Pembroke-Birkirkara 0-2

An early goal by Miguel Alba and another by Gonzalo Malan in the dying minutes kept Birkirkara on their winning track and left Pembroke facing the abyss at the bottom of the league standings.

But the match was dull, prosaic, lacking any form of creativity.

Birkirkara found the going tough after a confident start as Pembroke defended stoutly, putting eight and nine men behind the ball, but there was a lethargy to their play.

Thanks to this win, their fourth in five matches, Birkirkara consolidate fourth place with 51 points. Their next opponents are Balzan, Valletta and Hibernians, the three teams above them, and the Stripes may well be decisive in the final outcome of the title win.

Birkirkara were sharp in possession, occasionally passing the ball crisply. That caused Pembroke prolonged problems and for long spells they were pinned inside their own half, trying to close the gaps and limit the damage, to improve on their dismal defensive record, having shipped in 17 goals in the previous four matches. Radovnikovic, Levnaic, Scozzese, Iraklis Roppas and Racic were tirelessly vigiliant at the back.

But they did not play with any impetus or apparent desire to raise the temperature and seldom troubled Birkirkara keeper Bonello. Darren Falzon was too isolated up front.

Birkirkara tried to use the width of the pitch, through the overlaps of Cain Attard and James Brincat down the flanks, to find space.

The Stripes, forced to make one change, with Predrag Jovic playing for the suspended Vukanac in defence, started confidently enough and opened the scoring after eight minutes. Miguel Alba rose to meet Dimitrov’s cross from the left and head past keeper Roppas.

But as the half progressed, the Stripes at times looked expensively sluggish, lacking enough motivation. They looked menacing again past the half hour when Dimitrov headed Brincat’s cross wide. That made Pembroke defend with renewed commitment.

A cross shot by Attard was repelled by keeper Roppas while Kooh Sohna was being treated on the sidelines and was eventually substituted.

Photos Domenic Aquilina

But Birkirkara failed to add further goals before halftime.

The pattern of the match did not change much in the second half, which had also failed to ignite, as Pembroke’s five-man midfield sat deep and Birkirkara struggled to pick a way through, until substitute Herrera ran through on Sciberras’ pass but hit the side netting.

In the late stages, a Dimitrov shot on Sciberras’ cross, was blocked inside the area but by the time Joseph Zerafa and Edmond Agius made an appearance, the quality had dipped, with passes going astray and punts were hoofed away.

Birkirkara’s second goal took long in coming, exactly on the stroke of full time when the inocuous Gonzalo Malan headed in Herrera’s cross from close range. The goal offered only a rare moment of excitement though.

Pembroke: A. Roppas, D. Falzon, M. Attard, S. Racic, R. Kooh Sohna (Z. Grech), Z. Levaniac, T. Radovnikovic, A. Scozzese, S. Eboh, T. Fenech, I. Roppas

Birkirkara: H. Bonello, C. Bubalovic, G. Sciberras, S. Dimitrov (E. Agius), M. Andelkovic, M. Guillaumier, P. Jovic, M. Alba (E. Herrera), C. Attard (J. Zerafa), G. Malan, J. Brincat

Referee: E. Grech

Asst.refs: L. Portelli, D. Petrovic

4th official: S. Spiteri

Scorers:  M. Alba 8, G. Malan 90

Yellow cards: S. Eboh, P. Jovic, G. Malan, Z. Levnaic

Player of the match: G. Sciberras (Birkirkara)

TMI top 3: 1. S. Racic  2. G. Sciberras  3. T. Radovnikovic

Attendance: 290

Sliema Wanderers - Tarxien Rainbows 1-1

With their sights set on the upcoming FA Trophy semi finals, it was no surprise that Sliema Wanderers and Tarxien Rainbows played a dour 1-1 draw that keeps them safe in the league standings.

Having taken an early lead, Sliema failed to improve upon it and they were caught up by Tarxien’s equaliser before the break as the Rainbows showed spirit.

Even if playing with an extra man for almost half an hour, the Wanderers failed to create enough  to win the match.

Two wins and two draws from their last four matches, keep Sliema in the top half of the table.

This was the ninth match in a row that Tarxien failed to win, with the enthusiasm evaporating a little, the future a little less certain.

Following the resignation of coach Jesmond Zerafa and his assistant Twanny Dalli, Brian Testaferrata officially assumed interim coaching duties for Tarxien, but Triston Caruana sat on the bench beside him yesterday and was seen giving instructions to his team mates. Dylan Micallef was also named as a substitute, with Daniel Ponce and Kurt Zammit given starts instead.

Following a comfortable win against St Andrews in the weekend, Sliema coach John Buttigieg dropped Leonardi Incorvaia, Ryan Spiteri and Gabriel Aquilina, to be replaced by Jonathan Pearson, Peter Xuereb and Wisdom Salomon.

The industry of Muchardi, Xuereb and Scerri enabled the Wanderers to take a grip in midfield and an early goal after 11 minutes looked to have set the tone for Sliema’s confident start. Xuereb whipped a cross inside the Tarxien area for Wisdom Salomon to control the ball and beat keeper Cassar with a low drive.

Tarxien were particularly flat in the opening minutes, with Daniel Ponce always their most dangerous, wide on the right flank. His cross after nine minutes fell to Agius, who was anticipated by Sliema keeper Sarao.

And Ponce’s shot on the turn past the quarter hour went slightly over.

But the Rainbows worked themselves into the ascendancy as the half progressed, as Sliema surrendered their midfield dominance and continued to disappoint in the final third.

The goal apart, the Wanderers produced almost nothing in the opening half.

Five minutes before the break Tarxien won a free kick on the edge of the area on the left. Emerson Marcelina curled the ball over the Sliema wall, leaving keeper Sarao rooted to his line. Marcelina ran to emebrace Triston Caruana after the goal.

And before the halftime whistle, Alves robbed Duarte of the ball in midfield, went past Xuereb and Biancardi but he shot tamely and the Sliema keeper could save.

With Tarxien still holding the initiative even after the restart, Sliema effected a double substitution on 53 minutes, putting on Frank Temile and Ryan Spiteri for Xuereb and Dos Santos.

Tarxien went close again with free kicks from Ponce and Alves. Past the hour, Ponce ran through the Sliema defence but was blcoked by the onrushing Sarao before he could pass the ball to the unmarked Zammit.

Tarxien were reduced to ten men on 66 minutes when their defender Ebiabowei Baker was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Scerri outside the area. Muchardi shot the resultant free kick off target.

Marcelina, who had been  his side’s most inspirational figure, retreated in the Tarxien defence.

Sliema were expected to up the pressure but lacked penetration in attack. A shot by Temile took a slight deflection into a corner.

Some belated pressure brought the Wanderers two good chances in the final five minutes as Tarxien defended deep. A Spiteri shot was held out by keeper Cassar, who also denied Farrugia, saving his firm close header, to avoid defeat.

 Sliema W: G. Sarao, A. Muscat, J. Pearson, D. Doas Santos (R. Spiteri), M. Scerri (G. Aquilina), M. Muchardi, S. Biancardi, R. Duarte, J.P. Farrugia, W. Salomon, P. Xuereb (F. Temile)

Tarxien R: A. Cassar, E. Baker, E. Marcelina, D. Ponce (D. Micallef), A. Nilsson (M. Degiorgio), A. Agius (M. Brincat), A. Alves, J. Galea, M. Tabone, K. Zammit, S. Borg

Referee: S. Pace

Asst.refs: C. Francalanza, S. Attard

4th official: F. Zammit

Scorers: W. Salomon 11, E. Marcelina 40

Yellow cards: E. Baker, M. Tabone, D. Ponce, J. P. Farrugia, S. Biancardi, W. Salomon, S. Borg, M. Muchardi

Red card: E. Baker

Player of the match: E. Marcelina

TMI top 3: 1. E. Marcelina  2. M. Scerri  3. D. Ponce