BIRKIRKARA-   5

TARXIEN R-      0

Birkirkara: R. Gauci, R. Scicluna, N. Vukanac (B. Borg), A. Mendoza, R. C amenzuli, R. Muscat, P. Fenech, R. Pereira (Z. Muscat), E. Herrera, J.P. Mifsud Triganza, H. Shodiya (Y. Hernandez)

Tarxien R:  D. Cassar, S. Sadowski (D. Fenech), M. Caruana, M. Lopes Silva (M. Tanti),J. Grioli, R. Bajada, L. Almeida, A. Esposito (A. Agius),  D. Bueno, O. Anonam, S. Bonnici

Referee:  M. Spiteri

Asst.refs:  E. Spiteri, C. Francalanza

4th official: C. Lautier

Scorers: P. Fenech 33, H. Shodiya 56,65, N. Vukanac 58, E. Herrera 80

Yellow cards: S. Sadowski, O. Anonam, D. Cassar, S. Bonnici, R. Camenzuli

Player of the match: H. Shodiya (Birkirkara)

TMI top 3:  1. H. Shodiya  2. E. Herrera  3. P. Fenech

Attendance: 774

Following four consecutive draws, Birkirkara were back to winning form, exploiting a lamentable open Tarxien Rainbows defence, hitting five goals in the process to storm at the top of the BoV Premier League standings, on equal points with Valletta.

The oppositionj was inferior but Birkirkara swatted them aside with a ruthless attacking swagger to give them some much needed tonic.

Birkirkara had Jhonnattan suspended and Joseph Zerafa and Gareth Sciberras unfit. Haruna Shodiya made a welcome return after a long injury, and with  Ryan Scicluan also included in the starting line-up, the Stripes had more attacking options. Shodiya, helped himself to a brace  that his persistence and threat merited  but he had the support of Mifsud Triganza, Scicluna and Herrera. The latter caused havoc with his right-wing crosses and even chipped in a goal himself as Birkirkara ran riot in the second half. The menace came from all areas though.

It was pitiful to watch Tarxien, undermined by a series of defensive collapses in the second period, when Birkirkara found such space that it felt like a training-ground exercise.

Tarxien made three changes from their previous draw against Floriana. They had Ryan Sammut suspended, dropped Mark Tanti to the bench and parted ways with striker Danilo Meira.

Instead, they engaged two new Brazilians, midfielder Marco Tulio Lopes Silva and Almeida, formerly of Valletta, playing as central striker. Steve Sadowski was also given a start as left back.

It was surprisng however that there was  such lack of understanding and solidity betyween Anonam and Bonnici at the back. They were hardly helped by a midfield that gave away the ball too frequently.

A goal, following a missed penalty, for Birkirkara separated the teams at the end of an evenly balanced first half during which both sides created very little. Play was competitive rather than cohesive and both goalkeepers were never severely troubled.

On 33 minutes, Anonam felled Mifsud Triganza inside the Tarxien area to concede a penalty. Tarxien’s keeper Cassar dived the right way to hold out Mifsud Triganza’s shot from the spot but Paul Fenech was quick to shoot in the loose ball.

Tarxien might have felt hard done by that deficit but there were no complaints about their sloppy defending in the second half.

Birkirkara started the goal deluge four minutes short of the hour Haruna Shodiya accelerated through the middle of a flat Tarxien rearguard to beat keeper Cassar with a low assuring strike. Two minutes later Tarxien collapsed to concede a third from a Birkirkara rehearsed set piece. Not for the first time this season, Nikola Vukanac joined the attack to head home Camenzuli’s floating free kick from the left.

Shodiya scored a brace and his side’s fourth on 65 minutes with a rasping low diagonal shot from the edge of the area on the right.

And with the Tarxien defence completely in disarray, Birkirkara could have inflicted further punishment. On 69 minutes Herrera’s cross from the right found four Birkirkara players totally unmolested inside the area but keeper Cassar saved his side from further derision, blocking at Shodiya’s feet.

The introduction of Tanti and Fenech for Tarxien failed to tame the Stripes’ fury though.

On 78 minutes Mifsud Triganza fluffed another good opportunity. He streaked through on the irrepressible Herrera’s pass but he could not beat keeper Cassar one-on-one.

Birkirkara’s fifth goal came ten minutes from the end, courtesy of Edward Herrera’s clinical finish when put clear by Mifsud Triganza, to compound Tarxien’s gloom.

In the dying minutes, having effected all their three substitutions, Birkirkara still remained potent going forward and threatened again through efforts by substiute Borg and Mifsud Triganza both well saved by the Tarxien custodian.