BOV Premier League – Birkirkara FC 3-0 Pieta' Hotspurs FC
by Ayrton Galea - 18th January 2019
Birkirkara FC returned to winning ways in the BOV Premier League, when they defeated Pieta' Hotspurs FC with a 3-0 score to strengthen their challenge for a top-four finish.
It was a well-deserved victory for the Stripes who dictated matters for long stretches, mainly for their direct and offensive approach right from the start of the match. The Stripes played another offensive match and it paid off with three goals with no reply.
There were several positive points from this match, as Guillaumier and Pereira scored their first goal with our club this season, with the latter joining our club in transfer market. On the other hand, Vella and Failla, another two players that joined our club this January, provided their first assist.
There were two changes from the last match as Johann Bezzina was given the nod to make his debut with our club as he replaced Jake Grech. In the other change, Michael Mifsud regained a place in the starting-eleven, as he replaced Marcelo Henrique.
The First Half
The Stripes failed to convert a glorious chance after six minutes in the first scoring opportunity of the match. Michael Mifsud's low shot was saved by goalkeeper Nicholas Vella and from the rebound Luke Montebello's close-range effort in an empty net smashed against the crossbar.
Birkirkara's offensive and direct football paid off on the twenty-sixth minute. A cross by Michael Mifsud found Maurizio Vella who showed great technique to control the ball inside the box and served Matthew Guillaumier who hit a fine low shot past goalkeeper Vella.
Pieta' made a strong reaction to this goal. Close to half-hour mark, Gabriel Mensah had a powerful shot from outside the box saved by the Birkirkara goalkeeper, Kristijan Naumovski. Few moments later, Paul Chimezie dashed inside the box, but his low shot ended wide.
The Stripes went close to double their lead on the thirty-seventh minute. Mifsud's low cross found Montebello who had a fine shot deflected into a corner kick. From the resulting corner kick taken by Vella, Cain Attard's header ended just over the bar.
Two minutes from half-time, Juan Manuel Artiaga Roa tried to test Naumovski with a fierce shot from distance but his effort ended over, as the Stripes ended the first half leading thanks to Guillaumier's goal.
The Second Half
Pieta' made a strong start in the second half as Gabriel Mensah produced an excellent solo-action and hit a powerful shot from outside the box, but goalkeeper Naumovski did a fine save.
Birkirkara affected their first substitution on the fifty-fourth minute as Jorge Pereira replaced Luke Montebello. The introduction of Pereira included fresh ideas and more speed up-front while they were no tactical changes as he replaced Montebello in the centre-forward position.
Pieta' threatened for the equalizing goal again on the sixty-third minute. Uchenna Calistus Umeh combined well with Chimizie as the Nigerian duo exchanged possession, but Umeh's fierce shot from outside the box hit wide.
The Stripes doubled their lead on the sixty-sixth minute, in an action combined by three new-signings. Vella lay off the ball to Bezzina who unzipped the defence with an inch-perfect pass towards substitute Jorge Pereira and the latter kept his cool to hit a low strike past goalkeeper.
Birkirkara went close to make them three ten minutes from time. Substitute Clayton Failla, who had replaced Vella just a few moments earlier, supplied an excellent cross inside the box in the path of Guillaumier, but the latter hit over from an ideal position inside the box.
However, the Stripes were not denied from the third goal three minutes later. Failla provided his first assist with our club thanks to an accurate corner kick that saw towering defender Danilo Chapoval rising high and hit a bullet-header past Vella.
Just few moments before the full-time whistle, Jorge Pereira collected a long-ball and anticipated the on-rushing goalkeeper Vella, but the Pieta' defender recovered in time to avoid the fourth goal for his team.
Birkirkara midfielder and scorer of the first goal, Matthew Guillaumier, was voted the BOV Player of the Match.
BIRKIRKARA: Kristijan Naumovski, Danilo Chapoval, Matthew Guillaumier, Mislav Andelkovic, Maurizio Vella (77' Clayton Failla), Luke Montebello (54' Jorge Pereira), Kurt Zammit, Eduardo Dos Santos, Michael Mifsud (69' Jake Grech), Johann Bezzina, Cain Attard.
PIETA' HOTSPURS: Nicholas Vella, Christian Joseph Degabriele (80' Harry Singh), Neil Pace Cocks (40' Travis Bartolo), Dylan Agius (71' Sheldon Pisani), Paul Chimezie, Jan Busutill, Gabriel Mensah, Juan Manuel Artiaga Roa, Christian Grech, Uchenna Umeh Calistus, Antonio Orlando Macedo.
Referee: Mario Apap.
Assistant Referees: Alan Camilleri, Thomas Debono.
Fourth Official: Andrea Sciriha.
Yellow Cards: 24' Uchenna Umeh Calistus (Pieta' Hotspurs), 45' Maurizio Vella (Birkirkara).
Scorers: 26' Matthew Guillaumier, 66' Jorge Pereira, 83' Danilo Chapoval (Birkirkara)
BOV Player of the Match: Matthew Guillaumier (Birkirkara).
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