BIRKIRKARA 1
BALZAN FC 3
Birkirkara: K. Naumowski, E. Herrera, F. Barbosa, M. Andelkovic, K. Zammit, O. Rolovic (G. Zammit), N. Vukanac, C. Concalves, S. Dimitrov (J. Grech), R. Scicluna, C. Attard (A. Attard)
Balzan FC: I. Janjusevic (S. Mintoff), U. Ljubomirac, A. Effiong, E. Serrano, P. Fenech, I. Bozovic (J. Grioli), M. Johnson, S. Bezzina, A. Alves (S. Arab), M. Lepovic, C. Mendes
Referee: T. Farrugia Cann
Asst.refs: D. Sultana, J. Spiteri
Additional asst.refs: M. Apap, P. Farrugia
4th official: D. Petrovic
Scorers: M. Lepovic 10, C. Mendes 48, A. Effiong 74, R. Scicluna 87
Yellow cards: E. Herrera, A. Effiong, M. Johnson, R. Nauwmovski, I. Bozovic, C. Mendes
Player of the match: C. Mendes (Balzan)
TMI top 3: 1. C. Mendes 2. P. Fenech 3. K. Naumowski
Attendance: 1,205
This was a suave demonstration of Balzan’s intention to sustain their challenge at the top of the Premier League.
They have opened a four-point gap over nearest challengers Valletta, who play Hibernians this afternoon, thanks to a convincing 3-0 win over third placed Birkirkara, with goals from Lepovic, Mendes and Effiong.
On a crisp, clear afternoon at Ta’ Qali, Balzan went on to lord it over their opponents. They looked stronger, slicker and more imaginative and created several chances to prove that on the scoreboard.
This was a missed opportunity for Birkirkara to galvanise a place with the top four teams after producing an insipid performance. Despite a second-half improvement, they ended up convincing losers.
Both teams went into this match in some vein of good form. The leaders were on a 19-match unbeaten streak since November while Birkirkara were unbeaten in the previous ten matches, having won nine of them.
The Stripes had conceded only two goals in 11 matches. Balzan were only breached once in the last five outings.
Balzan were bereft of the attacking prowess of their suspended forward Bojan Kaljevic. Alez Alves played in the centre instead.
Birkirkara also started with Jake Grech named among the substitutes, with Edward Herrera handed a rare start.
Balzan showed a hearty appetite for the fight. They pressed Birkirkara urgently and were the more threatening team throughout, with Effiong, Alves and Mendes irrepressible, as Paul Fenech and Lepovic never stopped running.
Birkirkara’s response was torpor, enabling Balzan to tear into them. The Stripes were stretched defensively.
The leaders made repeated inroads up the channels and Birkirkara looked powerless to stop them, even on relatively simple and direct balls.
In the opening 45 minutes, Balzan had punished them with an opening goal and there could have been more before halftime.
They put the match beyond Birkirkara with two more goals in the econd half and were left to amuse themselves in the face of such supine opponents.
Balzan eased ahead after barely ten minutes, with Milos Lepovic capitalising on the Stripes’ static backline, as he ran in for Mendes’ whipping cross from the left to hit the ball past keeper Naumowski.
The Birkirkara shot stopper was influential seven minutes later as he rushed off his line to thwart Effiong, who had been put clear by Bozovic.
Midway through the half, Birkirkara were lucky to escape unscathed as Mendes thumped his free kick against the bar with the goalkeeper turning the ball into a corner.
Naumowski escaped with only a caution in a controversial episode short of the half hour. He rushed out of his area and felled Effiong, who was going clear slightly on the right of the Birkirkara area, with a lunging tackle.
Balzan threatened again on 39 minutes after the goalkeeper dropped the ball from a Mendes corner but Effiong’s effort on the loose ball was blocked.
Balzan scored their second three minutes after the interval. Ljubomirac played a ball forward for Effiong to run through inside the Birkirkara area from the left and, as the flag stayed down, he sent a low cross towards the middle, ably met by Carlos Mendes to tap in at the far post.
Balzan grew in confidence. On 55 minutes Ljubomirac’s cross from the right found Alves unmarked in the middle. The Balzan forward was denied by Naumowski’s timely block.
Balzan could not entirely relax with a 2-0 lead.
Birkirkara sought a riposte and introduced Jake Grech for the ineffective Dimitrov.
On 65 minutes, on Zammit’s cross from the left, Rolovic’s firm header was ably saved by keeper Janjusevic into a corner.
But Balzan kept going and, not surprisingly, scored their third on 74 minutes. Grioli’s centre from the right cut the Birkirkara rearguard with alarming ease and Alfred Effiong stretched his leg to steer the ball past the goalkeeper.
Looking totally dry of inspiration, Birkirkara still managed to pull one back with three minutes remaining, Ryan Scicluna finishing off Grech’s cross.
But that was too little too late.
Senglea draw more comfort in shoddy stalemate
SENGLEA ATHLETIC 0
FLORIANA 0
Senglea A: M. Farrugia, S. Bonnici, J. Bondin, S. Uyi, J. Leyton, M. Garzia, I. Azzopardi, I. Paz, H. Vella, T. Vella (G. Braga), P. Sammut (G. Virano)
Floriana: I. Akpan (M. Grech), S. Nayar, E. Pepe, S. Pisani, M. Vella, J. Cabral, J. Pisani, M. Paolucci (D. Grima), A. Cini, M. Fontanella, E. Marcelina
Referee: F. Zammit
Asst.refs: L. Portelli, M. Scerri
4th official: G. Tonna
Yellow cards: M. Garzia, S. Pisani, E. Pepe, J. Bondin
Player of the match: I. Paz (Senglea A)
TMI top 3: 1. J. Bondin 2. S. Nayar 3. I. Paz
This match offered very little in terms of chances and excitement. A point perhaps serves Senglea Athletic better as they move closer to safety, six points above 12th placed St Andrews in the standings, thanks their tireless workrate with defensive discipline and organisation against more quoted oponents like Floriana.
The Greens enjoyed the expected majority of possesssion without making it pay in the span of 90 minutes.
But they offered next to nothing as an attacking threat and the Senglea keeper Matthew Farrugia was hardly ever seriously disturbed.
Floriana thus remain in fifth place, one point adrift of Gzira United who have a game in hand.
Floriana made only one change, as Sebastian Nayar returned from suspension and started instead of Dylan Grima.
By contrast, Senglea’s starting line-up showed a rift of changes following defeat against Hamrun Spartans. Steve Bonnici, Ian Azzopardi, Hubert Vella, Brian Volpini and Peter Sammut were all handed starts as Favaretto’s side was missing Virano, Braga, Palmieri and the suspended Leyton.
Their defenders, Azzopardi and Bondin battled down the flanks, winning a couple of block tackles on Cabral and Steve Pisani as Floriana were enjoying more of the ball in the early exchanges.
The Greens were unable to create opportunities and after an early Fontanella nod ended in keeper Farrugia’s safe hands, Floriana only fashioned an opportunity of note three minutes before the break when a Vella shot from outside the area was blocked by the Senglea keeper.
Senglea had been composed, well disciplined at the back. Volpini took a crack at Floriana’s goal after 35 minutes with a curling free kick that had the Floriana keeper Akpan diving to turn the ball around into a corner.
A shabby first half ended goalless.
Floriana coach Chiesa made a tactical change at halftime. He withdrew Paolucci and introduced Dylan Grima at left back, switching Jurgen Pisani as centre back and moving Nayar upfield.
They came at Senglea hard after the restart. Nayar served Cabral from the left but the Floriana player was blocked inside the Senglea area.
Towards the hour, Fontanella arrived fractionally late on Nayar’s low cross from the right and later a Cabral grounder took a wicked deflection into a corner.
On 80 minutes, Sammut broke down the left flank for Senglea, with his pass towards Paz who shot straight at keeper Akpan.
On the other end, Marcelina headed Maurizio Vella’s floating free kick over.
In a frantic final few moments that belied the mundanity of the rest of the match, Maurizio Vella wriggled his way inside the Senglea area but was not allowed any space and thus unable to make the breakthrough.
Spartans win with early and late goals
Naxxar L. 1
Hamrun S. 4
Naxxar L.: C. Nicht, R. Santos Caetano, M. Souza Duarte, R. Grech, M. Micallef, D. Bonnici, M. Casarotto, M. Fenech, E. Ndoye, D. Belhadj, Y. Messias.
Hamrun S.: J. Galea, M. Criaco, T. Espindola, C. Zaccardo, D. Zerafa, T. Souza da Silveira, A. Faria Machado (L. Celotto), T. Caruana (J. Galea), L. Micallef (K. Micallef), D. Camilleri, A. Nilsson.
Referee: M. Spiteri.
Asst refs: E. Spiteri.
4th official: C. Francalanza.
Scorers: D. Zerafa, L. Micallef pen., M. Fenech, A. Nilsson, C. Zaccardo.
Yellow cards: M. Souza Duarte, M. Micallef, A. Faria Machado, R. Grech, R. Santos Caetano,
Player of the match: L. Micallef.
TMI Top 3: 1. L. Micallef; 2. E. Ndoye; 3. C. Zaccardo.
Attendance: 320
Two early goals from Daniel Zerafa and Lydon Micallef, the latter from a penalty, paved the way for Hamrun Spartans’ narrow victory over Naxxar Lions yesterday. And to make it more emphatic, they went on to ascertain themselves with two late goals through Alex Nilsson and Cristian Zaccardo.
Naxxar pulled one back through Mark Fenech soon after those two early Hamrun goals, but their reaction, especially in the second half, failed to deliver the goods and the Spartans could romp home to a good win.
The Spartans remain in 8th place, but are now on 34 points. The Lions remain in 13th place on 16 points.
It was a deserved win for the Spartans who were the better team in the first half and then administered their narrow lead in the second, even if they passed through a few anxious moments before sealing their win with another two goals near the end.
The Spartans quickly built a 2-0 cushion by the 8th minute. It seemed as if they were about to demolish the Lions, but the latter had other ideas.
In fact, Naxxar hit back strongly to bridge the gap soon after and from then on, the game became much more interesting.
The Spartans maintained the initiative but real goal-scoring chances at both ends were few and far between.
In the second half it was a different story as Naxxar now applied pressure on the Spartans fort in an effort to get back on level terms.
Hamrun were forced into their own half for long stretches and the defence appeared to be on the verge of collapse in some moments, but they held on and were even dangerous in their fewer counter-attacks.
But near the end, all anxieties were over after Nilsson and Zaccardo scored to make it a more emphatic win for the Spartans.
Hamrun quickly took the game into their hands as they scored in the 2nd minute. From an Espindola freekick, Daniel Zerafa gave Naxxar goalie Nicht no chance with a good header.
And in the 8th minute, Lydon Micallef converted a penalty in style after he had been floored by Mailson Souza Duarte.
But Naxxar did not throw in the towel and in the 11th minute, they reduced the gap when from a Messias freekick, it was Mark Fenech who rose above friend and foe to head into the Hamrun net.
Soon after, Naxxar protested for a penalty when Micallef went down in the area in a tackle with a Hamrun defender, but the referee, close to the action, just showed a yellow card for simulation to the Naxxar player.
In the 34th minute, a good Camilleri-Micallef-Nilsson move for the Spartans ended with the latter’s shot hitting the side netting.
Just before the interval whistle, Naxxar had two attempts at goal. A shot from the edge of the area by Ryan Grech was blocked by a Hamrun defender, the ball ran out to Casarotto whose effort went wide.
Naxxar went close to levelling the score on 53 minutes when from a Messias cornerkick, Santos Caetano saw his first time effort just missing the target.
At the other end, Nilsson went past two defenders, but his final effort went wide.
In the 65th minute, Hamrun goalie Jake Galea defied Casarotto as he splendidly turned to corner a shot which appeared destined for the back of the net.
Four minutes later, as Naxxar intensified their efforts, another shot by Casarotto was blocked to a corner. Moments later, a Messias freekick went over.
Two minutes from the end, Hamrun ascertained themselves of the three points when Faria Machado advanced on the left flank and then crossed for Alex Nilsson to flick home from close in.
Hamrun sealed the issue in added time through Zaccardo who concluded a fine Espindola cross from the left flank with a first timer.
Substitute Ameli sinks gallant Saints
Sliema W. 1
St Andrews 0
Sliema W.: G. Zammit, F. Temile, E. Agius (K. Ameli), M. Sansone, A. Nil, S. Bianciardi, M. Muchardi, J. Mintoff, R. Correa (R. Spiteri), K. Shaw, F. Qeros.
St Andrews: M. Calleja Cremona, A. Borg, M. Gomez, J. Farrugia, J. Van de Lannoite, M. Gauci, T. Azian, K. Atkinson (J. Walker), M. Grima, K. Reid, T. Blagrove.
Referee: E. Mangion.
Asst refs: A. Camilleri, P. Abela.
4th official: C. Pisani.
Scorers: K. Ameli
Yellow cards: F. Qeros, A. Nil, M. Gauci,
Player of the match: R. Correa.
TMI Top 3: 1. J. Farrugia, 2. R. Correa, 3. M. Grima.
A 74th minute strike from substitute Kilan Ameli gave Sliema all the three points in a balanced match.
The result was a setback for the Saints’ hopes in their efforts to stave off relegation as they remain one point behind 11th placed Tarxien in the standings. On the other hand, Sliema have now joined Hibernians on the 36-point mark, though the latter have today’s match against Valletta in hand.
The Saints certainly deserved something better after sharing the exchanges in the first half and creating the better chances on the changeover, before Sliema eventually scored the all-important goal somewhat surprisingly.
But overall, Sliema were the better team playing the more methodical football apart from exercising some territorial superiority.
The first half was more or less balanced with Sliema, perhaps, enjoying slightly more possession.
The Blues showed more urgency in their play, but they rarely troubled the St Andrews defence, which rarely committed a mistake.
The Saints, threatened by relegation, played with great determination and also had their own good moments, going close to scoring through a great effort from Azian who had a shot hitting the crossbar.
In the second half, the Saints improved considerably and even created the better chances before Sliema netted what proved to be the winner.
Right from the very first whistle, St Andrews goalie Calleja Cremona was already in action saving a header from Edmond Agius who received a good cross from Sansone.
The Saints replied on 13 minutes when from a Reid low cross, Gomez shot wide from the edge of the area.
In the 18th minute, as Sliema continued to enjoy more possession, a Muchardi shot was deviated onto the St Andrews crossbar by a defender.
On 31 minutes, J. Farrugia had a freekick going just over the crossbar. At the other end, on 39 minutes, Calleja Cremona saved a Correa freekick in two attempts.
St Andrews were very unlucky not to have scored in the 40th minute when Azian took a loose ball outside the area and fired a great shot on the turn, only to see the ball hitting the crossbar with Zammit beaten.
Soon after the start of the second half, Kurt Shaw avoided an awkward situation for Sliema as he blocked an Azian shot. And on the 48th minute, it was Kemar Reid who tried his luck from the edge of the area, but the ball sailed harmlessly over the bar.
The Saints were now playing better and from a Farrugia corner, it was van de Lannoite who tested Sliema goalie Zammit with a header which the latter saved confidently.
On the hour, it was again Reid who had a good effort from 20 metres well saved by the diving Zammit.
Sliema took the lead on the 74th minute, when substitute Kilan Ameli hit home past a surprised Calleja Cremona from the far edge of the area.
The Saints tried hard to get back on level terms, but they never went close to getting an equaliser.