Match Report: Birkirkara FC 2-1 Lija Athletic FC

by Ayrton Galea - 3rd March 2018

Birkirkara FC consolidated their third place in the BOV Premier League when they returned to winning ways after defeating Lija Athletic FC with a 2-1 score. The Stripes therefore moved alone in the third place as Gzira United FC will face Balzan FC on Monday evening.

Two goals in the second half by Jake Grech and Edward Herrera enabled the Stripes to win maximum points and overcome the stern challenge of Lija Athletic who had equalised temporally made the score level twenty minutes from time.

Following a goal-less first-half, Grech scored his ninth league to put the Stripes ahead but Alain Kooh Soohna shocked the Stripes with an equaliser twenty minutes from time. However, Herrera notched the winning goal three minutes later.

Birkirkara Coach Mr. Paul Zammit made two changes from the goal-less draw against Valletta FC, as Edward Herrera and Waldemar Acosta replaced the injured Carlos Alberto and Ognjen Rolovic who began on the substitutes' bench. Herrera patrolled the right wing while Acosta led the attack.

The First Half

The Stripes dictated matters right from the start as expected. Dimitrov served Waldemar Acosta who tried his luck with a curling shot from outside the box, but his effort was blocked by goalkeeper Luke Bonnici.

Birkirkara went close to break the dead-lock on the eighth minute. Dimitrov's well-taken free-kick was denied by the crossbar with goalkeeper Bonnici beaten, while from the rebound, Cain Attard's effort ended wide.

Goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski made his first save on the fifteenth minute as he easily saved a direct free-kick by Erjon Bue for Lija Athletic. The Birkirkara goalkeeper then produced a fine save in a similar action, as he turned into a corner kick, a diagonal free-kick by Bue.

Birkirkara threatened again ten minutes from half time. A cross by Vukanac was short-cleared and the loose ball fell into the path of Herrera who had his first-time effort ending just over the bar.

The Second Half

Birkirkara took just two minutes to break the dead-lock in the second half. Dimitrov ran clear following a defensive blunder and the Serbian forward showed great team-play as all-alone in-front of Bonnici opted to serve Grech who hit home in an empty net.

Boosted by the opening goal, the Stripes almost made them two just moments later. Dimitrov's eye-catching back-heel pass towards Jake Grech saw the latter serving Scicluna, but the latter's effort was saved by Bonnici aided by the foot of the post.

Dimitrov showed his match-vision by supplying an inch-perfect cross towards Herrera just past the hour mark, but Herrera fired wide from an ideal position following controlling the ball well inside the box. Five minutes later, Scicluna fired over after served by Grech.

Against the run of the play, Lija Athletic made the score level twenty minutes from time. A vertical through-ball unzipped the defence and Alain Kooh Sohna's first-time effort surprised Naumovski.

The Stripes made an instant reaction and they regained the lead three minutes later. Substitute Terence Agius showed great skill to penetrate the defence with a vertical through-ball towards the on-running Herrera, who controlled well and kept calm to place the ball past Bonnici.

Lija Athletic put more numbers forward in the last stages of the match as they tried to save a point, but the Stripes held strong for a well-deserved victory.

Birkirkara's winger Srdjan Dimitrov was voted the BOV Player of the Match.

BIRKIRKARA: Kristijan Naumovski, Edward Herrera, Fernando Barbosa, Mislav Andelkovic, Jake Grech (67' Terence Agius), Kurt Zammit, Nikola Vukanac, Waldemar Acosta (75' Ognjen Rolovic), Srdjan Dimitrov (85' Gianluca Zammit), Ryan Scicluna, Cain Attard.

LIJA ATHLETIC: Luke Bonnici, Mcallisther Clinch (75' Predrag Babic), Patrick Borg, Daniel Scerri, Leejoe Schembri (83' Nigel Spiteri), Aaron Sammut, Alain Kooh Sohna, Ousmane Sidibe, Kei Hirose, Erjon Beu, Ryan Sammut.

Referee: Matthew Degabriele.
Assistant Referees: Jurgen Spiteri, William Debattista.
Fourth Official: Fyodor Zammit.

Yellow Cards: 53' Ryan Scicluna (Birkirkara), 63' Daniel Scerri, 79' Patrick Borg (Lija Athletic).

Scorers: 47' Jake Grech, 73' Edward Herrera (Birkirkara), 70' Alain Kooh Sohna (Lija Athletic).

BOV Player of the Match: Srdjan Dimitrov (Birkirkara).

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