Mosta 2
Birkirkara 3

Birkirkara turned a modicum of pressure on champions and early pace-setters Sliema Wanderers yesterday with a 3-2 victory over Mosta.

With Sliema facing a potentially tricky encounter against Floriana, their struggling Old-Firm rivals, this afternoon, the Stripes did not squander the chance to reduce the deficit on the Wanderers but the manner of their victory yesterday did little to ease the growing concerns about their title credentials.

The Stripes looked to have the issue settled by the end of the first half after storming into a three-goal lead. But after the break, they committed the cardinal sin of losing concentration and surrendered the initiative to their opponents.

Out-of-sorts in the opening half, Mosta gratefully accepted the invitation to attack, scoring twice as the lethargic Stripes endured a nerve-jangling finale.

Young defender Roderick Sammut earned a recall to Birkirkara's starting team after receiving the all clear to resume his football career following surgery on his left hand.

Birkirkara midfielder Antoine Zahra was ineligible to play yesterday because of suspension. Zahra was not the only member of the Birkirkara clan serving a ban yesterday with coach Stephen Azzopardi having to watch proceedings from the VIP zone as he completed his two-match touchline suspension.

Upstaged by Hamrun Spartans 2-1 in their last match, Mosta took to this difficult match without Udo Nwoko. The Nigerian striker began the match on the subs' bench but his exile from the first team lasted only 18 minutes by which time coach Paul Zammit had thrown him in the fray to replace the injured Ikechuwku Chibueze.

It was one-way traffic in the opening 20 minutes as Birkirkara dominated possession. Midway through the first half, Briffa crossed towards the far post but George Mallia arrived too late to make contact with the ball.

Three minutes later, Michael Galea fired a low shot which Matthew Farrugia blocked with his legs and Jonathan Caruana cleared the ball away.

A couple of dubious offside decisions by assistant referee Joe Camilleri did not endear him to the Birkirkara fans. However, close to the half hour, the Stripes faithful were up on their feet to celebrate their team's opener thanks to William Camenzuli's low free-kick which beat Farrugia.

Within two minutes, Birkirkara had doubled their lead when skipper Galea, sent through by an intelligent pass from Briffa, slotted the ball past the on-rushing Farrugia.

Mosta were clearly struggling to get out of their half and the first time they did pose a hint of trouble to the Birkirkara rearguard, left-back Lino Galea timed his interception well to divert for a corner a pass from Matthew Bartolo.

More dangerous for Birkirkara was Nwoko's darting run into the box but the angled shot from the Nigerian flew wide.

In their next attack, Birkirkara went 3-0 up, Barbara getting his name on the scoresheet after another Briffa through-pass. Less than a minute later, Barbara was again clean through but his pullback for Michael Galea was cut out by Mosta defender Steve Borg.

Barbara, still to regain his full fitness from a niggling thigh injury, was withdrawn at half-time in favour of Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza.

Seven minutes into the second half, Mosta improved their prospects of pulling themselves back into contention.

Dave Simon, Birkirkara's goalkeeper, fumbled a cross from Digger Okonkwo and then pulled the goalbound Dyson Falzon to the ground. It was a clear penalty and Pio Sciriha, the Mosta captain, sent a low shot to Simon's left.

This goal allied with Birkirkara's appalling casualness enlivened Mosta who, with substitute Ives Bilocca giving better support to Nwoko up front, threatened to further narrow the gap in successive occasions.

Falzon dispossessed Sammut but his delayed shot was cleared and almost immediately after the Birkirkara defender did well to boot away a shot by Bilocca who had made the most of Simon's hesitancy.

On 69 minutes, Mosta should have moved within a goal of Birkirkara when substitute Philip Camilleri's cross was reached by Bilocca but the latter's attempt was saved by Simon.

One Birkirkara supporter perfectly summed up the heightened dangers caused by his team's conspicuous decline when he loudly exclaimed... "qed nilaghbu man-nar (we are playing with fire) yellows".

Indeed they were as the brisk movement of the Mosta players, particularly Nwoko, Falzon and Camilleri, now had the leaden-footed Birkirkara defenders in trouble.

Digger Okonkwo was wide with a header from a Sciriha free-kick and moments later, Nwoko flicked the ball goalwards amid a melee but the confused Birkirkara players somehow subdued the danger.

Michael Galea should have put Birkirkara's minds at rest when served by Mifsud Triganza but he dithered on the ball and his final shot was pushed away by Farrugia.

On the stroke of time, the sprightly Nwoko left a posse of Birkirkara players trailing but Simon dived to his right to repel his effort.

Simon failed to repeat his blocking act when, in time added on, Camilleri broke free on the right and squared the ball for Nwoko who blasted home from just inside the area.

Mosta's bold comeback just fell short, however.

Mosta: M. Farrugia-5, C. Attard-5, M. Bartolo-6, S. Borg-5.5 ('46 I. Bilocca-5.5), J. Caruana-5.5, I. Chibueze-5 ('18 U. Nwoko-7.5), D. Cuschieri-5.5 ('65 P. Camilleri-7), D. Falzon-7.5, D. Okonkwo-5.5, P. Sciriha-6, M. Spasic-5.

Birkirkara: D. Simon-5, M.A. Bonnici-7.5, L. Galea-6, P. Monye-6.5, R. Sammut-5.5, W. Camenzuli-6.5 ('61 K. Scicluna-5), E. Barbara-6.5 ('46 J.P. Mifsud Triganza-5.5), M. Galea-6, R. Briffa-7 ('75 C. Nwoko-5), G. Mallia-6, E. Yanchev-5.5.

Referee: Lorry Sammut.

Scorers: Camenzuli 30; M. Galea 32; Barbara 42; Sciriha 52 Pen.; Nwoko 90.

Yellow Cards: M. Galea; Sciriha; Mifsud Triganza.

Bov Player Of The Match: Roderick Briffa (Birkirkara).