Mqabba 2

Birkirkara 2

Mqabba keep grinding out surprising results as they held Birkirkara to a two-all draw to take another deserved point yesterday that takes them above Qormi and Marsaxlokk.

Their Serb forward Bojan Mamic scored both goals, showing some clinical finishing and opportunism, as Mqabba twice came from behind. Their pleasing build-up, with some intricate passing, deserves credit, proving that the newly promoted side cannot be taken for granted.

Birkirkara again lacked creativity as well as the required determination to down their opponents. They carved out very few opportunities and threw away a good opportunity to return to winning ways after their disastrous showing against Hibernians which condemned them to the first league defeat.

Mqabba were buoyed by their fine performance and first win against Marsaxlokk in the previous outing, but were handicapped by the absence of Thiago Mazzitelli through suspension. John Paul Muscat started the match instead.

The Stripes were again bereft of the still injured Rowen Muscat but had Andrew Decesare back from suspension. Alan Tabone was relegated to the bench.

The first quarter hour was the most eventful part of the first half, during which both sides had close shave efforts and Birkirkara forged ahead.

An early Mamic low effort went tantalisingly off target and short of the quarter hour, Claudio Calleja controlled a good Muscat pass, put Decesare off balance but shot straight on keeper Mora.

Mqabba paid for that miss because on 16 minutes, after earlier Pereira had gone very close with his powerful free kick, Birkirkara broke the deadlock.

Moises Avila chased a long ball down the left and beat keeper Kris Calleja with a low diagonal shot.

The goal demanded an immediate response from Mqabba. Muscat went inside the Birkirkara area but hit the side netting.

On the other end, Avila skied the ball on an inviting Grech cross when well placed in front of goal.

Towards the half hour Bonnici lobbed the ball for Muscat but was foiled by keeper Mora. Mqabba again went close on 37 minutes with a Potezika low drive which Mora footed out.

Shortly before the interval, Cilia ran towards goal on Avila’s pass but miskicked his effort after slightly injuring his knee and, as Fenech did not follow up, the chance went begging.

Mqabba took only seven minutes into the second half to draw level. Muscat played a square pass for Bojan Mamic to beat Mora with a low drive at the near post. And past the hour, Mqabba threatened again when Mamic’s cross fell to Claudio Calleja, whose goalbound effort was blocked by the grounded Decesare on the line.

That heralded Mqabba’s best patch although they were stunned by Birkirkara’s second goal on 74 minutes against the run of play.

Grech’s free kick from the right was headed towards the middle by Avila and Rodrigo Pereira flicked the ball in with a glancing header.

Birkirkara’s joy was short lived. Hardly two minutes later, hesitation between two Birkirkara players allowed Bojan Mamic to advance through the middle and again score with a low left-foot drive.

Birkirkara summoned some late effort to win the game but remained mostly tetchy and uncreative.

Substitute Terence Vella volleyed Buhagiar’s cross but keeper Calleja saved to preserve a merited point for his side.

Mqabba: K. Calleja, P. Grima, M. Potezika, A. Scicluna, B. Timotic, D. Azzopardi (J. Paris), C. Calleja, J. P. Muscat (M. Briffa), M. Bonnici, C. Micallef, B. Mamic (R. Sammut)

Coach: C. Mizzi

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

Coach: P. Curmi

Referee: M. Apap

Asst.refs: W. Debattista, P. Apap

4th official: M. Borg

Scorers: M. Avila 16, B. Mamic 52, 76, R. Pereira 74

Yellow cards: A. Buhagiar, M. Briffa, R. Sammut

Player of the match: Bojan Mamic (Mqabba)

TMI top 3: 1. B. Mamic 2. M. Potezika 3. R. Pereira