes, as Correa and Gavric were dropped by coach John Buttigieg from the starting line-up, making way for the defensive pair of Jonathan Pearson and Goran Adamovic. Sliema were still missing the injured Alex Muscat and Mark Scerri.
Camenzuli, Guillaumier and Klein were named among the substitutes and Brito was missing yesterday as Birkirkara coach Paul Zammit gave starts to Edward Herrera, Lucas Maia, Ryan Scicluna and Carlos Goncalves instead.
The lively Wanderers moved forward as often as they could and with a degree of threat but they really tested keeper Philip Schranz only after 36 minutes, called to stretch himself and keep out Qeros' curling free kick. Muchardi's effort on a Qeros cross was a tame one.
But the Birkirkara keeper had already been called into action after eight minutes, as he smartly saved an erratic header by team mate Andelkovic who tried to cut our De Assis' cross but almost beat his own keeper.
For most of the first half, Birkirkara did not pass the ball with enough creativity and lacked penetration in attaking areas.
They had a Herrera headed goal disallowed for an offside position past the quarter hour and on 24 minutes, Sliema keeper Zammit saved Montebello's shot.
Sliema made the breakthrough on the stroke of halftime. An Agius free kick from the left was flicked in by Matias Muchardi from close range.
The Stripes looked like getting an equaliser in two minutes of added time but Maia's shot from inside the area was blocked by Sliema defender Pearson.
Birkirkara put in Ryan Camenzuli for Attard and tried to up the tempo as the second-half unfolded. A Grech diagonal low shot narrowly missed the target.
Short of the hour, Sliema struck the fatal blow. De Assis' cross from the right was flicked by Qeros towards the advancing Gabriel Aquilina who connected well to beat keeper Schranz.
The Wanderers looked virtually safe , even because Birkirkara failed to make a decent reaction, except for a Maia tame header on a Grech free kick.
Sliema remained more potent going forward and finished strongly. On 75 minutes Muchardi opened the Birkirkara rearguard with a pass to Aquilina who was thwarted by the alert keeper Schranz.
And on 79 minutes, Sliema wrapped it all up with a penalty awarded after De Assis, in full flight, fell when coming into contact with the Birkirkara keeper. De Assis himself converted from the spot to give the Wanderers the deserved points.