Birkirkara get late equaliser against Vittoriosa

Vittoriosa Stars 1 - Birkirkara 1

Birkirkara defender Nikola Vukanac grabbed a last gasp equaliser to save Birkirkara’s blushes against lowly Vittoriosa.

He got in a header with Birkirkara desperately trying to snatch an equaliser as the seconds ticked away deep into stoppage time.

Grech and Jorge Santos Silva combine impressively with Vittoriosa taking a well-merited lead through Santos Silva on the hour mark. Gasps of disbelief reverberated around the Birkirkara stand as the Brazilian pushed the ball home with a magical ‘no-look’ flick as he executed an incisive one-two with Grech.

The goal roused the lethargic Birkirkara into stepping up a gear as the momentum of the match shifted firmly in Birkirkara’s hands.

In the final minutes, Agius won a personal duel with Lattes, who hit the woodwork twice in the space of three minutes before the goalkeeper showed impressive reflexes to repel the Argentine’s first time in the 86th minute.

Birkirkara were committing increasing numbers to every attack in an effort to snatch a late equaliser and the Stars might have profited but substitute Edison Carabay was denied by the post.

At the very death, however, just as tempers and nerves were fraying intolerably among the Birkirkara supporters, Agius's resistance was broken. When the Vittoriosa defence thought to have come to terms with Bajada’s tantalising free-kick, Vukanac arrived at speed and plunged low to guide a header into the net and, at a stroke, park wild scenes of relief.