Gzira registered an important and much needed win when in the first match played early on Saturday at the Centenary Stadium they beat Balzan by two goals to nil. It was a deserved win for the Maroons who dictated matters for long stretches.
Gzira went into this match winning only one match from their last five outings, making maximum points from this match practically a must. In fact they suffered successive defeats at the expence of Sirens and Hibernians in their last two matches. For Balzan it was also imperative to gain something from this match losing two matches and drawing five from their last seven matches. In fact they were in search for a win after failing to do so in their last seven matches.
Gzira made their intentions clear from the start and as early as the 1st minute a Kooh Sohna low shot from close range ended inches wide. The Maroons held the upper hand in the initial stages and on 14 minutes Ricardo Correa Duarte tried his luck with a long range shot which just missed the target.
Gzira took the lead in the 26th minute through a diagonal shot by Jefferson De Assis which was deflected past Vranes. On the half hour Balzan lost their coach from the bench who was given the marching order for a second bookable offence.
Balzan went near for the first time five minutes from the end of the first half through an acrobatic shot by Sean Cipriott which was stopped by the woodwork. And on the stroke of half time Davis found Correa whose shot was deflected onto a corner by Loof.
Gzira came close to increase their lead in the 56th minute when off a Davis cross from the right side a headed effort by Jefferson De Assis hit the crossbar. On the other end just past the hour a Samir shot sailed just over the bar.
In the 73rd minute Gzira doubled their lead when it was Ricardo Correa Duarte whose low drive from the edge of the area found the corner of the net. Till the end Gzira controlled well to earn a much needed win in their quest to climb up the table.
Photo Domenic Aquilina
