Birkirkara. 2
Rabat A. 0
Birkirkara: R. Gauci, J. Zerafa (F. Zammit), N. Vukanac, Z. Muscat, A. Mendoza, R. Camenzuli (E. Herrera), R. Muscat, G. Sciberras, P. Fenech, Jhonnattan J.P. Mifsud Triganza (S. Shodiya)
Rabat A: S. Mintoff, C. Schembri, I. Carapic, J. Caruana, N. Astrauskas, A. Smeir (N. Farrugia), M. Fuster (C. Muscat), D. Falzon, R. Micallef, Y. Cauchi (H. Backhaus), D. Azzopardi
Referee: F. Zammit
Asst.refs: C. Francalanza, L. Portelli
4th official: C. Lautier
Scorers: N. Vukanac 33, J.P. Mifsud Triganza 58
Yellow cards: J. Caruana, A. Smeir, P. Fenech, G. Sciberras
Player of the match: Jhonnattan (Birkirkara)
TMI top 3: 1. Jhonnattann 2. A. Smeir 3. R. Muscat
Birkirkara took full points against Rabat Ajax to maintain their perfect start of the season with three wins in as many matches.
But yesterday, although by far the more superior side, they had to work harder than expected as Rabat perhaps played their best match so far, offering a decent challenge with a tactically disciplined plan that avoided a goal deluge.
Unfortunately they twiceconceded from dead ball situations as the Stripes exploited the several corner kicks to telling effect.
Birkirkara were without the injured Joselito, the suspended Ryan Scicluna and the not fully fit Shodiya named among the substitutes.
As expected, they did the early running with Rabat, who again started without Backhaus and with David Azzopardi as left back, staying composed and defending in numbers.
The Stripes twice went close within the first quarter hour with Jhonnattann heading narrowly wide on a Camenzuli cross and then Rowen Muscat shooting against the upright after a Jhonnattann corner had caused embarassment in the Rabat defence.
But when Rabat looked to go out of their defensive shell, with Smeir foiled by keeper Gauci on a Fuster through ball and Ryan Micallef’s goal disallowed for offside, Birkirkara made the breakthrough past the half hour.
It came from a deadball situation, with Niklola Vukanac heading past Rabat keeper Mintoff with some perfect elevation on yet another Jhonnattann corner.
And before the half was over, Mifsud Triganza hit the bar with his shot from the edge of the area for Birkirkara, while Rabat had another Micallef goal disallowed for offside by the referee’s assistant in a very dubious manner as defender Zach Muscat was looking uncomfortable against the Rabat winger on the right.
To their credit, Rabat were not demorilised and were the first to go close again soon after the restart. Smeir’s curling low free kick from edge of Birkirkara area, forced keeper Gauci to stretch himself and turn into a corner.
It took Birkirkara almost an hour for them to score their second. Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza did all the work as he first forced keeper Mintoff to block his grounder into a corner, and from the ensuing Jhonnattann flag kick, the Birkirkara forward struck in from close range.
Latest new recruit Edward Herrera made a substitute appearance on 65 minutes, playing wide on the right flank.
Birkirkara kept probing for a reassuring third goal and threatened with a Rowen Muscat shot on the turn and then a Jhonnattann effort from outside the area landing on the roof of the net.
With both sides making all their three substitutions, even after Zerafa was injured for Birkirkara, Shodiya has his effort saved by the Rabat keeper shortly after he failed to connect on a Sciberras inviting cross.