Stripes score six out of nine goals
by Ayrton Galea - 21st February 2016
Birkirkara FC heaved a sigh of relief as they returned to winning ways in a fashionable way in the BOV Premier League when L'Imam Seydi netted a hat-trick and Matija Smrekar scored a brace with the other goal arriving by Ryan Camenzuli in an entertaining 6-3 victory over Mosta FC.
These have been difficult weeks for the Stripes after obtaining just a draw in their last three outings while suffering back to back defeats in their last two matches and their build-up for this match was anything than easy as they went to this match with a depleted side.
The number of defensive players that were unavailable for this match due to injury left a negative impact, as Birkirkara conceded three goals. However, this was made up by a good performance in the attack, as Birkirkara recovered from an early goal, to score no less than six goals and start their third round commitments with a vibrant victory.
L'Imam Seydi and Matija Smrekar stole the show. Seydi netted a hat-trick and was voted the BOV Player of the Match, while Smrekar scored two goals with both players also serving an assist each, to each other.
With this result, Birkirkara retained the fourth place with twenty-four points, six points under Valletta, four under Hibernians and two under Balzan. On the other hand, they regained a two point lead over Floriana and opened a four point leader over Tarxien Rainbows.
Coach Drazen Besek made one change from last week's defeat against Hibernians, as Nikola Vukanac was replaced by Goran Mujanovic. Ryan Darmanin was back on the substitutes' bench after missing the last match due to injury. Edmond Herrera, Edmond Agius, Joseph Zerafa, Mauricio Mazzetti and Nikola Vukanac were all ruled-out injured.
Birkirkara fielded a 4-1-3-2 formation. Kopric defended the posts, while Sciberras and Bubalovic were deployed as central-backa. Attard and Camenzuli started as side-backs, Andelkovic in-front of the defence, Mujanovic and Scicluna at either side of the offensive midfielder Bilbao. L'Imam Seydi and Matija Smrekar were utilised as strikers.
The First Half
Mosta surged ahead after just two minutes. Godwin Mensah received a through ball, then beat Christian Bubalovic on the run, surged inside the box and hit a powerful shot past goalkeeper Kopric.
The Stripes were set for another up-hill struggle. However, the Stripes reacted and Ryan Scicluna went close twice, but both his attempts ended over.
Mosta could have added the second goal after fourteen minutes, if it was not for an incredible miss by Mensah. A long-ball from the back found Mensah all alone, who dribbled past Kopric, but hit wide in front of an empty net, to the amazement of those present. Moments later, Kopric did well to turn a close-range effort into a corner kick.
The Stripes profited from the lack of sharpness of their opponents, and made the score level on the twentieth minute. Goran Mujanovic sprinted forward on the right flank as he collected a fine through-ball before delivering an accurate cross that saw L'Imam Seydi rising high to hit a precise header at the back of the net. For Seydi, this was his first goal with our Club.
Boosted with this goal, Birkirkara looked more stable. Besek exchanged the positions of Mujanovic and Camenzuli, and the latter was given a more advanced role. Birkirkara threatened to turn the score around on the twenty-sixth minute, when Bilbao and Scicluna exchanged possession before the latter had a low shot ending wide.
The Stripes had a good chance to go ahead, when Smrekar beat the offside trap and rounded goalkeeper Cini, but had the ball was cleared by the alert defender. From the rebound, Camenzuli's long distance shot was saved by Cini in two attempts.
Birkirkara surged ahead on the fortieth minute. Camenzuli showed great vision to pick Seydi inside the box, before advancing and serving an unmarked Matija Smrekar, who drilled a powerful low shot past Cini, to also score his first goal with our Club.
Two minutes later, the Stripes made them three. Smrekar flicked the ball to Seydi who sprinted to edge his marker, before unleashing a first-time strike that sent the ball to the back of the net, for his second goal of the match.
The Second Half
Two goals down and with forty-five minutes to go, Mosta went out aggressive and they managed to reduce the margin on the fifty-third minute. A free-kick by Osa Guobadia on the second post saw the Birkirkara defence failing to deal with the delivery, and Adrian Borg flicked a header over the out of position Kopric.
However, Birkirkara regained a two-goal lead just a minute later. Ryan Camenzuli served L'Imam Seydi inside the box who had his first attempt hitting the crossbar after being deflected by goalkeeper Cini, but from the rebound, it was the same player who was in the perfect position to slot home from close-range to complete his hat-trick.
The Stripes continued to dictate matters and they made them five on the sixty-second minute. Seydi showed great skill to serve Ryan Camenzuli, who concluded with a wonderful diagonal shot that surprised goalkeeper Cini.
Camenzuli received a standing ovation as he made his way out, when in the first substitution, straight after netting the fifth goal, he was replaced by Matthew Guillaumier.
The Stripes had the ball at the back of the net again on the seventy-first minute. Seydi found Smrekar who rounded goalkeeper Cini and drilled an effort on target, with Ryan Scicluna sending the ball in the net, but the latter was flagged in an offside position and the goal was ruled-out.
In Birkirkara's second substitution, on the seventy-eighth minute Ryan Scicluna was replaced by Kurt Zammit.
Birkirkara made them six on the eighty-sixth minute. Edison Bilbao delivered an accurate cross in the path of Matija Smrekar, that saw the Croatian striker hitting a powerful well-placed header past goalkeeper Cini, for his second goal of the day.
Mosta scored a consolation goal two minutes from time, when Godwin Mensah played the whistle following a suspicious offside position, and all alone placed the ball past Kopric to make the final score 6-3.
Scorer of a hat-trick, and with a five-star performance, L'Imam Seydi was voted the BOV Player of the Match.
BIRKIRKARA: Miroslav Kopric, Cain Attard, Gareth Sciberras, Christian Bubalovic, Ryan Camenzuli (63' Matthew Guillaumier), Ryan Scicluna (78' Kurt Zammit), Mislav Andelkovic, Edison Bilbao, Goran Mujanovic, L'Imam Seydi (87' Andrea Curmi), Matija Smrekar.
MOSTA: Yenz Cini, Edile Michelletti (74' Zach Brincat), Adrian Borg, Tyrone Farrugia, Fatai Alabi, Leonard Ajousso (46' Dexter Xuereb), Osa Ice-Cream Guobadia, Kyle Frendo (46' Lyden Micallef), James Brincat, Ekani Rodriguez, Godwin Mnesha.
Referee: Mario Apap.
Assistant Referees: Roberto Vella, Martin Borg.
Additional Assistant Referees: Marco Borg, Glenn Tonna.
Fourth Official: Edward Spiteri.
Yellow Cards: 50' Ryan Camenzuli.
Scorers: 20' L'Imam Seydi, 40' Matija Smrekar, 42' L'Imam Seydi, 53' L'Imam Seydi, 62' Ryan Camenzuli, 86' Matija Smrekar (Birkirkara), 2' Godwin Mensah, 52' Adrian Borg, 89' Godwin Mensah (Mosta).
BOV Player of the Match: L'Imam Seydi (Birkirkara)
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