Birkirkara 7
Mosta 1
Birkirkara: R. Gauci, R. Pereira, A. Mendoza, R. Camenzuli, R. Muscat, G. Sciberras (Y. Hernandez), P. Fenech, Z. Muscat, E. Herrera, H. Shodiya (Joselito), Jhonnattan (J.P. Mifsud Triganza)
Mosta: J. Farrugia, F. Apap, T. Farrugia, B. Agius, M. Micallef, S. Chiemeka, D. Maia, R. Grech (S. Schembri), J. Bajada (W. Chetcuti), D. Mitev, C. Campagnoli
Referee: C. Lautier
Asst.refs: W. Debattista, T. Debono
4th official: M. Borg
Scorers: Jhonnattan 5, 30,59, S. Shodiya 26, 72, D. Mitev 45, E. Herrera 70, J.P. Mifsud Triganza 88
Player of the match: Jhonnattan (Birkirkara)
TMI top 3: 1. Jhonnattan 2. P. Fenech 3. S. Shodiya
Mosta’s inept display saw them roundly thumped by Birkirkara to the tune of 7-1 yesterday. Woeful defending played a major part in Mosta’s heaviest league defeat so far as Birkirkara keep up the challenge with the top three.
Jhonnattan was in a league of his own, plundering a hat trick to twist the blood of his inferior opponents.
The contest between him and his partner in attack Shola Shodiya and Mosta’s backline was, frankly, a grotesque mismatch.
It was distressing to watch Mosta allow their opponents so much space and time to settle and take charge, making it look like a training ground exercise. At the end they looked a sorry, ragged bunch.
Birkirkara made three changes in the starting line-up from the side which narrowly lost against Valletta. Rodrigo Pereira, Ryan Camenzuli and Gareth Sciberras replaced Joseph Zerafa, Yosimar Hernandez and Ryan Scicluna.
The Stripes’ wide play from Jhonnattan and Herrera always looked likely to cause embarassment to the flimsy five-man square Mosta defence and it was no surprise that within the first half hour, Birkirkara were already three goals to the good and also contrived to miss a penalty.
Mosta become more depleted with every passing week. Yesterday, their goal was guarded by newly signed goalkeeper from Dingli Swallows, Jeffrey Farrugia as Justin Haber made his switch to Birkirkara although he failed to feature in the Stripes’ squad. Yesterday they looked vulnerable and short of ideas. They were unable to contain Birkirkara’s urgency and mere huff and puff was not enough once they fell behind.
They always kept six or seven players behind the ball as Birkirkara pressed like demons and rarely allowed them to venture out of enemy territory.
Birkirkara made the breakthrough after only five minutes when the Mosta defence failed to deal with a low cross from the right and Jhonnattan nipped in like lightning to beat keeper Farrugia from close range.
Birkirkara kept up the pressure and after the quarter hour Jhonnattan sent the ball across the face of the Mosta goal, with Shodiya arriving fractionally late.
On 18 minutes, Mosta defender Apap handled the ball inside the area to concede a penalty. The referee ordered a retake on Shodiya’s first try and keeper Farrugia dived the right way to hold out his second effort.
But Birkirkara always looked likely to score more goals. Midway through the half Jhonnattan served Fenech whose goalbound effort rebounded off the innerside of the post to the keeper’s left, fell in his path to steer it to Shodiya who made no mistake.
Birkirkara increased their lead on the half hour as the irresistible Jhonnattan chased a long Fenech pass and lobbed the ball overf the onrushing Mosta keeper to deposit it into an empty net.
Three minutes later, Pereira again played a long ball forward for Jhonnattan to chase, but he failed to capitalise, sending a poor cross that was blocked.
Mosta, who had been only bystanders, showed up five minutes from the break. Mitev’s low diagonal shot was repelled by keeper Gauci and in added time, the Bulgarian midfielder’s direct free kick from outside the area beat the Birkikrfkara wall and the goalkeeper to reduce the arrears.
The second half belonged entirely to Birkirkara who strolled through the Mosta rearguard seemingly at will to score four more goals. Short of the hour, Shodiya lobbed the ball to Jhonnattan to beat keeper Farrugia with a low drive.
On 68 minutes Gareth Sciberras limped off and was substituted by Hernandez. The latter provided the cross from the byeline on the left for the unmolested Edward Herrera to head in and increase Birkirkara’s goal deluge. In between, Mosta found some heart to go closer to their opponents. Substitute Chetcuti’s lob from outside the area was tipped into a corner by keeper Gauci who again thwarted Mitev on 68 minutes.
The thought of Mosta making some form of comeback soon drifted away when on 72 minutes, Agius failed to clear the ball inside his area and Shola Shodiya said thank you and scored his second to put his side further ahead.
And after keeper Farrugia rushed off his line to block Shodiya, substitute Joselito’s long ball inside the area was chested down by Herrera for other substitute Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza to strike the final blow with two minutes remaining.