Floriana 0 Birkirkara. 3

Birkirkara: R. Gauci, A. Mendoza, J. Zerafa, P. Fenech, R. Scicluna (R. Muscat), N. Vukanac, G. Sciberras, S. Shodiya (G. McKay), E. Herrera, Jhonnattann, J.P. Mifsud Triganza (R. Camenzuli)

Floriana: J. Borg, K. Farrugia, A. Brown, O. Bugeja, K. Tremarco, T. Cilia, A. Verma (V. Alhino), T. Paris, C. Borg, R. Darmanin, S. Wasiu

Referee: P. Caruana

Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, R. Vella

4th official: A. Azzopardi

Scorer: Jhonnattann 11, 56, 74

Yellow cards: A. Verma, A. Brown, S. Shodiya

Player of the match: Jhonnattann (Birkirkara)

TMI top 3: 1. Jhonnattann 2. P. Fenech 3. T.Paris

Attendance: 938

SILVIO VELLA

An irressistable and highly volatile Jhonnattann helped himself to a hat trick in this convincing win for Birkirkara against Floriana.

Birkirkara were after their fourth league win on the trot that keeps them at the summit, but had no place for Zach Muscat, Rowen Muscat and Ryan Camenzuli in their starting line-up.

But that hardly had any effect in the face of their squad’s strength in depth as they again demonstrated a sense of belief that must have invigorated their fans present at the Hibernians Stadium.

Floriana looked short of ideas at times, blunt in attack, despite the presence of Ryan Darmanin and Wasiu, and vulnerable at the back. Simply, Birkirkara carried too much ammunition for them yesterday and the coach cannot ignore the fact that his team keeps failing to impress in key matches.

The absence of Floriana’s coach Mark Wright from the bench might have raised some eyebrows as the Greens tried to improve upon their first league win against Balzan before the competition break. The return of Karl Tremarco, Trevor Cilia and Thomas Paris to their starting line-up, forced Duncan Pisani, Tyrone Farrugia and Brooke Farrugia out.

Floriana suffered an early setback, undone by Birkirkara’s opener after 11 minutes play. Mifsud Triganza sent a sailing cross from the left, which Jhonnattann hooked to perfection against the static Tremarco and left keeper Jurgen Borg hooked to his line with a delicate low flick.

Floriana were on the back foot as Birkirkara started to show territorial dominance. But on 23 minutes Cilia should have done better. Clear down the right flank, he opted for a weak lob that had keeper Gauci saving comfortably.

Past the half hour a Verma free kick was headed by Brown but Gauci saved again with little difficulty.

Still Birkirkara remained more potent going forward as the Floriana rearguard looked likely to wilt when under threat. On 38 minutes, from a Jhonnattann corner, Vukanac’s header clipped the bar.

Only a goal down by halftime, Floriana were still in the match. They opened the second period on the front foot although they found it extremely hard to break the Stripes’ defence. From a Verma corner, Brown’s header was blocked by keeper Gauci ands Wasiu’s effort on the rebound was blocked into another corner.

Birkirkara substituted Mifsud Triganza, who had suffered a first half knock, with Ryan Camenzuli. On 56 minutes, Jhonnattann exposed more vulnerability with his superior pace, running through for a long ball forward before beating the helpless Floriana keeper with a low drive.

Floriana’s aspirations lay in tatters after that. Birkirkara remained dangerous on their set play, from corners and free kicks. On 71 minutes Vukanac sent a firm header from a Jhonnattann corner narrowly wide. Three minutes later, Jhonnattann himself bent the ball around the Floriana wall to score his third with a direct free kick from the edge of the area.

Birkirkara squandered two other presentable chances before the end. Jhonnattann back heeled the ball to substitute Camenzuli, whose shot was blocked. And on yet another Jhonnattann pass, Herrera had his shot blocked by keeper Borg when inside the Floriana area.