VALLETTA -             2          

BALZAN FC -           2

Valletta: D. Barktus, J. Caruana, L. Aguirre, Jhonnattann, S. Borg, L. Cremona, F. Falcone (L. Montebello), L. Pani, R. Camilleri, M. Mifsud S. Malano (R. Romao)

Balzan: I. Janjusevic, B. De Oliveira, S. Arab, B. Kaljevic, E. Serrano, R. Fenech, A. De Barros (A. Effiong), L. Micallef (A. Nafti), S. Bezzina (C. Brincat), P. Fenech, M. Piciollo

Referee: E. Azzopardi

Asst.refs: J. Spiteri, L. Portelli

4th official: G. Tonna

Scorers: F. Falcone 47, B. Kaljevic 60, M. Piciollo 67, Jhonnattann 75

Yellow cards: S. Arab

Player of the match: M. Mifsud (Valletta)

TMI top 3: 1. Jhonnattann  2. B. Oliveira  3. M. Mifsud

Attendance: 1,269

This thrilling draw between top sides Valletta and Balzan epitomised a happy ending to this BoV Premier League week, thanks to a livelier second half that poduced all the goals.

But the draw served leaders Hibernians best as they remain two points above Balzan and four above Valletta in the standings.

Valletta were not playing with the kind of verve recently and needed to dig some inspiration from somewhere. They looked able enough in the first half and after taking the edge at the start of the second through Falcone, looked capable of taking complete control.

Some lack of concentartion at the back made them pay as Blalzan hit them twice within seven minutes with goals from Kaljevic and Piciollo, only for Jhonnattann to salvage a point with his deadly free kick.

Balzan played their part in a competitive tussle. They overturned a one-goal deficit to go in front, only to surrender their lead less than ten minutes later.

Valletta had beaten Pembroke without playing particularly good while Balzan were trounced by Floriana the previous week.

Balzan had Alan Souza and Dylan Grima suspended yesterday. They dropped Brincat, Nafti and Effiong and gave starts to Ryan Fenech, Paul Fenech, Lydon Micallef, Matteo Piciollo and the returning Steve Bezzina instead.

Valletta also made some changes to their side. Lllywelyn Cremona and Steve Borg were included in the initial line up instead of Romao and Jean Borg.

There were some interesting tussles in midfield as Valletta tried to intimidate Balzan from the outset. Energetic, competitive and with Jhonnattann appearing sharp, the champions had dropped hints that they could undo Balzan.

Falcone’s incursion inside the Balzan area after11 minutes was halted into a corner by Serrano. A Cremona effort on a Jhonnattan low cross was blocked by the Balzan defence and towards the half hour Jhonnattan again provided Mifsud with a chance but keeper Janjusevic saved well.

Balzan were finding it hard to go out of their defensive shell although they had their threats when they did.  A curling Ryan Fenech corner from the right had Pani heading out on the line.

The first half was cagey in the extreme but Valletta broke the deadlock soon after the restart.

Within two minutes of the second half, Federico Falcone headed them in front, meeting a cross by Mifsud from the right.

It was a goal the game, as a spectacle, badly needed.

Seeing a blip in his team’s defensive organisation, Balzan’s coach Oliver Spiteri introduced Abdelkarim Nafti and Effiong for Micallef and De Barros.

If Balzan lacked enough creativity, Valletta sometimes look too vulnerable in defence. On the hour parity was restored. Bojan Kaljevic pounced on what looked like a harmless ball inside the Valletta area and deflected the ball against Caruana’s grounded body to deceive keeper Bartkus.

And Balzan turned the match on its head seven minutes later. A Paul Fenech cross from the right was headed in by Matteo Piciollo.

It was Valletta’s turn now to dig deep in search of an equaliser as Balzan retreated to protect their lead, allowing their opponents to settle. Winning a free kick just outside the area on 75 minutes, Jhonnattann played the ball over the wall to beat keeper Janjusevic with a perfect execution.

With both sides having alraedy given their all, nobody needed to try any harder as both looked far from happy to settle for a draw at the end.

BIRKIRKARA-                             1

SLIEMA WANDERERS -            2

Birkirkara: M. Kopric, C. Bubalovic, M. Guillaumier, M. Andelkovic, M. Desira Butrtigieg (S. Bajada), V. Plut, F. Temile, J. Zerafa, C. Attard, P. Jovic, J. Brincat (R. Scicluna)

Sliema W: G. Zammit, P. Xuereb, A. Muscat, R. Vilas Boas, S. Biancardi, G. Aquilina (A. Terlaziz), M. Muccardi (M. Sansone), G. Muir, R. Spiteri, J.P. Farrugia, D. Dos Santos (W. Salomon)

Referee: M. Apap

Asst.refs: D. Sultana, C. Francalanza

4th official: S. Spiteri

Scorers: J. P. Farrugia 35, 42, P. Jovic 83

Yellow cards: S. Biancardi, J. P. Farrugia

Player of the match: J.P. Farrugia (Sliema W)

TMI top 3: 1. D. Dos Santos  2. J.P. Farrugia  3. P. Jovic

These are really testing times for Birkirkara. Most of their supporters decided to stay away yesterday in protest to the club’s recent spate of bad results and performances.

The removal of coach Bezek in midweek brought little, if any, improvement in attitude or performance despite assistant Nikola Jaros, the new man in charge, dropped Gareth Sciberras and Shaun Bajada. Nikola Vukanac and Srna Dimitrov were suspended.

Sliema were obstinate opponents and it was to their credit that Birkirkara’s  free flowing play and free scoring from Andelkovic, Temile, Desira Buttigieg and Plut was often contained.

The merits of Sliema’s second win over the Stripes this season were not in dispute.

Jean Paul Farrugia was decisive again as he scored both goals, meaning that he has scored three goals in his last two appearances and showing what a difference a little bit of confidence can make to a striker.

Yet there were impressive performances all over the pitch, with Denni Dos Santos and Peter Xuereb catching the eye in central midfield and Gary Muir and Stefano Biancardi solid at the back.

Birkirkara started on the front foot but without suitably pressurising the Sliema fort.

Temile found some space but missed the target in the opening minutes. And towards the quarter hour Plut connected well to Attard’s low cross but failed to find the target.

A well taken Brincat free kick after 17 minutes went narrowly over before a Jovic header, on a Brincat corner, had beaten keeper Zammit but Desira Buttigieg could knock the ball over the line.

The Wanderers, who had Mark Scerri suspended for thsi match, created the first real threat towards the half hour. Muchardi provided the cross from the byeline on the right. Farrugia’s shot on the turn went wide.

Farrugia atoned for that miss five minutes later. Spiteri crossed from the right, following a short cornerf, and the Sliema striker headed his side in front.

The threat had been growing from Sliema who doubled their lead three minutes before halftime. Connecting to Xuereb’s cross from the left, Jean Paul Farrugia beat keeper Kopric for the second time in the match.

The Stripes huffed and puffed to no avail in the second half. Their attempts to reduce what was always a decisive deficit were undermined by the failure to retain possession for any length of time.

On 69 minutes keeper Zammit lost the ball to Plut who crossed low but Temile arrived farctionally late.

On 72 minutes the Sliema keeper turned Jovic’s header into a corner off Bajada’s cross.

With Sliema failing to trouble keeper Kopric again, Birkirkara made late efforts and pulleda goal back with seven minutes remaining. Forcing two successive corners Temile’s first attempt was blocked by the Sliema crowded defence but Pedrag Jovic finally managed to knock the ball over the line.

That was too little too late though. Sleima remained in control and Birkirkara’s wounds will take longer to heal.