Stripes, Greens share spoils in a goal-less draw
by Ayrton Galea - 8th November 2015
Birkirkara FC and Floriana FC ended their first-round commitments of the BOV Premier League with a point following a goal-less draw hard-fought match. By this result, the Stripes end their first-round in the second place with Valletta and Hibernians respectively all with twenty-two points, just one point under leaders Balzan.
As expected the last match for the first round offered a well tight encounter as in a top-level match, Birkirkara and Floriana failed to convert their scoring opportunities as deservingly both team left the Victor Tedesco Stadium with something to show for their efforts.
It was not the luckiest day for the Stripes as they had to face a number of set-backs including three forced substitutions and playing over than twenty minutes with one player less after Joseph Zerafa was sent off for quick double booking but not only they held strong to pick-up one point but remained the brisker side and was close on notching a late winner only to be denied by the crossbar.
One would have expected the Greens to take control of the match, but the Stripes reacted strongly. They assured no space for the Floriana strikers while pushing forward in numbers as they sought for the winning goal that would have given them sole-leadership.
With this result, the Stripes ended their first-round commitments with a positive result as they extended their unbeaten run to eight matches. They share the second place with Valletta and Hibernians respectively all with twenty-two points, just one point under leaders Balzan.
Birkirkara FC Head Coach Mr. Giovanni Tedesco, who alongside Emerson Marcelina and Vito Plut, was facing for the first time his former team, kept trust in the same first-eleven selection but was forced to make one substitution as Rowen Muscat was replaced by Ryan Scicluna. Both Edward Herrera and Emerson Marcelina recovered on time and were named among the substitutes.
The Italian Coach set once again his side to a 3-1-4-2. Goalkeeper Justin Haber defended the posts with Mazzetti, Vukanac and Muscat formed the three-line defence. Sciberras began the defensive shield in-front of the defence supporting midfielders Scicluna and Fenech. Camenzuli and Zerafa patrolled the wing-backs while Miccoli and Plut composed the attacking department.
The First Half
Floriana came out aggressive. Their high-pressing was not allowing Birkirkara to dictate matters and it was the Greens who produced the first scoring opportunities in the match. Just after five minutes, Picciolla had a shot ending wide Mario Fontanella hit the side-netting with an angled shot two minutes later.
Birkirkara did not hold back and they created a good opportunity on the eighteenth minute. Scicluna sent the ball behind the defence in the path of the on-running Paul Fenech but the Floriana defender recovered well and cleared the ball into a corner kick.
The Greens came close mid-way through the first-half. A precise pass penetrated the Birkirkara defence but Nicholas Chiesa saw the Birkirkara goalkeeper Justin Haber denying him from a close-range effort as the alerted Haber kept the score unchanged.
On the other end, Fabrizio Miccoli delivered a dangerous free-kick that unsettled the defence but goalkeeper Matthew Calleja Cremona deflected the ball into safety. This was Miccoli's last notable action as ten minutes from half-time, the Italian striker was unable to continue playing and was replaced by Ellinton Morais.
Birkirkara were now producing the better ideas. They went close on the thirty-seventh minute when off a short-clearance, Ryan Camenzuli saw his left-footed curling shot ending just over the bar with goalkeeper Calleja Cremona beaten.
Just before the end of the first-half, a diagonal pass from the midfield unzipped the defence to the path of the on-running Vito Plut but goalkeeper Calleja Cremona was alerted once again to rush out and take possession as the first-half ended goal-less.
The Second Half
Setting up in a 4-3-3 formation in the second-half as Zerafa and Muscat dropped the side-backs along side with Mazzetti and Vukanac at the back, the Stripes looked more compact at the back. Fenech, Sciberras and Scicluna composed the midfield with Camenzuli and Morais on the wings and Plut remained the centre-forward.
The Stripes were quick to take hold of the early moments. Six minutes inside the second-half, Ellinton Morais's header ended wide off a cross by Joseph Zerafa while five minutes later, Plut had the ball at the back of the net but the goal was disallowed for an offside position.
Just before the hour-mark, the Stripes had harsh protests for a penalty when Ryan Camenzuli drifted inside the box but went down following a challenge by Chiesa just before he could put the trigger with Referee Mario Apap waving just play on.
Twenty minutes inside the second half, the Greens had their first scoring attempt in the second fourty-five minutes as Chiesa, the most dangerous player on the day for the Greens, had a powerful free-kick ending wide.
Birkirkara ended playing with ten men on the sixty-eighth minute as Joseph Zerafa who had been cautioned just moments before made a tactical foul in midfield with Referee Apap have no other option than to show Zerafa to second yellow card and left the Stripes with ten men.
The Stripes had harsh protests again in direction of Mario Apap when Vukanac seemed to be hit but they were only given the throw-in. Vukanac was unable to continue playing and he was replaced by Emerson Marcelina on the seventieth minute. More woes stood in the Stripes' way as just five minutes later, Gareth Sciberras also sustained an injury and he was replaced by Edmond Agius.
Despite with one player less, the Stripes showed great attitude and they went close twice in space of a minute to break the dead-lock. On the seventy-seventh minute, Scicluna showed fine skills to control the ball before his well-placed shot ended wide by inches.
Just a minute later, the Stripes almost surged ahead. Ellinton Morais sprinted on the right flank before delivered an accurate first-post cross that saw Vito Plut the quickest to react but his fine header was denied by the crossbar.
Referee Mario Apap was the centre of attention once again on the nineteenth minute when Plut was floored outside the box with Paul Fenech about to surge forward in an open-chance opportunity but the referee opted not to reward Birkirkara the advantage and ordered the free-kick as the score remained unchanged.
BIRKIRKARA: Justin Haber, Zach Muscat, Nikola Vukanac (70' Emerson Marcelina), Mauricio Mazzetti, Ryan Camenzuli, Joseph Zerafa, Ryan Scicluna, Gareth Sciberras (75' Edmond Agius), Paul Fenech, Fabrizio Miccoli (35' Ellinton Morais), Vito Plut.
FLORIANA: Matthew Calleja Cremona, Antonio Monticelli, Enrico Pepe, Steve Pisani (62' Juninho Cabral), Mauricio Villa, Jurgen Pisani, Matteo Piciollo, Steve Bonnici, Nicholas Chesa, Mario Fontanella (88' Firas Aboulezz).
Referee: Mario Apap
Assistant Referees: Mitchell Scerri, Chris Francalanza
Fourth Official: Alan Camilleri
Yellow Cards: Joseph Zerafa, Zach Muscat, Paul Fenech (Birkirkara), Enrico Pepe, Mauricio Villa, Steve Bonnici (Floriana)
Red Cards: 68' Joseph Zerafa
BOV Player of the Match: Nicholas Chiesa (Floriana).
