New champs kick off title party with a bang

Msida St Joseph 0
Marsaxlokk 4

Crowned kings of Maltese football without breaking a sweat on Saturday, Marsaxlokk celebrated their newly-accomplished title feat with a strolling 4-0 victory over Msida St Joseph yesterday.

Top of the Premier League since the opening weeks of the 2006-2007 trek, Marsaxlokk were declared champions of Malta for the first time in their history after Sliema Wanderers, their nearest pursuers, could not go beyond a 1-1 draw with Birkirkara, the deposed champions.

The stalemate left Marsaxlokk with an unassailable seven-point lead at the top despite the Blues still having three more matches to close out their successful league campaign.

Thus, yesterday's game lifted the curtains on Marsaxlokk's much-awaited title celebrations but the pressure-free nature of the fixture certainly did not serve as an unwanted distraction for the new champs.

Egged on by their vociferous fans, Marsaxlokk forced the tempo of the game from start to finish, as if on a mission to prove that, even if Sliema had won their match against Birkirkara, they would still have finished the business yesterday.

There was a festive mood at the National Stadium as the Marsaxlokk fans turned up in large numbers to celebrate their club's historic first title.

A collective cheer emanated from the section of the enclosure housing the flag-waging Marsaxlokk fans as the teams strode onto the pitch before kick-off.

The influential performance of Kevin Sammut in the second half of Marsaxlokk's come-from-behind victory over Birkirkara the previous weekend, prompted coach Brian Talbot to reinstate the Malta midfielder to the starting team at the expense of Udo Nwoko.

Steve Wellman earned a recall to Marsaxlokk's 18-man squad as he enters the final phase of his rehabilitation from a wrist operation.

Patrick Curmi, the Msida coach, didn't have the luxury of banking on a full squad for this match. Tyrone Farrugia, Stacey Vella and Ibrahim Babatunde were down with injuries while Nigerian striker Daniel Nwoke is no longer available after joining Finnish club Tampere United.

Thirteen minutes from the start of the game had elapsed when Andrè Schembri made headway in the Msida box before squaring to the incoming Cleaven Frendo whose first-time thunderbolt soared well over the bar.

The Marsaxlokk fans were up on their feet on 19 minutes when Daniel Bogdanovic, latching on to a through-pass from Peter Pullicino, advanced before despatching a low shot past Omar Borg and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

Marsaxlokk continued to call the tune, Borg denying them a second goal with a double-save on efforts from Frendo and Schembri on 28 minutes.

Msida, whose hopes of a place in a European competition now rest on success in the FA Trophy, periodically tried to venture out of their defensive cocoon but they rarely troubled the best rearguard in the Premier League.

Luke Dimech, a colossus in the Marsaxlokk defence this season, should have increased his team's lead nine minutes from half-time but he lifted his shot over the bar after reacting first to Bogdanovic's inviting cross from a free-kick.

Although Marsaxlokk were the more adventurous team, the game was like a training kickabout, albeit one played in a noisy atmosphere created by the jubilant Marsaxlokk faithful.

A minute from half-time, eyes were again drawn to events on the field of play as Sammut widened Marsaxlokk's advantage with a gem of a goal. Cutting in from the left, he let fly a fulminating shot from the distance that ripped past Borg.

Talbot made two substitutions at half-time, sending on Gareth Sciberras and Uwo Nwoko for Jamie Pace and Frendo respectively.

Sciberras almost made an immediate impact on the game but his low strike was warded off by Borg. Six minutes into the second half, the Msida goalkeeper threw himself to the right to stop Bogdanovic's long-range grounder.

In an isolated attack, Msida's Zongo dragged the ball back for Karl Ebejer whose powerful, swerving effort ended over the bar.

Borg then denied Bogdanovic when touching away for a corner a looping header from the Premier League's leading marksman.

The game's entertainment value increased as Msida threatened to pull a goal back when the effervescent Zongo dallied his way into the box and ran past Reuben Gauci but the Marsaxlokk defenders recovered ground to subdue the danger.

Borg again foiled Bogdanovic, tipping the ball away for a corner after Nwoko had flicked the ball forward to the steaming Marsaxlokk striker.

At the other end, Gauci blocked a shot by Adrian Farrugia but Borg, the Msida goalkeeper, remained the busier of the two. Fourteen minutes from time, Borg neutralised a long-range shot from Malcolm Licari.

Ten minutes from time, only Dimech's goal-line intervention prevented Msida from narrowing the deficit as the Marsaxlokk defender headed away Zongo's goalbound shot after the Burkina Faso forward had swept past Gauci.

Five minutes from time, Bogdanovic earned himself a glorious chance to hit goal number 30 when his run into the box appeared to have been stopped by Josef Mifsud's late challenge prompting referee Marco Borg to point to the spot. Bogdanovic sent his penalty past Borg.

Within minutes, Marsaxlokk went 4-0 up, Schembri getting his name on the scoresheet with a diagonal shot.

The final whistle sparked more celebrations among the fans, now joined by the players who have made their dreams come true.

Msida: O. Borg-6.5, S. Grima-5 ('73 L. Micallef-5), P. Sciriha-5, R. Baldacchino-5, J. Mifsud-5.5, K. Ebejer-6 ('90 R. Montebello), P. Fenech-6, D. Cachia-5, S. Bajada-5, A. Farrugia-6 ('66 M. Ellul-5), O. Zongo-7.

Marsaxlokk: R. Gauci-6, P. Pullicino-6.5, L. Dimech-7, M. Licari-6.5, C. Magro-6 ('78 K. Mamo), J. Pace-6 ('46 G. Sciberras-6), K. Sammut-8, C. Frendo-7 ('46 U. Nwoko-6), D. Bogdanovic-7, A. Schembri-7, C. Mamo-6.

Referee: Marco Borg.

Scorers: Bogdanovic 19, 86 pen.; Sammut 44; Schembri 88.

Yellow cards: Baldacchino; Licari.

BoV player of the match: Kevin Sammut (Marsaxlokk).