Birkirkara   1

Marsaxlokk   0

Birkirkara created innumerable clear

scoring opportunities against Marsaxlokk yesterday, but at the end, they had only a Moises Avila Perez goal after just two minutes to show.

It was another match in which the Stripes confirmed their lack of scoring power with Avila Perez, despite his winner, showing that he is missing his scoring touch at present.

The defeat kept Marsaxlokk anchored to the bottom of the standings.

The three points enabled Birkirkara to join Sliema in fourth place on 26 points, thus making a step forward in securing a place in the Top Six for the second phase.

The two teams had a player each making his debut – Jorge Santos Silva for Birkirkara and Nemanja Stoskovic for Marsaxlokk.

Clive Brincat, injured, and Patrick Borg, suspended, were missing for Marsaxlokk, as was Sunday Eboh who is reported to be joining Mosta.

Birkirkara had four key players ruled out. Shodiya Shola, Terence Vella, both injured, and Joe Zerafa and Gareth Sciberras – both suspended – were missing from Paul Zammit’s lineup.

In the first half, Birkirkara should have assured themselves of the three points, as they created a good number of chances after taking an early lead. But they fluffed all of them, even if on some occasions, it was Masaxlokk keeper Cassar who denied them with some good saves.

Marsaxlokk rarely appeared in front of Gauci, but in their only chance, they were unlucky when they hit the post.

In the second half, the match followed more or less the same pattern with Birkirkara enjoying the lion’s share of the attacking albeit missing another good number of chances.

Birkirkara quickly took the lead when on the fifth minute, Moises Avila Perez excellently headed in off a Tabone freekick.

On 10 minutes, Avila Perez had a shot blocked by Cassar to corner. At the other end, Caruana was unlucky to see his header from Stoskovic’s cross hitting the crossbar with Gauci well beaten.

Birkirkara were denied a penalty when Valeriani appeared to have pulled down Santos Silva but Azzopardi saw nothing untoward.

On 31 minutes, Tevor Cilia advanced unhindered on the right to cross for the unmarked Avila Perez to hit over the bar from two metres.

On 36 minutes, as the Stripes maintained the initiative, it was Fenech who set Cilia, only for the latter’s shot passing close to the upright.

And before the interval, Santos Silva’s dangerous cross was intercepted by Cassar before Perez could do the damage.

At the start of the second half, Bajada missed a sitter, heading wide from in front of Cassar, following a good cross by Santos Silva.

On the 53rd minute, off a Tabone cross, Santos Silva headed over the bar. Then the series of Birkirkara missed chances continued as Santos Silva set Perez who, completely unhindered, hit straight at Cassar.

Another chance went begging on 72 minutes, when Santos Silva set substitute Leighton Grech who, however, hit wildly over the bar from an ideal position.

And five minutes later, a close range shot from Tabone was also blocked by the goalkeper

Birkirkara: R. Gauci, P. Fenech, R. Camenzuli (L. Grech), R. Pereira, S. Bajada, T. Cilia (A. Buhagiar), R. Muscat, R. Scicluna, A. Tabone (M. Camilleri), J. Santos Silva, M. Avila Perez.

Coach: P. Zammit

Marsaxlokk: C. Cassar, M. Valeriani,

C. Debattista, S. Borg (S. Cutajar), K. Polidano, JP Farrugia, G. Caruana, T. Templeman, D. Grech (M. Caruana), M. Stoskovic.

Coach: A. Cremona

Referee: A. Azzopardi.

Asst referees: D. Sultana, R. Vella.

4th official: A. Arciola.

Scorer: M. Avila Perez 5,

Yellow cards: R. Scicluna, T. Templeman, R. Debattista,

Player of the match: C. Cassar (Marsaxlokk)

TMI Top 3: 1. C. Cassar; 2. P. Fenech; 3. S. Bajada.

Attendance: 629