Stripes edge past Pembroke Athleta
by Ayrton Galea - 4th April 2017
Birkirkara FC consolidated their fourth place in the BOV Premier League on Tuesday evening, when a goal by Miguel Alba and Gonzalo Malan secured a 2-0 victory against bottom-placed Pembroke Athleta FC.
In a match that the Stripes controlled right from the start, they scored an early goal and easily controlled their lead before making sure of the three points with a late goal. This was the second victory in the space of four days, after the Stripes defeated Mosta on Saturday.
The Stripes now moved just three points behind Balzan and Valletta, but both teams have a game in hand. On the other hand, despite Floriana also have a game in hand, the Stripes consolidated their fourth place and are temporarily four points over the Greens.
Coach Nikola Jaros affected one change from last Saturday's match as suspended Nikola Vukanac was replaced by Predrag Jovic. Joseph Zerafa was back in the line-up but he started on the substitutes' bench.
The First Half
Birkirkara started strongly and they went close after two minutes. Gareth Sciberras served Miguel Alba who did well to control the ball and dribble past his marker, but his first-post shot hit the side-netting.
The Stripes surged ahead on the eighth minute. Gareth Sciberras' shot was blocked by goalkeeper Argyrs Roppas but from the resulting action, Srdjan Dimitrov's inch-perfect cross was headed home by Miguel Alba.
Birkirkara were doing a fine job to keep possession despite struggling to penetrate, as Pembroke continued to approach the game with a very defensive 5-4-1 formation. The Stripes used their ball-possession wisely to turn the ball around and try to attack the spaces at the right time.
In an isolated action for Pembroke, Andrea Scozzese had a powerful direct free-kick ending wide on the half-hour mark. One minute later, Dimitrov headed wide a cross by James Brincat following a fine run on the left flank.
Four minutes from half-time, Cain Attard almost surprised goalkeeper Roppas with a tight-angle shot but the Pembroke goalkeeper produced an excellent save.
The Second Half
Birkirkara started the second half, and they went close after one minute. Alba and Brincat exchanged possession in a short corner, before Brincat's cross failed to be connected by the Birkirkara players Sciberras and Bubalovic.
Attard made a fine run down the right flank on the forty-ninth minute and concluded his solo-action with a shot from outside the box but goalkeeper Roppas saved easily. Moments later, Malan headed wide off a cross by Guillaumier.
Twenty minutes inside the second half, Sciberras provided an excellent through-ball towards substitute Herrera and the latter did well to avoid the challenge of the defender, but his shot hit the side-netting.
Eighth minutes from time, from a cross from the right, Dimitrov could have done better when first, he controlled the ball and then avoided the challenge of the defender but his shot from inside the box was blocked by the defender.
The Stripes doubled the lead on the stoke of time. Herrera deployed as right back, surged forward before delivering an excellent second-post cross and Gonzalo Malan was at the right position to place the ball at the back of the net.
Midfielder Gareth Sciberras was voted the BOV Player of the Match.
BIRKIRKARA: Henry Bonello, Christian Bubalovic, Gareth Sciberras, Matthew Guillaumier, Mislav Andelkovic, Srdjan Dimitrov (84' Edmond Agius), Miguel Alba (63' Edward Herrera), Cain Attard (76' Joseph Zerafa), Predrag Jovic, Gonzalo Malan, James Brincat.
PEMBROKE ATHLETA: Argyrs Roppas, Darren Falzon, Miguel Attard, Stevan Radic, Raphael Kooh Sohna (43' Matthew Buhagiar), Zoran Levnaic, Tonci Radovnikovic, Andreas Scozzese, Sunday Eboh, Tyrone Fenech, Iraklis Roppas.
Referee:Eman Grech.
Assistant Referees:Luke Portelli, Dusan Petrovic.
Fourth Official: Sandro Spiteri
Yellow Cards: 34' Sunday Eboh, 38' Predrag Jovic, 72' Gonzalo Malan, 74' Zoran Levnaic
Scorers: 8' Miguel Alba, 90' Gonzalo Malan
BOV Player of the Match: Gareth Sciberras (Birkirkara).
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