Stripes advance to the fourth round after hitting Kirkop with six
by Ayrton Galea - 10th December 2015
Holders Birkirkara FC found no difficulty on reaching to the fourth round of the Malta FA Trophy when on Wednesday evening, they found difficulty on beating Second Division side Kirkop United FC with a 6-0 score.
Wounded from the 4-0 defeat against Valletta on Saturday, the Stripes made sure of avoiding any surprise as they produced a dominant performance to make it to the next round. They will now be facing the winner of the match between Valletta and Xewkija Tigers.
Frank Temile's brace and a wonderful goal by the returning Fabrizio Miccoli gave the Stripes a comfortable 3-0 lead at half-time before Plut made them four in the second-half with the other two goals arriving from substitutes Juan Quero and Kurt Zammit.
The Birkirkara FC Head Coach Mr. Giovanni Tedesco made a total re-shuffle in his starting-eleven as he made no less than six changes from the 4-0 defeat against Valletta. Shodiya and Fenech were missing for the Stripes.
Fabrizio Miccoli recovered from a calf problem and was inserted in the starting-eleven with Edward Herrera was also back in the fray following a struggling groin injury. Ini Akpan defended the posts while Emerson Marcelina, Edmond Agius and Frank Temile all retained a first-eleven place.
The Italian Coach fielded a 3-4-1-2 formation. Akpan defended the posts with the three-line defence formed by Zach Muscat, Cain Attard and Nikola Vukanac. Edmond Agius and Emerson Marcelina composed the midfield department with Edward Herrera and Ryan Camenzuli starting on the wings. Miccoli started roaming behind the two strikers Vito Plut and Frank Temile.
The First Half
The Stripes dominated right from the start. Temile had a low shot saved by goalkeeper Joshua Galea in the opening moments of the match after served by Edmond Agius while on the third minute, Agius was the orovider once again, this time to Miccoli who had a powerful shot ending wide.
Birkirkara surged ahead on the thirteenth minute. Fabrizio Miccoli's shot from inside the box was blocked by the defence only for the ball to land at the path of Frank Temile who slammed home from close-range.
Frank Temile had another fine scoring opportunity but his effort ended wide while on the twenty-second minute, Ryan Camenzuli supplied an excellent through-ball to Plut but the latter's lob was blocked by goalkeeper Galea.
On the half-hour mark, Plut sprinted inside the box but his low shot was parried by Calleja was just one minute later, the same player was unlucky to have his header deflected with goalkeeper Joshua Galea nuetralising the danger.
The Stripes made them two on the thirty-eighth minute. Camenzuli served Fabrizio Miccoli who showed great skills to dribble past his marker and unleashed a wonderful well-placed shot from outside the box past goalkeeper Galea.
Two became three two minutes later. Plut sprinted inside the box and fouled with the Referee ordering the penalty. Miccolo showed a great gesture as he handed the ball to Frank Temile and the Nigerian striker made no mistake to score his second goal in the match.
The end of the first half found the Stripes leading by three thanks to a brace by Temile and another goal by Miccoli.
The Second Half
The Stripes made them four two minutes inside the second half. Miccoli had a fierce volley from the edge of the box blocked by goalkeeper and from the rebound, Plut was in the right position to head home from close-range.
Birkirkara's Coach Mr. Giovanni Tedesco made two substitutions in space of a minute. Scorer of the fourth goal, Vito Plut was replaced by Kurt Zammit on the fifty-sixth minute while minute later, Miccoli was replaced by Juan Quero.
Frank Temile continued to enjoy a fine performance as he rounded two player before having a wonderful curling shot ending wide on the fifty-seventh minute.
Birkirkara made them five on the fifty-ninth minute. In a fast flowing action combined by two substitutes, Kurt Zammit sprinted forward and his cross travelled across the goal with the ball reaching Juan Quero. Quero dribbled past his marker and his curling shot hit past goalkeeper Galea. This was Quero's first goal with our Club.
The match remained one-sided and five became six on the sixty-fourth minute. Camenzuli sprinted on the left channel before delivering a well second-post that found Kurt Zammit whose first-time effort hit home from close-range.
Birkirkara almost made them seven on the sixty-eighth minute when Zammit supplied an excellent through-ball to Temile but his close-range effort was blocked by Galea while moments later Camenzuli was also denied by Galea following a fine solo-action.
Goalkeeper Philip Schranz made his debut with the Senior Team in Birkirkara's third and final substitution, he replaced goalkeeper Ini Akpan.
The Stripes were unlucky not to make them seven on the seventy-third minute when following a quick combination by Camenzuli and Quero, the latter serve Temile who was unlucky to have his fierce strike by the defender off the goal-line.
The full time whistle found the Stripes heave a sigh of relief as they advanced to the fourth round and will now face the winner from the match between Valletta and Xewkja Tigers.
BIRKIRKARA: Ini Akpan (71' Philip Schranz), Cain Attard, Nikola Vukanac, Zach Muscat, Ryan Camemzuli, Emerson Marcelina, Edmond Agius, Edward Herrera, Fabrizio Miccoli (57' Juan Quero) , Frank Temile, Vito Plut (56' Kurt Zammit).
KIRKOP: Joshua Galea, Luca Mizzi, Dylan Rapinett, Andre Cassar, Clive Fenech, Melvin Farrugia (55' Ilyad Farrugia), Matthew Caruana, Josef Felice, Glenn Bonello, Alexander Ribic (72' Andre Abela), Glenn Brincat (57' Michael Zammit).
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri
Assistant Referees: Alan Camilleri, Peter Abela
Fourth Official: Glen Tonna.
Scorers: 13' Frank Temile, 38' Fabrizio Miccoli, 40' Frank Temile, 47' Vito Plut, 59' Juan Quero, 64' Kurt Zammit.
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