Roaring Stripes fight back and win
by Ayrton Galea - 7th December 2014
Birkirkara FC relied on their fighting spirit for the second consecutive week to roar back and register a 3-1 victory over Naxxar Lions to survive an early scare, and win their second consecutive match in the BOV Premier League.
On Sunday afternoon the Stripes had a shaky start, and things turned to the worse after just ten minutes, when Gilmar Da Silva Ribeiro put the Lions ahead. However the Stripes showed great fighting spirit and after Scicluna levelled matters two minutes before half-time, they gave an improved second-half display and scored twice thanks to a penalty by Rafael Ledesma and Matheus Bissi, to take the precious three points.
With Hibernians and Valletta winning their matches, all pressure was on the Stripes, as they had to win to keep the pace with them, before these two meet in next weekend's top of the table clash.
Mr. Paul Zammit fielded a 4-3-3 formation, and he fielded the same first-eleven selection, bar the inured Nikola Vukanac who was replaced by Alejandro Mendoza, who in turn was making his return from an ankle injury.
Haber defended the posts, Bissi and Mendoza formed the central-backs while Muscat and Camenzuli patrolled the side-backs. The midfield trio featured Scibberras, Scicluna and Fenech while the forward line was composed of the foreign trio of Ledesma, Gonzaga and Morais.
The First Half
It was Naxxar Lions who had a bright start in the match and they produced the first scoring opportunity after just seven minutes. Terence Vella, won possession off an erratic pass, served Eminike Mbachy whose shot was blocked, and off the rebound, Vella saw his low strike ending wide.
Birkirkara, erratic and struggling to find their feet, fell behind on the tenth minute. Gareth Sciberras lost balance, allowing an unmarked Gilmar Da Silva Ribeiro to race forward and with a powerful strike surprised the helpless Justin Haber.
Suffering an early goal once again, the Stripes had to endure an up-hill struggle as Naxxar continued to show the best ideas. The Stripes seemed to be lacking from inspiration and they hardly tested the Naxxar goalkeeper, except for a free-kick by Matheus Bissi that ended over and a shot by Gonzaga which was easily parried by Azzopardi.
Birkirkara began to step-up their performance slowly but it was the Lions who went close to doubling the score on the twenty-fifth minute, when off a corner kick from the left, Terence Vella avoided his marker to hit a powerful header which was pushed away by an acrobatic save of Justin Haber before being cleared to safety.
Matheus Bissi relied on his long-distance shooting ability on the thirty-second minute but the Brazilian's strike ended over Julian Azzopardi's posts.
Rafael Ledesma and Ellinton Morais combined on the right, then Morais drifted inside the box and served Ryan Scicluna, who hit a first-time drive to beat Azzopardi, and score his first goal of the season.
The goal lifted the Stripes' morale and they headed to their dressing room with score level thanks to Scicluna's late-strike in the first half.
The Second Half
The Stripes came out with all guns blazing and turned the match into their favour after just three minutes. A cross by Zach Muscat was handled inside the box by Andrew Scicluna, leaving no choice to referee Alan Mario Sant but to order the penalty kick. From the eleven metre spot, Rafael Ledesma kept calm to convert and put the Stripes ahead.
The Stripes seemed to be a transformed side, and they could have made them three just two minutes later. There was a lack of communication at the Lions' rearguard with Eliandro Gonzaga winning possession but his fierce strike scratched past the post.
Gareth Sciberras made excellent tackle to deny Gilmar Da Silva Ribeiro on the run, who had penetrated inside the Birkirkara box, and the ball ended into a corner kick, amidst protests from Naxxar for a penalty kick. From the resulting corner kick, Ibok Edet headed over.
As Naxxar began to step-up their performance, the Stripes showed great attitude to deliver the killer-blow with the third goal on the hour mark. Rafael Ledesma delivered an accurate first-post free-kick with Matheus Bissi diving to his full stretch to a hit a flying header past Azzopardi to make them three for the Stripes.
The Stripes could have added their fourth goal twenty minutes into the second half. A fast counter-attack saw the fine combination of Scicluna serving Gareth Sciberras who sent a second post through ball with Ellinton Morais hitting the side-netting.
This was Ellinton's last action as he was substituted right away by Shola Shodiya in Birkirkara's first substitution.
Naxxar could have pulled one back on the seventy-second minute when Pape Gueye advanced down the right side but Zach Muscat made a fine tackle to put the ball into a corner kick.
As the match went to the final fifteen minutes, Mr. Paul Zammit made the second substitution when he included Edmond Agius off Rafael Ledesma, with the latter receiving a deserved standing ovation for his outstanding performance.
Agius was quickly involved in action and was unlucky not to increase Birkirkara's lead on the seventy-seventh minute when after being served by Shodiya, the former Valletta midfielder saw his shot from outside the box scratching past the far post.
In Birkirkara's third and final substitution, Antoine Borg replaced Eliandro Gonzaga. Antoine was deployed on the right midfield as the team sought to close the gaps in the final ten minutes.
The Stripes' tactics went according to plan as they easily held their two-goal lead to register their second consecutive victory and kept the pace with leaders Hibernians and Valletta.
Rafael Ledesma was named the BOV Player of the Match.
BIRKIRKARA: Justin Haber, Zach Muscat, Matheus Bissi, Alejandro Mendoza, Ryan Camenzuli, Gareth Sciberras, Ryan Scicluna, Paul Fenech, Rafael Ledesma (74' Edmond Agius), Eliandro Gonzaga (80' Antoine Borg), Ellinton Morais (65' Shola Shodiya).
NAXXAR: Julian Azzopardi, Andrew Scicluna, Ibok Edet, Terence Vella, Darren Falzon (64' Mattia Del Negro), Gilmar Da Silva Ribeiro, Ryan Cassar, Angus Buhagiar, Davide Reano (64' Pape Gueye), Eminike Mbachy, Christopher Uzeh Edafe.
Referee: Alan Mario Sant.
Assistant Referees: Edward Spiteri, William Debattista.
Fourth Official: Trustin Farrugia Cann.
Yellow Cards: 45' Zach Muscat, 68 Matheus Bissi (Birkirkara), Christopher Uzeh Edade (Naxxar).
Scorers: 43' Ryan Scicluna, 48' Rafael Ledesma, 60' Matheus Bissi (Birkirkara), 10' Gilmar Da Silva Ribeiro (Naxxar).
BOV Player of the Match: Rafael Ledesma (Birkirkara).
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