BALZAN FC 0
GZIRA UNITED 0
Balzan FC: I. Janjusevic, U. Ljubomirac, A. Effiong (S. Arab), E. Serrano, P. Fenech, I. Bozovic (J. Grioli), M. Johnson, S. Bezzina, A. Alves, B. Kaljevic, C. Mendes
Gzira U: J. Haber, R. Briffa, C. Gatt Baldacchino, D. Mambouana, K. Thackray, M. Avila Perez, E. Zarate, H. Garba, Z. Scerri (N. Muscat), A. Samb (J. Corbolan), N. Okoye
Referee: G. Tonna
Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, D. Sultana
Additional asst.refs: A.M. Sant, I. Barbara
4th official: E. Spiteri
Yellow cards: A. Samb, B. Kaljevic, A. Effiong, U. Ljubomirac
Player of the match: N. Okoye (Gzira U)
TMI top 3: 1. E. Zarate 2. N. Okoye 3. A. Alves
Attendance: 417
Balzan area again sole leaders in the BoV Premier League, but this scrappy goalless draw leaves them only one point above nearest challengers Valletta and five over Birkirkara whom they face at the weekend.
Balzan will surely be without striker Bojan Kaljevic who was handed his fourth yellow card yesterday.
All the early promise waned as a scrappy game struggled to ignite. Goalmouth action was in short supply in a game that had no real ebb and flow.
This point for Gzira means they remain firmly in fourth place, two points above Floriana.
Notable absentees in yesterday’s match were Gzira’s Andrew Cohen and Balzan’s Milos Lepovic.
Carlos Mendes played in a more retreated midfield role for the leaders, who also had Paul Fenech and Elkin Serrano back from the start.
Gzira chased and harried their opponents but lacked the required impetus without their most creative and experienced player.
The early exchanges were open. Balzan utilised wide areas to create space through Alfred Effiong and Uros Ljubomirac. They enjoyed a measure of control, although Gzira’s commitment restricted them to few clear opportunities.
Gzira tried to be more direct with Samb and Okoye running through the middle channels as they chased long balls hoofed forward by their midfielders Zarate, Scerri and Avila Perez.
When Effiong headed the ball down towards Kaljevic, the latter’s overhead kick went over.
On the other end, Okoye’s shot took a slight deflection into a corner to mitigate the danger for keeper Janjusevic.
By the hour there had only been two more half chances, one at each end.
On 55 minutes Scerri tried his luck with a shot from a distance, following a Balzan clearance off a Briffa corner. The ball was deflected into another corner.
On 63 minutes Effiong shot over as he pounced on a Gzira clearance off a Bozovic deep cross from the right.
Scerri limped off for Gzira on 75 minutes. Balzan needed to show more cohesion in their play. Their continued slow tempo in the second half prompted the introduction of Siraj Arab for Effiong for the last 12 minutes.
But Gzira held firm, confirming their decent run of their own, with only one defeat in their last six matches.