Women's Team rue lost chances
by Ayrton Galea - 17th October 2013
Converting scoring opportunities is an essential skill in football, but those who fail to do so pay a sour price and Tuesday evening it was Birkirkara's Women's Team. Despite creating more scoring opportunities, the Stripes suffered the league's first defeat at the hands of Hibernians with a 2-0 score.
The match of the week between Champions Birkirkara and Super Cup Winners Hibernians produced an excellent and balanced encounter and there was little to choose from both sides. However, it was Hibernians who made the best of the scoring opportunities by scoring twice in the first half to take three important points at this initial stage of the league.
Birkirkara must feel guilty that they have left the Luxol Stadium with empty hands. They enjoyed an edge over their opponents for most of the time by having more possession while they created more scoring opportunities. Ironically, the goals suffered both came when the Stripes were having their best moments of the match resulting in the sourest price they could pay for not converting their scoring opportunities.
On the other hand, Hibernians were awarded for their excellent tactical match. They may have suffered possession for most of the game but they certainly did an excellent job in front of goal as their strong forward line was the key factor for the Paolites to win this game. After surging ahead, the Paolites showed great character to defend their lead, even if sometimes they had to defend in numbers.
The First Half
Both teams gave utmost importance to this match and this was clearly proven in the opening stages as Birkirkara and Hibernians went out with an aggressive style in order not to give in an inch.
The concentrated and solid rearguards of both teams stopped everything that came their way.
Birkirkara were enjoying much of the possession but against the run of the play, it was Hibernians who took the lead in their first scoring opportunity, after just twenty minutes.
The Paolites built a fine action which was rounded off in excellent style as Dorianne Theuma produced an outstanding volley to hit hard past goalkeeper Janice Xuereb, to put Hibernians in the lead.
The opening goal by Hibernians could have unsettled the Stripes but they did not throw in the towel. Just a minute after falling behind, Kim Parnis sent a long ball in direction of Martina Cilia who tried her luck with a long distance shot which ended over.
The Stripes tried to pile up pressure quickly on their opponents as they looked for the equaliser. On the twenty-third minute, Rachel Cuschieri made a fine run down the left wing before sending a dangerous cross but Stephania Farrugia's header was parried by goalkeeper Keoney Demicoli.
Mid-way through the first half, Kim Parnis cleared into safety a dangerous opportunity by Hibernians.
Despite having fallen behind when the Stripes were building momentum, they kept pushing forward. Most of the Birkirkara attacks were being played on Rachel Cuschieri who was enjoying a fine match.
On the other hand, Hibernians were being rewarded for their tactical play. After taking the lead, Hibernians were being more cautions at the back while opting to counter-attack and they were being dangerous by catching the Birkirkara's defence on the wrong foot.
If one would have been asked to spot one difference between both sides, there will be little or no doubt that the difference lay the forward lines as Hibernians made them two on the 40th minute. Francesca Chircop found space in the box to hit past an onrushing Janice Xuereb.
This was a deadly blow for the Stripes who conceded the second goal just few minutes before half time. However, with fifty minutes to go, the Stripes tried to pick themselves up.
The Stripes were almost rewarded for their resilient character. An excellent cross from the right saw Alishia Sultana all alone against goalkeeper Demicoli, but she failed to hit the ball to end up in a goal-kick.
The first-half might have seen the Stripes producing better football, but it was Hibernians who thanks to their brilliant tactical play were rewarded to end the first forty-five minutes in a 2-0 lead.
The Second Half
There is little or no doubt what have Mr. Johann Scicluna, the Birkirkara Coach, said to his players to in the half-time team talk as the Stripes needed a quick goal in order to get back in the match.
He reshuffled his defence department by making the first substitution as he introduced Kirstie Vella at the beginning of the second half to replace Isabelle Mazziteli who had been given a defensive role for this match.
However, the Stripes suffered a drawback just five minutes in the second half. Defender Yasmeen Vella suffered an ankle injury in an unfortunate action and was unable to continue playing. The injury of Vella forced Coach Scicluna to change once again his formation and approach to the second half. He withdrew Stephania Farrugia to her usual defending position while forward Kelly Agius Pace replaced the injured Vella.
The Stripes, sensing their uphill struggle, tried to get back in the game but it was Hibernians to create the first opportunity in the second half. On the fifty-third minute, Dorianne Theuma had a dangerous diagonal shot but the ball scratched past the crossbar to end over.
The Stripes were piling up pressure on the Hibernians' defence, but they were not managing to penetrate. Despite having most of the possession, they were failing to conclude, and this lead Johann Scicluna to perform his third substitution on the hour-mark. Lateral player Martina Cilia gave up her place to Raina Giusti who took an advanced midfielder role.
The Stripes had a fine opportunity on the seventy-fourth minute with a shot scratching past the right post with goalkeeper Demicoli beaten.
Just three minutes later, the Stripes created their best opportunity in the second half. Kim Parnis, who was now advanced to the attacking department sent a pass to Raina Giusti whose well placed shot from the edge of the box brought the best out of Demicoli. She performed an excellent save to deny the Stripes from narrowing the gap as she turned the ball into a corner kick.
The Stripes did their best to score in the final moments of the match, but Hibernians stood their ground. The referee's full-time whistle found Hibernians registering a win over Birkirkara to level points with them, however with a game in hand and with the chance to take joint-leadership when they take on Gozo.
On the other hand, the Stripes will be involved in their next league in three weeks time and there is no doubt that the hard working players will be making all that is possible to bounce back.
Birkirkara: Janice Xuereb, Rebecca Chircop, Kim Parnis, Isabelle Mazzitelli, Gabriella Zahra, Yasmeen Vella, Maryrose Cardona, Rachel Cuschieri, Alishia Sultana, Martina Cilia, Stephania Farrugia.
Hibernians: Keoney Demicoli, Mandy Debono, Claire Sciberras, Charlene Zammit, Sherianne Zammit, Martina Borg, Francesca Chircop, Annmarie Muscat, Dorianne Theuma, Dione Tonna, Ylenia Carabott.
Scorers: 20' Dorianne Theuma, 40' Francesca Chircop (Hibernians).
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