Sunday,
2/2/14 saw Malta's equivalent of a footballing Super Sunday with two attractive fixtures in the BOV Premier League making up the day's double-header at the National Stadium, Ta'Qali. Mosta Gunners put four goals past Naxxar Lions in the day's first match, a local derby, keeping a clean sheet in the process. Next up was the fixture many of Malta's football fans had been looking forward to: Valletta against Birkirkara.
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Almost 5900 fans turned up to watch the top-of-the-table clash between the current champions Birkirkara and Valetta, Malta's most popular teams, and they did not let their favourites down, creating a terrific athmosphere long before kick-off.
Whilst the athmosphere was white-hot, the early stages of the match were anything but, though Birkirkara came close in the tenth minute when Jhonnattann's high ball was chested down by Shola Haruna, who rounded a Valletta defender but sidefooted wide with only Nukri Revishvili in the Valletta goal to beat.
Valletta went on the offensive, and they drew first blood in the 12th minute, after Ryan Fenech, having been left unmolested by the Birkirkara defence to come forward with the ball, struck suddenly from 20 yards out, and his shot eluded Justin Haber, going low to the Malta international's left.
An intricate move almost brought Birkirkara level on 17 minutes, when Gareth Sciberra's pass found Ryan Scicluna free in the Valletta box, but his shot from the near side was saved by Revishvili and went behind for a corner.
A stalemate of sorts ensued for the next quarter of an hour, but it was almost broken by Valletta's Jonathan Caruana after a cross from Abdelkarim Nafti in the 31st minute, but his header from close range went over the bar. At the other end, Birkirkara's Serbian defender Nikola Vukanac put a header wide from a Paul Fenech free-kick three minutes later.
Fenech himself had a chance to level things up with five minutes to go to half-time, courtesy of Caruana losing the ball to Haruna and then more or less passing it to Fenech, but the Birkirkara forward lofted his shot just over the bar.
Valletta's captain, Ryan Fenech, received a pass from Hamza Barry as the first half moved in to the second minute of injury-time and tried his luck from just over 20 yards out with a low shot, which went to the left of Haber and wide.
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Revishvili's save resulted in a corner for the Stripes, and Zach Muscat connected with Jhonnatan's corner only to send the ball wide. However, the referee noticed that Alejandro Mendoza had been hauled back by Caruana in the penalty-area and pointed to the penalty spot. Haruna took the kick, though it was hardly the perfect penalty. The Nigerian's spot-kick was weak to say the least, but was no doubt relieved to see Revishvili dive to the right as the ball went to his left. Birkirkara were level and deservedly so.
They then moved up a gear, sensing that victory was theirs for the taking, and they were all over the pitch like a little swarm of red and yellow ants. Valletta, on the other hand, were struggling somewhat and could hardly string two passes together.
Paul Fenech was denied by a last-ditch tackle moments before Rowen Muscat tried his luck from the left, but his shot was fisted away by Rekashvili. Haruna cut in past a defender on the edge of the Valletta area and let fly, only to see his shot fly just over the bar. Birkirkara were deserving of a lead, and Haruna of his goal as he had been superb for the Stripes, but it was Valletta who got their noses in front in the 63rd minute thanks to a goal to savour.
Edmund Agius' free-kick was headed out as far as Hamza Barry, who thrashed the ball from 20 yards past Justin Haber's despairing dive into the top left-hand corner of the Birkirkara net. The Citizens' supporters, who were in the majority, were now in ecstasy after suffering in silence for most of the second half up to that point.
Shaun Bajada almost extended Valletta's lead two minutes later, but his shot, which came at the end of a run from midfield, went just wide of Haber's goal. As the roof over the West Stand began to leak, Barry did exactly the same for the Citizens in the 71st minute.
Paul Fenech went close for Birkirkara in the 76th minute, when, following yet another foraging run from midfield, his shot from more than 20 yards went just over Rekashvili's bar. Fenech's effort was followed by a couple of half-chances for both teams, none of which were taken. His namesake Ryan also had a shot on goal for Valletta as the game approached its conclusion, but his shot was wayward. Another shot from Paul Fenech was blocked as the 90-minute mark approached, and another effort shortly afterward flew over the Valletta bar.
Birkirkara intensified their pressure on the Valletta goal during injury-time, but created nothing of note in that time. It really was a case of too little, too late as the Stripes' impressive 14-match winning streak in league competition was ended by a victory for the team in white, which was celebrated in rapturous fashion by the City fans, and which closed the gap between the two teams to three points.
VALLETTA: Nukri REVISHVILI, Jonathan CARUANA, Steve BORG, Ryan FENECH, Edmond AGIUS, Roderick BRIFFA, Abayomi Seun OWONIKOKO, (Jean-Pierre MIFSUD TRIGANZA), Hamza BARRY, Shaun BAJADA, Jason Lee VANDELANNOITE (A DA SILVA SOUZA), Abdelkarim NAFTI (Ian AZZOPARDI)
BIRKIRKARA: Justin HABER, Zach MUSCAT, Alejandro MENDOZA, Nikola VUKANAC, Ryan CAMENZULI, Gareth SCIBERRAS (Daniel ZERAFA), Ryan SCICLUNA (Frank TEMILE) , Rowen MUSCAT, Shola HARUNA, Paul FENECH (Terence VELLA), JHONNATTANN BENITES
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Due to the lack of provision of team-sheets (they had apparently already been given out to the local press corps), some of the above information was taken from the Times of Malta and from Wikipedia.
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Almost 5900 fans turned up to watch the top-of-the-table clash between the current champions Birkirkara and Valetta, Malta's most popular teams, and they did not let their favourites down, creating a terrific athmosphere long before kick-off.
Whilst the athmosphere was white-hot, the early stages of the match were anything but, though Birkirkara came close in the tenth minute when Jhonnattann's high ball was chested down by Shola Haruna, who rounded a Valletta defender but sidefooted wide with only Nukri Revishvili in the Valletta goal to beat.
FLAG DAY: Birkirkara fans ready themselves for the game against Valletta
An intricate move almost brought Birkirkara level on 17 minutes, when Gareth Sciberra's pass found Ryan Scicluna free in the Valletta box, but his shot from the near side was saved by Revishvili and went behind for a corner.
A stalemate of sorts ensued for the next quarter of an hour, but it was almost broken by Valletta's Jonathan Caruana after a cross from Abdelkarim Nafti in the 31st minute, but his header from close range went over the bar. At the other end, Birkirkara's Serbian defender Nikola Vukanac put a header wide from a Paul Fenech free-kick three minutes later.
Fenech himself had a chance to level things up with five minutes to go to half-time, courtesy of Caruana losing the ball to Haruna and then more or less passing it to Fenech, but the Birkirkara forward lofted his shot just over the bar.
Valletta's captain, Ryan Fenech, received a pass from Hamza Barry as the first half moved in to the second minute of injury-time and tried his luck from just over 20 yards out with a low shot, which went to the left of Haber and wide.
SMOKE ON THE PITCH: Birkirkara fans celebrate Shola Haruna's equaliser from the penalty-spot
Birkirkara, who had won each of their last 13 league games, were clearly in the mood to increase their winning streak to 14 matches, and began the second half with purpose. A cross from Haruna on the left-hand side was headed just over the bar by Jhonnattan in the 47th minute, and, six minutes later, Haruna himself saw his rasping strike well saved by Revishvili after some good work from Rowen Muscat put him in a shooting position.Revishvili's save resulted in a corner for the Stripes, and Zach Muscat connected with Jhonnatan's corner only to send the ball wide. However, the referee noticed that Alejandro Mendoza had been hauled back by Caruana in the penalty-area and pointed to the penalty spot. Haruna took the kick, though it was hardly the perfect penalty. The Nigerian's spot-kick was weak to say the least, but was no doubt relieved to see Revishvili dive to the right as the ball went to his left. Birkirkara were level and deservedly so.
They then moved up a gear, sensing that victory was theirs for the taking, and they were all over the pitch like a little swarm of red and yellow ants. Valletta, on the other hand, were struggling somewhat and could hardly string two passes together.
ACTION STATIONS: Birkirkara defend as Valletta press early in the second half
Edmund Agius' free-kick was headed out as far as Hamza Barry, who thrashed the ball from 20 yards past Justin Haber's despairing dive into the top left-hand corner of the Birkirkara net. The Citizens' supporters, who were in the majority, were now in ecstasy after suffering in silence for most of the second half up to that point.
Shaun Bajada almost extended Valletta's lead two minutes later, but his shot, which came at the end of a run from midfield, went just wide of Haber's goal. As the roof over the West Stand began to leak, Barry did exactly the same for the Citizens in the 71st minute.
Paul Fenech went close for Birkirkara in the 76th minute, when, following yet another foraging run from midfield, his shot from more than 20 yards went just over Rekashvili's bar. Fenech's effort was followed by a couple of half-chances for both teams, none of which were taken. His namesake Ryan also had a shot on goal for Valletta as the game approached its conclusion, but his shot was wayward. Another shot from Paul Fenech was blocked as the 90-minute mark approached, and another effort shortly afterward flew over the Valletta bar.
Birkirkara intensified their pressure on the Valletta goal during injury-time, but created nothing of note in that time. It really was a case of too little, too late as the Stripes' impressive 14-match winning streak in league competition was ended by a victory for the team in white, which was celebrated in rapturous fashion by the City fans, and which closed the gap between the two teams to three points.
VALLETTA: Nukri REVISHVILI, Jonathan CARUANA, Steve BORG, Ryan FENECH, Edmond AGIUS, Roderick BRIFFA, Abayomi Seun OWONIKOKO, (Jean-Pierre MIFSUD TRIGANZA), Hamza BARRY, Shaun BAJADA, Jason Lee VANDELANNOITE (A DA SILVA SOUZA), Abdelkarim NAFTI (Ian AZZOPARDI)
BIRKIRKARA: Justin HABER, Zach MUSCAT, Alejandro MENDOZA, Nikola VUKANAC, Ryan CAMENZULI, Gareth SCIBERRAS (Daniel ZERAFA), Ryan SCICLUNA (Frank TEMILE) , Rowen MUSCAT, Shola HARUNA, Paul FENECH (Terence VELLA), JHONNATTANN BENITES
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Due to the lack of provision of team-sheets (they had apparently already been given out to the local press corps), some of the above information was taken from the Times of Malta and from Wikipedia.
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