Mosta 1

Birkirkara 3

Mosta: J. Debono,A. Borg, K. Farrugia, L. Martinelli, K.Spiteri (F. Tisbi), N. Bogdanovic, K. Magro (J. Bajada), R. Petriaggi, I. Zammit, D. Petriaggi (G. Martin), B. Maki Mvondo

Birkirkara: J. Mora, R. Perreira, G. Sciberras, T. Cilia, A. Tabone (P. Fenech), A. Decesare, M. Avila, L. Grech (T. Vella), J.Zerafa (R. Camenzuli), A. Buhagiar, R. Muscat

Referee: M. Borg

Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, A. Grech

4th official: A. Arciola

Scorers: M. Avila 10, 43, T. Cilia 62, A. Buhagiar 83 og

Yellow cards: A. Decesare, M. Avila, L. Martinelli, F. Tisbi, J. Zerafa, G. Martin

Red card: A. Decesare

Player of the match: Trevor Cilia (Birkirkara)

TMI top 3: 1. T. Cilia 2. M. Avila 3. K. Magro

Birkirkara maintained their perfect start, winning their second league match against newly promoted Mosta, to join Valletta at the top of the standings.

Fielding the same starting eleven who beat Qormi in the previous outing, Birkirkara dominated for long stretches and were it not for some profligacy in front of the Mosta goal, they would have registered a bigger win. They played in ten men for the last half hour after Decesare was sent off for two bookings but still scored their third goal after taking a two-goal cushion from Mosies Avila’s brace by halftime.

Mosta reshuffled their team, tried hard to soak the pressure but lacked the slightest hint of creativity and failed to perform as a team as yet.

They made no less than six changes from their first appearance against Marsaxlokk. They dropped RudyAlhino, Sheldon Grech, Jonathan Bajada, Gilbert Martin, Aboulezz and even keeper Glenn Zammit. Among their foreigners, they introduced the two Brazilian Petriaggi brothers, a midfielder and a wide player, as well as striker Maki Mvondo from Cameroon, who was only a peripheral figure. Kenneth Spiteri and Adrian Borg were the two central defenders, deployed to mitigate Avila’s aerial threat inside their area.

Mosta had to absorb Birkirkara’s pressure during the first half and were lucky to have gone in only two goals down by halftime.

Birkirkara scored their first goal after ten minutes. Grech played a short corner from the left to Tabone who crossed inside the Mosta area for Moises Avila to shoot low past keeper Debono.

The Stripes created various other opportunities but fluffed them all due to lack of precision in front of goal. Avila’s shot on the turn, on Decesare cross, ended wide

And Cilia’s effort failed to find the target on Buhagiar’s cross.

On 21 minutes Perreira headed Decesare’s free kick off target and on another Decesare assist, Avila miskicked in front of goal.

But two minutes from the break, Birkirkara deservingly increased their lead. As both Mosta defenders Spiteri and Martinelli tried to block Cilia on the edge of the area, the ball rebounded favourably to Moises Avila, totally unmarked, to shoot it past the helpless keeper.

Mosta’s hopes of making a comeback were given a boost when Magro put his shot slightly off target soon after the restart and then Birkirkara’s Andrew Decesare was sent off for two yellow cards on 56 minutes.

But Mosta failed to exploit their numerical superiority with Birkirkara remaining the more dominant team, putting in Paul Fenech for Tabone in midfield.

On 62 minutes, the Mosta defence was baffled by Trevor Cilia’s goal, directly from an inswinging corner kick from the left, which ended behind the keeper’s back.

With the points virtually secured, Birkirkara eased down and put in Ryan Camenzuli and later Terence Vella.

Mosta also knew that their time was up but hit a consolation goal with seven minutes remaining, courtesy of an own goal by Angus Buhagiar, who headed past his own keeper, caught off his line, as he tried to clear Zammit’s cross towards substitute Martin.

But that served only for statistical purpose.

Mosta 1

Birkirkara 3

Mosta: J. Debono,A. Borg, K. Farrugia, L. Martinelli, K.Spiteri (F. Tisbi), N. Bogdanovic, K. Magro (J. Bajada), R. Petriaggi, I. Zammit, D. Petriaggi (G. Martin), B. Maki Mvondo

Birkirkara: J. Mora, R. Perreira, G. Sciberras, T. Cilia, A. Tabone (P. Fenech), A. Decesare, M. Avila, L. Grech (T. Vella), J.Zerafa (R. Camenzuli), A. Buhagiar, R. Muscat

Referee: M. Borg

Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, A. Grech

4th official: A. Arciola

Scorers: M. Avila 10, 43, T. Cilia 62, A. Buhagiar 83 og

Yellow cards: A. Decesare, M. Avila, L. Martinelli, F. Tisbi, J. Zerafa, G. Martin

Red card: A. Decesare

Player of the match: Trevor Cilia (Birkirkara)

TMI top 3: 1. T. Cilia 2. M. Avila 3. K. Magro

Birkirkara maintained their perfect start, winning their second league match against newly promoted Mosta, to join Valletta at the top of the standings.

Fielding the same starting eleven who beat Qormi in the previous outing, Birkirkara dominated for long stretches and were it not for some profligacy in front of the Mosta goal, they would have registered a bigger win. They played in ten men for the last half hour after Decesare was sent off for two bookings but still scored their third goal after taking a two-goal cushion from Mosies Avila’s brace by halftime.

Mosta reshuffled their team, tried hard to soak the pressure but lacked the slightest hint of creativity and failed to perform as a team as yet.

They made no less than six changes from their first appearance against Marsaxlokk. They dropped RudyAlhino, Sheldon Grech, Jonathan Bajada, Gilbert Martin, Aboulezz and even keeper Glenn Zammit. Among their foreigners, they introduced the two Brazilian Petriaggi brothers, a midfielder and a wide player, as well as striker Maki Mvondo from Cameroon, who was only a peripheral figure. Kenneth Spiteri and Adrian Borg were the two central defenders, deployed to mitigate Avila’s aerial threat inside their area.

Mosta had to absorb Birkirkara’s pressure during the first half and were lucky to have gone in only two goals down by halftime.

Birkirkara scored their first goal after ten minutes. Grech played a short corner from the left to Tabone who crossed inside the Mosta area for Moises Avila to shoot low past keeper Debono.

The Stripes created various other opportunities but fluffed them all due to lack of precision in front of goal. Avila’s shot on the turn, on Decesare cross, ended wide

And Cilia’s effort failed to find the target on Buhagiar’s cross.

On 21 minutes Perreira headed Decesare’s free kick off target and on another Decesare assist, Avila miskicked in front of goal.

But two minutes from the break, Birkirkara deservingly increased their lead. As both Mosta defenders Spiteri and Martinelli tried to block Cilia on the edge of the area, the ball rebounded favourably to Moises Avila, totally unmarked, to shoot it past the helpless keeper.

Mosta’s hopes of making a comeback were given a boost when Magro put his shot slightly off target soon after the restart and then Birkirkara’s Andrew Decesare was sent off for two yellow cards on 56 minutes.

But Mosta failed to exploit their numerical superiority with Birkirkara remaining the more dominant team, putting in Paul Fenech for Tabone in midfield.

On 62 minutes, the Mosta defence was baffled by Trevor Cilia’s goal, directly from an inswinging corner kick from the left, which ended behind the keeper’s back.

With the points virtually secured, Birkirkara eased down and put in Ryan Camenzuli and later Terence Vella.

Mosta also knew that their time was up but hit a consolation goal with seven minutes remaining, courtesy of an own goal by Angus Buhagiar, who headed past his own keeper, caught off his line, as he tried to clear Zammit’s cross towards substitute Martin.

But that served only for statistical purpose.