Birkirkara and Gzira share the spoils

by Ayrton Galea - 1st May 2017

Birkirkara FC shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw against Gzira United FC, as Vito Plut scored a brilliant late goal to put the Stripes in the third place, level points with Valletta FC.

In a balanced match, a goal by Ige Abdullahi Adeshina twenty-three minutes from time put Gzira ahead against the run of the play, but Vito Plut scored a late goal to secure a point and extend the unbeaten run to ten matches.

By this result, Birkirkara and Valletta are sharing the third place with fifty-nine points. The Stripes will take on Floriana and Valletta will face Hamrun Spartans. In case that both teams finish level on points, a decider-match will be played to determine the third place.

Coach Nikola Jaros made four changes from the last match. Nikola Vukanac, Srdjan Dimitrov and Miguel Angel Alba while Matthew Guillaumier started on the bench, and they were replaced by Predrag Jovic, Edmond Agius, Gary Muir and Ryan Scicluna.

The First Half

Birkirkara went twice close in the opening moments. On the eleventh minute, Gary Muir concluded a solo-action with a low shot that ended wide by inches. Four minutes later, Predrag Jovic was unlucky not to put the Stripes ahead when his up-rising shot was denied by the crossbar.

Gzira replied on the twenty-third minute. Moises Avila Perez served Andrew Cohen who had his curling shot from outside the box which ended wide.

On the thirty-fourth minute, Andrew Cohen, the most dangerous player for Gzira, fired a shot from distance which ended wide by a whisker, while five minutes later, the same player had another fine shot, but this time his attempt was saved by goalkeeper Henry Bonello.

Three minutes from half time, Edmond Agius hit a wonderful curling free-kick that was denied with an excellent save of goalkeeper Jurgen Borg, as the first half ended goal-less.

The Second Half

Goalkeeper Borg was the protagonist again on the fifty-fourth minute. Gary Muir's low powerful free-kick was denied with another great save by the Gzira goalkeeper, as the latter turned the ball into a corner kick.

Against the run of the play, Gzira surged ahead on the sixty-seventh minute. Substitute Carlos Reyna went on the left flank and sent a cross that was met by Ige Abdullahi Adeshina who slotted the ball inside the net.

The Stripes were stunned and the Maroons almost doubled their lead. Adeshina passed the ball towards Reyna whose close-range shot took a deflection by Jovic, but alert Bonello pulled an excellent save to put the ball in a corner kick.

Birkirkara stepped-up their tempo in the last minutes and they got a deserved lead five minutes from time. Vito Plut produced a brilliant solo-action concluded with a powerful shot from outside the box, that gave goalkeeper Borg no chance.

BIRKIRKARA: Henry Bonello, Edward Herrera (63' James Brincat), Christian Bubalovic, Gareth Sciberras (79' Matteo Desira Buttigieg), Mislav Andelkovic, Edmond Agius (72' Matthew Guillaumier), Predrag Jovic, Joseph Zerafa, Ryan Scicluna, Vito Plut, Gary Muir.

GZIRA: Jurgen Borg, Jonathan Bondin, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Antonio de Queiroz Machedo Neto, Ian Azzopardi (46' Karl Pulo), Ige Abdullahi Adeshina (84' Andre White), Juan Carlos Corbalan (25' Carlos Reyna), Moises Avila Perez, Zach Scerri, Andrew Cohen, Gianmarco Conti.

Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann
Assistant Referees: Paul Apap, Ryan Aquilina
Additional Assistant Referees: Malcolm Spiteri, Etienne Mangion
Fourth Official: Dusan Petrovic.

Yellow Cards: Predrag Jovic, Mislav Andelkovic, Ryan Scicluna (Birkirkara), Andrew Cohen, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Moises Avila Perez (Gzira United).

Scorers: 67' Ige Abdullahi Adeshina (Gzira United), 85' Vito Plut (Birkirkara).

BOV Player of the Match: Andrew Cohen (Gzira United).

comments powered by Disqus