Smart Stripes slow City's march

Birkirkara 3
Galea 29; Mifsud Triganza 85; Mihaylov 90
Valletta 1
Pace 39

"A do-or-die encounter" was how Birkirkara midfielder George Mallia described the showdown with rivals Valletta yesterday and the Stripes definitely rose to the occasion.

With leaders Hibs moving four points clear at the top after their 4-1 thrashing of Floriana, the pressure was on for both Valletta and Birkirkara to take maximum spoils and keep up the pace at the top.

The Citizens had not lost in their previous 19 matches but they came unstuck yesterday against an industrious Birkirkara side who certainly did justice to their reputation as a hard-to-beat team.

Birkirkara's winning performance was built on the excellent defending by their two towering centre-halves, Ron Hartvig and Ivalio Sokolov and a sound, collective work-ethic.

Yet, there was little between the two teams until the introduction of Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza whose intelligent movement and eye for goal certainly played a key role in the Stripes' win as the former Msida striker scored his side's second goal and set up the third.

Birkirkara were understandably delighted with this win as they have now moved to within one point of Valletta who, for their part, are now four points adrift of leaders Hibs and clearly facing a tall order to keep hold of their status as the no.1 team in Maltese football.

Three minutes from referee Chris Lautier's initial whistle had elapsed when Ian Zammit traded passes with captain Gilbert Agius who stormed into the box but his chip was deflected away for a corner.

Valletta forced the early tempo but on six minutes, Birkirkara almost forged ahead. Bulgarian striker Krasen Valkov twisted and turned in the City area before flicking the ball goalward. Andrew Hogg, the Valletta goalkeeper, stood motionless on the line as the ball caressed the far post and drifted away.

Birkirkara coach John Buttigieg settled on a 4-4-2 formation yesterday with George Mallia and Paul Fenech charged with the onus of supplying craft and graft in midfield.

Paul Zammit, the Valletta coach, favoured a diamond-shaped 4-2-3-1 approach with Dyson Falzon, yesterday replacing the injured Cleaven Frendo, Zammit, Agius and Priso Doding granted freedom to switch attacking positions to unsettle Birkirkara's four-man defence.

After a nervous start, Birkirkara settled down as the first half wore on. The Stripes forced a couple of corners and from one of them, on 29 minutes, they broke the stalemate.

Shaun Bajada's set-piece cross from the left was headed away by the Valletta defenders but only as far as Galea who despatched a first-time shot past Hogg.

One goal down, Valletta tried to muster a reaction. Sokolov did well to anticipate Jamie Pace as the latter pursued a pass from the dynamic Zammit but six minutes from half-time, the former Marsaxlokk midfielder hit the jackpot.

Falzon's jinking run into the Birkirkara box forced Sokolov to concede a corner. Agius swung a cross towards the far post and Pace surged through to direct a powerful header past Omar Borg. One-all.

The second half was only two minutes old when Priso dinked the ball to Grioli who had made a run from right-back. The City defender whipped in a teasing cross-cum-shot which came off the bar.

Buttigieg effected his first substitution nine minutes into the second half. Galea made way for Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza.

Valletta threatened when Falzon cut in from the left and passed to Zammit whose first-time attempt lacked the power and precision to trouble Borg in the Birkirkara goal.

On 68 minutes, Shawn Bajada lofted the ball towards Mifsud Triganza who ran into the box and sent in a cross which soared over Hogg but Steve Bezzina was on hand to clear.

Within minutes of his arrival, Paolo Massaro capitalised on a scramble inside the Birkirkara box to set up Monesterolo whose firm strike was blocked by Borg.

Five minutes from time, Birkirkara moved ahead. The Stripes were awarded what, in the eyes of Valletta, was a dubious corner. Bajada delivered a peach of a cross and the unmarked Mifsud Triganza headed home at the far post.

After Borg blocked shots by Massaro and Monesterolo, Birkirkara applied the killer touch when Kirill Dimitrov-Mihaylov, who had just replaced Valkov, finished off a move started by Mifsud Triganza.

After the final whistle, tempers went over in the tunnel as several players from both teams are believed to have come to blows.

Birkirkara
O. Borg-6, J. Zerafa-6.5, I. Sokolov-6.5, R. Hartvig-7, T. Paris-5, P. Fenech-6, S. Bajada-7, G. Mallia-5.5, M. Anastasi-5 ('63 T. Cilia-5.5), M. Galea-6 ('54 J. P. Mifsud Triganza-6.5), K. Valkov-6 ('82 K.D. Mihaylov)

Valletta
A. Hogg-5, J. Grioli-6, K. Scicluna-6, L. Dimech-6, S. Bezzina-5, D. Priso-5.5, R. Briffa-6 ('78 P. Massaro), J. Pace-6.5, D. Falzon-6 ('71 S. Monesterolo), G. Agius-6, I. Zammit 6.

Referee: Chris Lautier.

Yellow cards: Priso; Hartvig.

BoV player of the match: Ron Hartvig (Birkirkara).