Stripes down Greens to keep pace with leaders
by Ayrton Galea - 19th January 2015
Birkirkara FC kept alive their hopes of being among the challengers for the BOV Premier League, when, thanks to a goal in each half, they defeated Floriana FC with a 2-1 result in a hard-fought match.
The Stripes were made to sweat it out, but they showed excellent attitude to overcome the challenge of a determined Floriana side, as a goal by Scicluna and Ledesma handed the Stripes the victory.
Regaining a call to the first-eleven, BOV Player of the Match, Edward Herrera certainly stole the limelight with an impressive display, down the right side, as his runs tormented Floriana, besides assisting both goals.
The Stripes, have now gone eighth matches unbeaten, to remain in the second place joined with Valletta, fifteen points behind Hibernians, before next Saturday's crucial clash against the same Hibernians.
The Stripes stormed ahead early in the match thanks to Rafael Ledesma but Conor Borg's goal cancelled out Birkirkara's opener. The Stripes regained the lead seven minutes inside the second half thanks to Scicluna and they had to hold strong against Floriana, to register their fourth consecutive victory.
With Bissi and Vukanac suspended, Coach. Paul Zammit was forced to make two changes from the last two outings. The suspended duo was replaced by Alejandro Mendoza and Edward Herrera. Latest signing, Nassir Maachi began on the bench.
The 4-1-2-3 formation featured Haber, who recovered on time to defend the posts, Muscat and Mendoza as central-backs, while Herrera and Camenzuli patrolled the side-backs. Sciberras, Scicluna and Fenech composed the midfield trio. Ledesma had the usual role of roaming behind strikers Eliandro Gonzaga and Shola Shodiya.
The First Half
The Stripes made their intentions clear right from the start, and they almost scored on the seventh minute. Ledesma served Gonzaga, with the latter sending Shodiya on the run, who tried to dribble past goalkeeper Gauci, but the keeper blocked his effort.
Shodiya was involved in action once again on the thirteenth minute, when after exchanging possession with Ledesma, he struck a fierce shot from outside the box, which ended wide.
The Stripes continued to dictate matters and they stormed ahead on the sixteenth minute. Herrera produced a dazzling run down the right wing, before his accurate cross found Rafael Ledesma, who had little difficulty in placing the ball at the back of the net to break the deadlock.
Floriana's first-threat arrived on the twenty-third minute. A free-kick by Steve Pisani was not met by the Birkirkara's rear-guard and Matteo Picciolo was unlucky to see his fierce shot from inside the box denied off an acrobatic save by Justin Haber.
The Greens stepped-up their performance, and they got a deserved equaliser on the thirty-fourth minute. Conor Borg exchanged the ball in a one-two move with Vito Plut, before his shot hit past Justin Haber to level matters.
Two minutes before half-time, Gonzaga served Herrera, who made another fast run down the right side, and Shodiya headed over from just metres away.
Referee Chris Lautier's half-time whistle found both teams heading to their dressing room in a 1-1 draw.
The Second Half
Five minutes into the second half, in a fast break-away for Floriana, Borg served Picciolo but he was denied by another fine block of goalkeeper Haber.
However, the early scare alerted the Stripes and they reacted brilliantly by regaining the lead. It was Herrera who stormed once again down the right flank and his low cross caught the Floriana's rear-guard on the wrong foot, and Scicluna fired home with a rising shot.
The Birkirkara's wing-back seemed to be unstoppable on the day, as just before the hour mark, Herrera was involved into action by speeding on the flank and his second-post cross saw Gonzaga's header parried by Gauci.
The Stripes could have made them three on the sixty-sixth minute when Ledesma unzipped the defence and sent Gonzaga through with the latter's shot in front of Gauci being blocked by the Floriana goalkeeper.
In Birkirkara's first substitution on the sixty-eighth minute, Rafael Ledesma was substituted by Edmond Agius.
Gonzaga was unlucky once again not to put his name on the scoring-sheet on the seventy-third minute, as the Brazilian striker raced forward to an inviting cross by Herrera, and anticipated the onrushing goalkeeper Gauci, but his shot was cleared off the goal-line.
Floriana's biggest hope of levelling matters once again arrived on the seventy-seventh minute, when substitute Giovanni Galea headed the ball towards the goal but was hooked brilliantly away by Ryan Camenzuli off the goal-line.
The Club's latest signing, Nassir Maachi, made his official debut with our Club when in the second substitution on the eighty-third minute, he replaced Eliandro Gonzaga.
Just before the ninetieth minute, Floriana went close to levelling the score thanks to a direct free-kick by Gary Muir, but his trike scratched past Haber's first post.
In Birkirkara's third and last substitution, Andrea Curmi, another promising player that currently forms part of the Under-19's Team, made his Premier League debut by replacing Shola Shodiya on the second minute of added time.
The Stripes held strong in the final moments of the match and the referee's full-time whistle found them registering the fourth straight victory and extending their unbeaten run to eight matches.
Birkirkara's Edward Herrera was named the BOV Player of the Match.
BIRKIRKARA: Justin Haber, Edward Herrera, Zach Muscat, Alejandro Mendoza, Ryan Camenzuli, Gareth Sciberras, Paul Fenech, Ryan Scicluna, Rafael Ledesma (68' Edmond Agius), Eliandro Gonzaga (83' Nassir Maachi), Shola Shodiya (90+2' Andrea Curmi).
FLORIANA: Tyrone Gauci, Douglas Moreira, Emerson Marcelina, Steve Pisani, Vito Plut, Matteo Piciollo, Conor Borg (75' Giovanni Galea), Emanuel Briffa, Gary Muir, Steve Bonnici, Mano Micallef (45' Brooke Farrugia).
Referee: Chris Lautier.
Assistant Referees: Alan Camilleri, Peter Abela.
Fourth Official: Fyodor Zammit.
Yellow Cards: 42' Ryan Scicluna, 88' Ryan Camenzuli, 90' Justin Haber (Birkirkara) 56' Gary Muir (Floriana).
Scorers: 16' Rafael Ledesma, 51' Ryan Scicluna (Birkirkara), 34' Matteo Piccolo.
BOV Player of the Match: Edward Herrera (Birkirkara).
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