BOV Premier League - Birkirkara FC 2-0 Sliema Wanderers FC
by Ayrton Galea - 3rd November 2018
Birkirkara FC produced an excellent performance to return to winning ways in the BOV Premier League, as they defeated Sliema Wanderers FC with a 2-0 score thanks to a brace by the BOV Player of the Match Michael Mifsud.
It was well-deserved victory for the Stripes who produced one of the best performances this season. The Stripes dictated matters for long stretches in the first half and they took the lead by Michael Mifsud late in the first-half to have a narrow lead to show for their efforts.
A harsh red-card for defender Danilo Chapoval just after the hour-mark might have been the turning point in the match, but the Stripes held strong and they produced a bold defensive display before hitting on the counter and put the match to bed with another goal by Mifsud.
Coach Paul Zammit switched to a 4-1-4-1 formation and made two changes from the last match. Petar Orlandic recovered from a minor injury and replaced Carlos Chavarria, while in the other change, Jake Grech replaced Paul Fenech.
The First Half
Birkirkara created their first scoring opportunity after seven minutes. A free-kick by Jake Grech from the right was headed wide by defender Eduardo Dos Santos. Two minutes later, Marcelo Henrique's shot from the edge of the box was saved by goalkeeper Jake Galea.
The Stripes went close to surge ahead on the twelfth minute. Michael Mifsud produced a fine solo-action as he dashed forward and hit a powerful shot from outside the box, but his effort was saved by Galea.
Sliema Wanderers produced their first scoring chance on the sixteenth minute. Kilian Amehi played a quick free-kick towards Jefferson De Assis who saw the latter having his powerful drive deflected into a corner kick. On the other side of the pitch, a direct free-kick by Jake Grech ended wide.
The Stripes enjoyed an edge over their opponents inside the opening twenty minutes. Cain Attard served Michael Mifsud who tried his luck again with another shot from outside the box, but his effort was saved by Galea.
Goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski did well to block a fine shot by Frank Temile, while moments later the Birkirkara goalkeeper neutralised a low shot by Amehi. The Stripes replied with a thunderous shot by Marcelo that forced goalkeeper Galea to dive full stretch and tip the ball into a corner.
The Stripes produced another fine scoring chance on the thirty-fourth minute. Marcelo did excellent foot-work to dash inside the box before serving Michael Mifsud who controlled the ball and hit a fine low shot which was blocked by Galea.
Birkirkara were rewarded for their efforts with the opening goal on the thirty-eighth minute. Grech's corner kick on the first post took a deflection to the path of Mifsud and the latter was at the right place to head the ball home from close-range.
The Second Half
The Stripes suffered major set-back just past the hour-mark as they ended-up playing with one player less. Defender Danilo Chapoval, who was having a satisfactory defensive display, was sent-off for double booking following a foul on Killan Amehi.
The Birkirkara Coach was forced to make some tactical changes as Cain Attard joined Dos Santos as centre-back while Marcelo Henrique was deployed in an unusual right-back position. Birkirkara were now playing a 4-4-1 formation.
With a numerical advantage, the Wanderers affected their first two substitutions in space of two minutes. Younes Marzouk and Ryan Fenech were roped-in to give fresh ideas off Mattias Muchardi and Mark Scerri.
Despite having large swatches of possession, the Wanderers looked short of ideas of how to unzip to solid Birkirkara defence. The Stripes were playing an excellent tactical match that left no spaces at the back and it was only a weak uprising shot that tested Naumovski but the latter easily saved.
The Stripes hit twice on the counter but they failed to convert their good scoring chances as first substitute Paul Fenech saw his shot ending wide, while Mislav Andelkovic lost possession outside the box before he could serve Mifsud who in an ideal position inside the box.
Numerical parity restored late in the match as the Wanderers also ended-up playing with one player less as Kilian Amehi was giving marching orders for his second bookable offence, following a foul on the tireless Matthew Guillaumier.
The Stripes sealed the precious three points just before the full-time whistle. In a rapid counter-attack, Marcelo Henrique was quick to supply an excellent through-ball towards the on-running Michael Mifsud and the Birkirkara forward drilled a powerful shot home from inside the box.
The Birkirkara forward and scorer of a brace, Michael Mifsud was voted the BOV Player of the Match.
BIRKIRKARA: Kristijan Naumovski, Danilo Chapoval, Matthew Guillaumier (90+1' Myles Beerman), Mislav Andelkovic, Petar Orlandic (83' Edward Herrera), Jake Grech (76' Paul Fenech, Kurt Zammit, Eduardo Dos Santos, Michael Mifsud, Cain Attard, Marcelo Henrique.
SLIEMA WANDERERS: Jake Galea, Mattias Muchardi (69' Ryan Fenech), Kurt Shaw, Jonathan Pearson (83' Stefan Cassar), Mark Scerri (67' Younes Marzouk), Jefferson De Assis, Frank Temile, Michele Sansone, Kilian Amehi, Claudio Pani, Stefanio Biancardi.
Referee: Glen Tonna.
Assistant Referees: Edward Spiteri, Duncan Spencer.
Fourth Official: Philip Farrugia.
Yellow Cards: None.
Red Cards: 62' Danilo Chapoval (Birkirkara), 89' Kilian Amehi (Sliema Wanderers)
Scorers: 38', 90+3' Michael Mifsud (Birkirkara).
BOV Player of the Match: Michael Mifsud (Birkirkara).
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