Six from six for the Women's Team

by Ayrton Galea - 19th November 2014

Birkirkara FC Women's Team extended their impressive start to the BOV Women's First Division League, when they gave another outstanding performance when they trounced Tarxien Rainbows with a 7-0 score, to remain with maximum points from the first six matches.

Having enjoyed a perfect start of six wins in six matches, including overcoming the difficult tasks of Hibernians and Mgarr United respectively, the Stripes did what was expected from them in this match, as they easily disposed of the challenge of Tarxien Rainbows.

Facing a team with a five-line defence right from the start, the Stripes had a shaky start and struggled in the first forty-five minutes, despite heading to their dressing room with a two-goal lead. In the second half it was a totally different story, as the Stripes scored another five goals to register another comfortable victory.

Birkirkara's Coach, Mr. Johann Scicluna fielded a 4-1-3-2 formation. Xuereb defended the posts while Tara Attard and Yasmeen Vella formed the central back, alongside Maryrose Cardona and Kirstie Vella who patrolled the side-backs. Melania Bajada was deployed in front of the defence while Stephania Farrugia, Martina Cilia and Gabriella Zahra formed the midfield trio. The attacking department featured the tried and trusted due of Alishia Sultana and Raina Giusti.

The First Half

Birkirkara created their first scoring opportunity after three minutes. Stephania Farrugia, taking up a midfield position, delivered the ball over the Tarxien defence, in the path of Raina Giusti whose lob over goalkeeper Dorienne Grech ended wide. Two minutes later, the Rainbows goalkeeper blocked Farrugia's shot inside the box.

The Stripes threatened again on the eighth minute. Melania Bajada's cross was short cleared and Kirstie Vella unleashed a powerful strike that ended just over the crossbar. Martina Cilia went close moments later, with a shot from inside the box which was turned into a corner kick by Grech.

Alishia Sultana was unlucky not to put Birkirkara ahead on the tenth minute, when her shot was cleared off the line, and from the rebound, Martina Cilia fired over.

The Stripes surged ahead on the twentieth minute. Gabriella Zahra's cross found Alishia Sultana whose shot was blocked by Grech but from the rebound, Stephania Farrugia fired home.

Birkirkara produced an excellent build-up close to the hour mark, and following a short clearance, Raina Giusti had a powerful strike from outside the box parried by goalkeeper Grech. Moments later, Farrugia headed wide Bajada's corner kick.

The Stripes continued to enjoy a dominant performance, despite not showing their best display. Following a short corner, Alishia Sultana had an in-swinging shot saved by Grech on the thirty-third minute. A minute later, Giusti was served by Melania Bajada, but her shot ended wide off the far post.

Bajada was in action once again ten minutes from half time, when she served Gabriella Zahra whose powerful shot was saved by the Tarxien goalkeeper. Five minutes later, Bajada had a shot ending wide from outside the box.

From a cross from the right by Kirstie Vella, Giusti had an excellent first-time shot parried by Grech and a minute later, the Stripes made them two. It was an excellent run down the left wing by Raina Giusti, who sent a pass inside the box in the path of Martina Cilia, who dribble past her marker and her left-footed shot beat Grech.

The first half saw the Stripes heading to their dressing room with a two-goal lead.

The Second Half

For the start of the second half, Mr. Johann Scicluna made two substitutions as he introduced Kim Parnis and Hanna Tegelmann off Gabriella Zahra and Stephania Farrugia, with the captain armband handed over to Parnis.

The Stripes had a perfect second half start as they made them three in just fifty seconds. Substitute Hanna Tegelmann made a quick impact with a fine run in the middle of the field, then finding Alishia Sultana whose shot was blocked by Grech and from the rebound, Giusti hit home in an empty net.

Ten minutes into the second half, Hanna Tegelmann made an excellent combination with Melania Bajada, with the latter serving the German midfielder but her shot ended over.

The inclusion of Tegelmann increased the team's performance and the German midfielder produced a superb fourth goal on the hour mark. Receiving the ball from the midfield department, the midfielder showed great positioning to unleash an outstanding strike from outside the box that hit hard past Grech at the left top corner.

In the Stripes' third substitution on the hour mark, Charlene Schembri replaced Maryrose Cardona who once again enjoyed a very satisfactory performance.

Four became five twenty minutes into the second half. It was Raina Giusti who did all the work as she won possession, raced forward past two defenders and hit past the Tarxien goalkeeper to score her second personal goal.

In Birkirkara's last two substitutions, Alexia Scicluna and Mariah Sciberras replaced the forward duo, Raina Giusti and Alishia Sultana on the sixty-sixth minute.

Birkirkara increased the score on the sixty-eighth minute as they made them six. It was Hanna Tegelmann wo once again found the net when she connected home from a low cross from the left, to score her second personal goal of the day.

The Stripes made them seven one minute from time. The runs of substitute Mariah Sciberras down the right wing were a continuous a threat for the Rainbows, and they gave the expected result. Following a powerful run, her cross found Martina Cilia who lobbed over Grech in style.

The referee's full time whistle found the Stripes registering another comfortable victory to remain the only women's team with maximum points from six matches. The team will be involved in the next match on Tuesday, 2 December against Sliema Wanderers FC.

BIRKIRKARA: Janice Xuereb, Maryrose Cardona (60' Charlene Schembri), Yasmeen Vella, Tara Attard, Kirstie Vella, Melania Bajada, Stephania Farrugia (46' Hanna Tegelmann), Martina Cilia, Gabriella Zahra (46' Kim Parnis), Alishia Sultana (68' Mariah Sciberras), Raina Giusti (68' Alexia Scicluna).

TARXIEN: Dorienne Grech, Roxanne Busutill, Elise Abela, Leanne Mifsud, Kellyanne Coleiro, Chantel Spiteri, Kim Magro, Francesca Cauchi, Aleksandra Marinkovic, Stephanie Cutajar, Leahmarie Pisani.

Scorers: 20' Stephania Farrugia, 43' Martina Cilia, 46' Raina Giusti, 60' Hanna Tegelmann, 65' Raina Giusti, 68' Hanna Tegelmann, 89' Martina Cilia.

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