Women: Birkirkara FC 5-0 Raiders FC

by Ayrton Galea - 12th April 2018

Birkirkara FC Women's Team regained the top spot of the BOV Women's League, when they produced an emphatic performance to defeat Raiders FC with a comfortable 5-0 score. The Stripes have one point advantage on nearest rivals Hibernians with two matches to go.

The Stripes regained sole-leadership in the BOV Women's League with a commanding performance that saw them superior to their opponents the entire match. A goal deep into the added time of the first-half paved the way for a comfortable victory.

The First Half

The Stripes made their intentions clear to notice right from the start. Alishia Sultana served Joselene Gafa and the latter's uprising shot forced goalkeeper Jodie Attard to deflect her effort into a corner kick.

Goalkeeper Attard produced a fine save five minutes later, when Gafa penetrated the Raiders' defence with a precise through-ball towards Raina Giusti but her low shot was blocked by Attard.

Raiders had a rare action when a corner kick from the left created havoc inside the box, but goalkeeper Nina Dimech managed to block the effort, before the Birkirkara defenders cleared into safety.

Gabriella Zahra was first on the loose ball from a short-cleared cross and the towering midfielder dashed inside the box, but her low shot's was saved by Attard. Moments later, Gafa's low shot was also denied by Attard.

The Stripes broke the dead-lock at the perfect time, taking the lead in the third minute of added time. A direct in-swinging corner kick by Raina Giusti surprised goalkeeper Jodie Attard who could only to deflect the ball into her own net.

The Second Half

Birkirkara doubled the score as early as the second minute of the second half. Pushing forward from the back, Stephania Farrugia supplied an inch-perfect cross towards the on-running Tracy Teuma who hit a fine header past goalkeeper Attard.

The Stripes were all over their opponents and added their third goal on the sixty-sixth minute. Tracy Teuma's shot was blocked by Attard, but Alishia Sultana was first on the rebound and she struck a powerful shot that hit past the Raiders goalkeeper.

Birkirkara were unlucky not to make them four on the seventy-fourth minute. Tracy Teuma's accurate corner kick found Veronique Mifsud, in his thirteenth appearance this season, but the latter's brilliant header was denied by the crossbar.

The Stripes were not denied five minutes later. Alishia Sultana raced forward past a number of defenders before showing great team-work skills as in-front of Attard opted to serve Tracy Teuma inside the box who had a routine task of slotting the ball into an empty net.

Birkirkara added further gloss on the victory with the fifth goal late in the match. Substitute Kim Parnis showed great vision to unzip the defence and put Raina Giusti through and the league's top-scorer kept cool to net her twenty-first goal in this league campaign.

Coach Melania Bajada handed the debut to another fourteen-year-old Under-19's Team player Mariah Cardona as she replaced Ann-Marie Said.

BIRKIRKARA: Nina Dimech (72' Janice Xuereb), Gabriella Zahra (67' Kim Parnis), Ann-Marie Said (80' Mariah Cardona), Stephania Farrugia, Tracy Teuma, Alishia Sultana, Raina Giusti, Veronique Mifsud, Yasmeen Vella (60' Samantha Zarb), Joselene Gafa (72' Sarah Urpani), Jelena Sakic.

Scorers: 45+3' Raina Giusti, 47' Tracy Teuma, 66' Alishia Sultana, 79' Tracy Teuma, 81' Raina Giusti.

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