Women's Team march past Gozo FC

by Ayrton Galea - 13th November 2013

Birkirkara FC Women's Team delivered a bold statement of the squad's true potential thanks to a comfortable 4-0 victory over Gozo FC.

Coach Johann Scicluna reshuffled his first eleven, and he certainly left the Pembroke Athleta Grounds satisfied with his players. The offensive, yet balanced, 3-5-2 formation worked perfectly for the Stripes.

Stephania Farrugia was deployed back in her usual defensive position, switching position from last week with Rebecca Chircop in the midfield. Kirstie Vella replaced the injured Yasmeen Vella and Tara Attard replaced Maryrose Cardona. Raina Giusti replaced Isabelle Mazzitelli to form the attacking department with Martina Cilia.

These changes brought the desired results in the Birkirkara squad. They played a highly aggressive match which left Gozo with the only option of kicking the ball into safety.

At the same time, the score of 4-0 might be a bit harsh for Gozo, who gave their best despite the result not being in their favour. However, they paid the sourest price for their mistakes, mainly due the sharpness of the Birkirkara forwards who managed to convert their scoring opportunities.

The First Half

The Stripes went out on an offensive note and they clearly sought for an early opener. They immediately began to surge forward searching for goal.

The Stripes created their first scoring opportunity as early as the fourth minute. Rachel Cuschieri made a fine surging run on the right wing before she sent a fine cross on the first post which saw Alishia Sultana hitting wide from a good position.

Hardly a minute later, Rebecca Chircop produced a fine solo action before serving Martina Cilia who saw her shot being easily parried by goalkeeper Dorienne Grech.

The Stripes continued applying pressure in the early moments of the match. On the sixth minute, Raina Giusti saw her lay-off pass finding Kim Parnis, who tested goalkeeper Grech from outside the box, but her dangerous shot ended over the bar.

Just two minutes later, it was Rebecca Chircop who tried her luck with a long distance shot, with Chircop seeing her attempt being neutralised by the goalkeeper.

The Stripes went close on the tenth minute. Raina Giusti took a short corner kick by serving Rachel Cuschieri inside the box. The creative midfielder dribbled past a player before her low shot was deflected into a corner.

From the resulting corner kick, a well taken corner on the first post by Rachel Cuschieri saw Kim Parnis rising high to hit a powerful header but saw her attempt drifting wide off the second post.

Have outclassed their opponents in the opening stages, it was of little surprise that the Stripes surged ahead on the sixteenth minute. Martina Cilia served Raina Giusti whose brilliant first-timer shot from distance surprised goalkeeper Dorienne Grech to put the Stripes in the lead.

Following taking the goal advantage, the Stripes started to create more actions. They were doing an excellent job of pressing which resulted in the Gozitian defenders being erratic and unable to deal with Birkirkara's aggressive character.

Gozo might have managed to regroup and settle down, but they were struggling to penetrate as they hardly tested goalkeeper Janice Xuereb who was yet to be brought into an action after thirty minutes.

Just past the half hour mark, Rachel Cuschieri delivered a fine cross-shot from a free kick which was deflected into a corner kick.

Alishia Sultana went close to doubling the Stripes' lead on the thirty-fourth minute as her shot with her back towards the goal ended over the bar by mere inches.

Goalkeeper Dorienne Grech denied Birkirkara from making them two on the thirty-sixth minute as she rushed out of her area to block a low shot by Raina Giusti who was in an ideal position.

The last action of the first half produced Gozo's best scoring opportunity of the first forty-five minutes. Two minutes from half-time they had a direct free-kick being well parried by goalkeeper Janice Xuereb.

The first-half saw the Stripes playing an excellent game and being deservedly in the lead.

The Second Half

Although the Stripes continued where they left in the first-half, as they kept playing the better football and showing the best ideas, Gozo showed signs of improvement, which led to a more balanced encounter, resulting in less scoring opportunities.

Four minutes in the second half, Rachel Cuschieri fired a powerful shot from distance but her fine attempt was pushed away thanks to a great save by Dorienne Grech.

The Stripes stayed on the offensive. On the fifty-fourth minute, Rachel Cuschieri saw her free-kick being deflected by Martina Cilia with the ball ending at the feet of Raina Giusti who saw her powerful drive flying over the bar.

Gozo threatened for the first time in the second-half on the sixty-fifth minute with a long-distance shot which did not trouble goalkeeper Xuereb and the effort sailed wide off the second post.

Mr. Johann Scicluna utilised his first substitution on the sixty-sixth minute as he introduced Kelly Agius Pace while he withdrew youngster Tara Attard.

Twenty minutes from time, Gabriella Zahra fired a brilliant shot from distance which scratched past the left post and the ball ended wide.

The Stripes doubled the score on the seventy-seventh minute. Rachel Cuschieri took a perfect corner kick on the far post which saw Stephania Farrugia heading an excellent header which hit past goalkeeper Grech despite the desperate clearance attempt by Claudette Xuereb.

Gozo failed to settle down following this goal and the Stripes added to their woes just three minutes later when they made them three. Raina Giusti was in an ideal position to hit a powerful strike which gave goalkeeper Grech no chance.

In the final stages of the match, Mr. Johann Scicluna performed another three substitutions. First, on the eighty-seventh minute, Charlene Schembri replaced a hard working Martina Cilia. Then, on the ninety minute mark, he made a double substitution by including Alexia Scicluna and Chantal Fenech to replace Alishia Sultana and Kirstie Vella.

With the match heading to a three-nil result, the Stripes made them four. Rachel Cuschieri had an excellent low-distance shot which hit hard past goalkeeper Grech to seal the issue with the fourth goal.

The referee's full-time whistle found Birkirkara earning a comfortable victory which sees them keeping the pace with leaders Hibernians.

BIRKIRKARA: Janice Xuereb, Tara Attard (66' Kelly Agius Pace), Alishia Sultana (90' Alexia Scicluna), Stephania Farrugia, Kirstie Vella (90' Chantal Fenech), Rebecca Chircop, Gabriella Zahra, Kim Parnis, Rachel Cuschieri, Martina Cilia (87' Charlene Schembri), Raina Giusti.

GOZO: Dorienne Grech, Melania Bajada, Joslene Gafa, Nicole Buttigieg, Emma Xuereb, Annmarie Said, Modyanne Refalo, Chantelle Grech, Carmerita Azzopardi, Michelle Pace, Claudette Xuereb.

Scorers: 16' Raina Giusti, 77' Stephania Farrugia, 80' Raina Giusti, 90' Rachel Cuschieri.

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