Revamped Stripes back on top

Birkirkara 1
Tabone 59 pen.
Tarxien Rainbows 0

Birkirkara put their poor showing in the 6-0 rout to Hibs behind them, even though they were made to fight harder than expected to edge past a spirited Tarxien Rainbows side at the Tedesco Stadium yesterday.

Alan Tabone struck the all-important goal for the Stripes when he converted a second-half penalty to give the Stripes some breathing space after their midweek debacle.

The three points gained yesterday restored Birkirkara to the top of the standings, one point clear of Hibs and Sliema with the Paolites having a game in hand.

Birkirkara coach John Buttigieg, who was serving the second of a two-match ban, rang the changes.

Goalkeeper Omar Borg, defenders Thomas Paris and Patrick Borg and midfielders Martin Anastasi and William Sander Landim were all dropped while Joseph Zerafa was ruled out by suspension.

Bernard Paris, Trevor Cilia, Tabone, Shawn Bajada, Angus Buhagiar and Jonathan Holland were all given the nod to start.

Tarxien had to do without their prolific scorer Daniel Mariano Bueno, injured, while Pio Sciriha had to be content with a place on the bench.

The opening 45 minutes saw Birkirkara pin their opponents in their own half. However, Buttigieg's team had to wait until the 17th minute for their first pot at goal when Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza sent an inswinging cross towards Michael Galea whose header was stopped by the alert Anthony Curmi.

The Stripes threatened again on the half-hour mark when Mifsud Triganza again created the danger with a good run on the right before firing a rasping drive that was pushed away by Curmi. The ball fell into the path of Buhagiar who, however, fired out of range.

With Birkirkara's play lacking invention, it was Tarxien who threatened three minutes from half-time when Lino Galea, facing his former team-mates, whipped in a fierce grounder that Paris neutralised.

Birkirkara looked more determined to open the scoring after the change of ends. Galea was first to a Tabone corner but his header was again saved in two attempts by Curmi. Tabone was close again on 50 minutes when his dipping cross-shot was pushed away for a corner by the keeper with the aid of the bar.

At the other end, Warren Chircop drifted the ball into the path of Mark Tanti whose shot was too weak to trouble Paris.

Birkirkara forged ahead close to the hour. Galea's pass put Mifsud Triganza through but the latter was floored in the box by Ivan Carapic. Tabone beat Curmi with a low shot.

Tarxien's response arrived on 70 minutes when Manuel Caruana tried his luck from the distance but his effort flashed past the upright.

Three minutes later, the Rainbows came close again when Andrew Decesare's shot from a free-kick forced Paris into a diving save. Twelve minutes from time, Mifsud Triganza outpaced his marker but his grounder was saved Curmi.

Tarxien increased their efforts and 10 minutes from time Rodrigo Cariaga's cross-shot brought a reflex save from Paris.

That was that, however, as the Stripes held on to their slim advantage to regain some lost confidence and the provisional top spot in the table.

Birkirkara
B. Paris-6, P. Fenech-7.5, T. Cilia-6, J.P. Mifsud Triganza-6.5, M. Galea-6 ('90 T. Paris), A. Tabone-6.5 ('90 W. Sander Landim), R. Hartvig-6, J. Holland-6, S. Bajada-6, A. Buhagiar-6 ('82 M. Anastasi), G. Mallia-6.

Tarxien Rainbows
A. Curmi-7.5, S. Sadowski-5.5 ('77 K. Borg), L. Galea-6, M. Caruana-5.5, I. Carapic-6.5, W. Chircop-5, M. Tanti-5.5 ('70 M. Buttigieg-5), A. Decesare-6, R. Schembri-6, R. Cariaga-5.5, R. Grech-5 ('77 O. Grech).

Referee: Kevin Azzopardi.

Yellow cards: Carapic; Chircop; Fenech; Schembri.

BoV player of the match: Anthony Curmi (Tarxien Rainbows).