Birkirkara 4

Lija Ath. 0

Birkirkara: S. Darmanin, M.A. Bonnici (L. Galea), P. Monye, W. Camenzuli, H. Doda (J.P. Mifsud Triganza), M. Galea, C. Nwoko, L. Dronca (R. Sammut), G. Mallia, E. Barbara, A. Ciantar

Lija A: S. Agius, D. Okeke, N. Gatt, G. Lanzon, K. Zammit (B. Spiteri), D. Scerri (E. Navarro), G. Camenzuli, G. Barry (A. Ellul), P. Camilleri, Z. Anicic, J. Vella

Referee: P. Caruana Asst refs: A. Camilleri, J. Rapa 4th official: K. Azzopardi

Scorers: H. Doda, M. Galea, C. Nwoko, J.P. Mifsud Triganza

Yellow cards: D. Okeke, P. Monye

Red card: W. Camenzuli

Player of the match: A. Ciantar (Birkirkara)

TMI top three: 1. A. Ciantar 2. C. Nwoko 3. N. Gatt

Despite playing with ten men for the entire second half, Birkirkara overcame Lija's stubborn resistance to down them with four clear goals, thus confirming the gap between the two sides.

Although taking an early lead, and for all their welter of possession and hatful of chances, Birkirkara struggled against a defensive and resolute Lija side, bereft of Cosaitis and Michael Gatt, for nearly an hour, although they were never really in difficulty.

Lija, who had former Balzan Serb player Anicic making his debut, fought gamely and never allowed their superior opponents much comfort on the ball, until they conceded Birkirkara's second goal, which sent them reeling to their 14th league defeat.

Before they carved out their first threat, a Lanzon header on a Gordon Camenzuli free-kick, Lija were already a goal down.Ten minutes was all it took the Stripes to convert their momentum into a lead as Nwoko headed Ciantar's free-kick towards the middle and Haruna Doda shot in Lija's short defensive clearance.

Birkirkara continued to dominate with Ciantar emerging as their creative force. His cross on 18 minutes was headed by Mallia but blocked by Lanzon.

Midway through the half Michael Galea's shot on the turn on Barbara's pass went over and before the half hour Birkirkara went close again as Barbara's shot was blocked by the Lija keeper Agius and Doda skied the ball on Camenzuli's cross.

Ciantar's rasping shot from outside the area went tantalisingly wide but Lija's work rate in midfield and in defence kept them into the game. They won their first corner after 35 minutes as an Anicic shot took a deflection off a Birkirkara defender.

On the other end, Camenzuli's grounder on an Nwoko short free-kick was deflected into a corner before Camenzuli was ordered off by referee Caruana for a crunching tackle on Nicky Gatt shortly before the break.

Lija, whose lifeless attack confirmed why they have gone barren in their last consecutive three matches, failed to make their numerical superiority count after the restart, in the face of Birkirkara's offensive start.

Barbara's cross shot from the byeline was turned into a corner by Agius with difficulty and consequently a Ciantar effort went over. And when Barbara laid the ball in Doda's path, the latter's shot missed the target.

But on 63 minutes, Lija's defence remained static on Mallia's through ball from mid-pitch and as the assistant's flag did not go up, Michael Galea was allowed to advance unhindered and beat keeper Agius with a low drive.

Hardly two minutes later, Lija conceded the third goal as the goalkeeper failed to stop Chucks Nwoko's harmless free-kick from the edge of the area despite stretching himself on the ball's flight.

Suddenly Lija had lost their composure and for the last quarter hour ran the risk of suffering a whitewash as Birkirkara's Galea and Barbara started to combine to a telling effect.

On 73 minutes, Ciantar connected well on Galea's cross from the right but his shot, which deserved better fate, hit the underside of the bar and rebounded in play. Barbara failed to put a touch to the loose ball.

Three minutes later Ciantar mishit horrendously in front of goal after good work by Barbara and Michael Galea.

Lija were dismantled three minutes from time, courtesy of Birkirkara's fourth, worked out between their two substitutes. Jean Paul Mifsud Triganza hit Sammut's whipping cross from the right first time past a helpless Agius to make it a more emphatic win.