VALLETTA – 4
BIRKIRKARA – 0
Valletta: N. Vella, J. Caruana, R. Camilleri, J. Cruz, R. Briffa (L. Cremona), N. Priso (J.P. Mifsud Triganza), F. Falcone (J. Borg), C. Pani, U. Uchenna, A. Nafti, R. Romau
Birkirkara: J Haber, Z. Muscat, N. Vukanac, M. Mazzetti, J. Zerafa, G. Sciberras, R. Muscat, R. Scicluna (F. Temile), R. Camenzuli (J. Barros), E. Liliu, V. Plut
Referee: E. Azzopardi
Asst.refs: M. Scerri, C. Francalanza
Additional asst.refs: T. Farrugia Cann, P. Farrugia
4th official: P. Abela
Scorers: F. Falcone 22, R. Briffa 35, N. Priso 60 pen, J. Borg 90+
Yellow cards: J. Caruana, N. Priso, R. Romau
Player of the match: R. Briffa (Valletta)
TMI top 3: 1. N. Priso 2. R. Briffa 3. J. Zerafa
Attendance: 2,031
Valletta keep good run going with Birkirkara drubbing
SILVIO VELLA
Leaders Valletta continued their surge towards the top of the BoV Premier League with another convincing and tenacious win against challengers Birkirkara
Quick, slick and teeming with dazzling trickery, Paul Zammit’s side put on a masterclass against opponents who were unbeaten in ten consecutive league matches.
In fact the only defeat Birkirkara suffered so far this season had been against same opponents in September.
While Valletta were impressive yestererday, defying that they are a dour, unadventurous proposition, Birkirkara, in truth, were close to embarrassing, with some slipshod defending.
Valletta’s ability to knife through the Birkirkara rearguard had become regulation stuff by the time the break arrived. First, Falcone slipped in with ease to connect to an inviting cross and later Roderick Briffa struck a cracker to give them a comfortable two-goal cushion. A penalty by the hour made the poinst safe and a fourth goal in added time added gloss to their win.
Each side made one change from their previous outing, with both teams winning in midweek. Valletta had defender Ian Azzopardi suspended after being sent off against Sliema Wanderers and Umeh Uchenna started as left back instead.
Birkirkara dropped Marcelina to the bench and gave a start to Rowen Muscat instead. With Ryan Camenzuli deployed on the right, Birkirkara tried to inflict early damage from the flanks and started brightly as his crosses kept the Valletta keeper busy in the opening exchanges.
Valletta forged ahead with their first meaningful attack after 22 minutes. Uchenna’s deep cross from the left cut the entire Birkirkara backline and, with Mazzetti late in intercepting, Federico Falcone ran in from the far side to hit the ball past the helpless keeper Haber.
Birkirkara tried a response after falling behind. Enjoying more of the possession, a Sciberras cross was fisted out by keeper Vella on the half hour.
But five minutes later, a messy sortie by the Stripes keeper Haber on a high ball, allowed Valletta to double their advantage, as he ball fell to Romao, who laid it in the path of Roderick Briffa to hit in spectacularly from outside the area.
Again, another quick response from the Stripes saw Zach Muscat head Liliu’s cross naerrowly wide.
Birkirkara coach Tedesco withdrew Camenzuli on 39 minutes and put in Juan Barroso. They could have pulled one back minutes before the break but Valletta keeper Vella tipped Scicluna’s effort over the bar.
Normal business was resumed when the second half began. Birkirkara were holding more of the possession but Valletta were the more menacing. On 50 minutes Nafti, who had a quiet game, served Priso inside the area but the latter allowed the ball to run and the move folded.
On 57 minutes Priso hit Nafti’s cross wide with his first timer.
These opportunities came from the same passage of play, with Priso becoming too much a handful for the Birkirkara defenders to deal with. Towards the hour, Priso won a penalty when felled by Mazzetti inside the Birkirkara area. He himself stood up to send Haber the wrong way and put the issue beyond doubt.
Liliu was the only player that could put the Stripes back into the match, although at that stage that looked a tall order. Keeper Vella put a finger to Liliu’s effort as the ball rebounded against the bar.
Birkirkara maintained the pressure but too many attacks were breaking down the edge of the of the Valletta box. When Scicluna flicked Barroso’s pass towards Plut, he was blocked into a corner.
Valletta went very close of adding another goal seven minutes from time as they caught Birkirkara exposed at the back. Mifsud Triganza ad Nafti ran clear but the latter’s shot went tantalisingly wide with Haber beaten.
But there was no denying Valletta their fourth goal deep into four minutes of added time. Another substitute Jean Borg advanced unhindered through teh middle to score with a low strike.
On afternoons like this, there was hardly anything the Stripes could do – after this drubbing, they seem more like title pretenders than genuine contenders.
PEMBROKE ATHLETA- 0
SLIEMA WANDERERS- 2
Pembroke: M. Farrugia, A. Cini, M. Attard (P. Shereni), O. Bugeja, P. Barbetti, Z. Levnaic, K. O’Brien, S. Arab (P.P. Sammut), A. Laudisi, G. Villalobos, L. Grech (A. Martz)
Sliema W: T. Aquilina, A. Muscat, B. Essel (J. Bezzina), M. Scerri, M. Mifsud, C. Gatt Baldacchino, M. Potezica, A. Friggieri, G. Muir, S. Bianciardi (J. Mintoff)(R. Ledesma), L. Dimech
Referee: M. Borg
Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, S. Attard
Additional asst.refs: S. Attard, S. Spiteri
4th official: D. Castillo
Scorers: M. Mifsud 57, 74
Yellow cards: L. Dimech, O. Bugeja, K. O’Brien
Player of the match: M. Mifsud (Sliema W)
TMI top 3: 1. M. Mifsud 2. A. Laudisi 3. M. Scerri
Mifsud double puts Sliema back on track
SILVIO VELLA
A dominant second-half performance by Sliema Wanderers, saw them overcome Pembroke Athleta, courtesy of a brace by their prolific scorer Michael Mifsud, enough to settle a poor game and to halt the Wanderers’ negative streak of four winless matches. Playing in an advanced role as sole striker yesterday, in the absence of the injured Kerlon, Mifsud showed all his predatory prowess in attack and silenced his critics with two second half strikes.
That was in stark contrast to a tight first 45 minutes which saw neither side take the edge. Half chances were shared although young Sliema keeper Tomothy Aquilina, deputising for regular Glenn Zammit, effected a good decisive save past the half hour that kept Sliema in the match.
Sliema had Alex Muscat, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino and Mark Scerri back in their starting line up and Johann Bezzina going in as a substitute. Calcado was serving his last of a three-match ban.
But the Wanderers remain plagued by injuries. Apart from the absence of Souza Kerlon, central defender Stefano Bianciardi had to leave the pitch with hamstring problems after a quarter hour yesterday, to be replaced by John Mintoff, with no time to warm up. The latter only played for 20 minutes though, forced to be substituted by Rafael Ledesma after also suffering injury.
A notable absentee for Pembroke, buoyed by their win against St Andrews in the previous match, was Austin Mattz, who only played as a second half substitute for the last half hour.
The match was a slow burner and neither side had a shot on target in the opening 20 minutes.
After that, Sliema fashioned the match’s first real chance when Friggieri’s inswinging corner from the left was fisted out by keeper Farrugia with Cini heading into a corner.
Towards the half hour, Pembroke began to enjoy more of possession and carve out the better chances. Muir reached for Laudisi’s cross from the right, clearing into a corner, before Villalobos could connect.
Then Cini put Laudisi through but the Sliema keeper Aquilina was alert to turn into a corner. With halftime looming, Villalobos played the ball forward to Laudisi who shot wastefully over.
Sliema broke the deadlock three minutes short of the hour, with a well crafted goal, finished off by forward Michael Mifsud. Following a short corner, Muir played a long ball towards Mifsud who inetlligently played the dummy to Ledesma and ran for the return pass, advancing inside the Pembroke area before blasting the ball ino the roof of the net.
That goal unnerved Pembroke and from then on they struggled to get going, despite the introduction of Martz past the hour.
They wilted again under Mifsud’s clinical finish on 74 minutes,a s he collected Ledesma’s pass and shot low past defender Bugeja, beating keeper Farrugia to the far post.
Pembroke’s reponse was flaccid but went close to pulling a goal back with three minutes remaining, only for Martz to be denied by another superb save from the promising Aquilina.
This was the first time in eight matches that the Wanderers had kept a clean sheet this season.