Birkirkara-Valletta 1-0
Birkirkara: A. Bledzewski, M.A. Bonnici, P. Monye, W. Camenzuli, E. Barbara, R. Briffa, J. Holland, D. Larrosa (M. Galea), K. Scicluna, J. Zerafa (L. Galea), G. Mallia
Valletta: S. Darmanin, J. Bondin, M. Grima, B. Nisevic, D. Falzon, U. Edafe, D. Camilleri (M. Barbara), J. Grioli, G. Agius, R. Siberie (D. Zarb), I. Zammit
Referee: A. Azzopardi Asst. refs: M. Debono, P. Agius 4th official: P. Caruana
Scorer: G. Mallia
Yellow cards: D. Falzon, D. Zarb, R. Briffa
Player of the match: Etienne Barbara (Birkirkara)
TMI best three: 1. E. Barbara 2. R. Briffa 3. J. Bondin
A George Mallia goal, headed on the stroke of half time, was enough for Birkirkara to beat rivals Valletta and consolidate third place in the league standings. The final score does not reflect their true superiority, for all their ample possession and better chances, but at least it ensures that Birkirkara remain unbeaten in the league under John Buttigieg.
Birkirkara lacked a pure quality striker as the not fully fit Michael Galea was only among the substitutes and Mifsud Triganza was still nursing an injury. Larrosa was their leading man up front, and although only a peripheral figure, the Stripes looked tactically better imposed on the field than their opponents. They were driven by the energy of Etienne Barbara who was imperious when the mood took him.
On the contrary, Valletta were a disappointing lot. They failed to halt the slump of five winless matches and they never looked like achieving that yesterday. Third place looks a distant prospect now as they trail Birkirkara by five points now.
The first 30 minutes were totally barren with sloppy control and misplaced passes, which combined to produce poor football.
After that we were treated to only the nearest hint of quality when Holland’s meaty free-kick forced keeper Darmanin to dive to his left and save into a corner.
But Birkirkara, for all their lack of genuine quality, were always the most likely to score as Valletta looked poor in the first half. The delivery of their midfielders Camilleri, Edafe and Falzon was often erratic as Siberie and Agius were starved for service.
Birkirkara made the break through on the stroke of half time. George Mallia towered himself to reach for Barbara’s perfect cross from the right before keeper Darmanin and scored with a firm header.
Whatever pep talk by coach Zammit at halftime, Valletta did not improve much after the restart. Birkirkara remained the better side as they found pace and rhythm of their own. They went close to increasing the lead on 57 minutes. The superior pace of Barbara took him clear of Grima, he outplayed the grounded goalkeeper, only to be denied by Bondin’s block on the goal line. On the hour, Bondin again stopped Mallia’s incursion inside the Valletta area with a timely clearance.
On 70 minutes, Barbara stole possession, served the unmarked Camenzuli on the right but his low diagonal shot went off target. Darmanin repelled another Barbara effort as
Valletta looked likely to buckle under the Stripes’ pressure, despite Siberie’s substitution with Zarb. But as Birkirkara’s second goal failed to follow, frustration started to creep in. They put in Michael Galea in attack for the last ten minutes.
Valletta hinted to a late surge, with Mark Barbara drafted in for the innocuous Camilleri. Birkirkara held out grimly towards the end as the Citizens mounted a series of attacks in four minutes of added time. Agius arrived fractionally late on Zamit’s cross and when keeper Bledzewski was caught out of place, Barbara’s free header was cleared in some frantic fashion to preserve a narrow but deserved win for Birkirkara.