Agius marks Birkirkara debut with winning goal

Vittoriosa Stars 0
Birkirkara 1
Agius 38;

There is now more substance to Birkirkara’s recovery after they earned a hard-fought win over Vittoriosa Stars to claim back-to-back victories.

Debutant Andrei Agius’s first-half goal was enough for Birkirkara to brush off the challenge of an unusually cautious Vittoriosa side.

When Agius opted to sign for Birkirkara until the end of the season earlier this month, coach Paul Zammit acknowledged that he was perhaps asking too much of the Malta defender to go straight into the team and lead the Stripes’ back four.

But no-one imagined that Agius had the ability to single-handedly reverse the course of a game. The on-loan AS Melfi defender used all his know-how and skill to find space between the Vittoriosa defenders and resolve the match with a gem of a goal seven minutes from half-time.

Thereafter, the Stripes were ruthless only in their commitment to cutting-edge football as they were determined to show that their first-round 1-1 draw with Vittoriosa was simply an aberration. Two clean sheets since defeat to Marsaxlokk tell of a team listening to instructions.

With Birkirkara still missing the services of Trevor Cilia, Zammit paraded new signings Agius and Brazilian forward Rodolfo ‘Alemao’ Kumbrevicius.

The Birkirkara coach made three changes from the win against Ħamrun, the most prominent seeing captain Michael Galea dropped to the bench with Alemao detailed to plough a lone furrow at the tip of the 4-1-4-1 formation. Agius was preferred to Patrick Borg to form a central defensive pairing with Nikola Vukanac.

Alan Tabone, facing his former club, provided the one change to Vittoriosa’s starting-line-up in place of Leighton Grech. Winston Muscat’s 4-3-3 approach was designed to augment Vittoriosa’s attacking prowess with Edison and Jorge playing either side of Nigerian Anthony Ewurum.

Birkirkara created a chance inside the opening few minutes. Angus Buhagiar’s cross from the right found Emiliano Lattes in front of goal but the winger was unable to put enough power to his low drive.

The Argentine’s roaming role behind Alemao ensured greater involvement in Birkirkara’s build-up play. In the opening exchanges, it was his continual torment of Karl Sammut and the Vittoriosa defence that inflicted the greater harm.

On 21 minutes, Lattes combined brilliantly with Paul Fenech to set up Terence Vella who rattled the underside of the bar as the ball bounced off the line to allow the Vittoriosa rearguard to clear the danger.

Vittoriosa were denied moments later when Jorge hit a teasing cross from the right which Agius acrobatically cleared the ball into a corner.

But it was Birkirkara who found the back of the net to hand Vittoriosa a painful lesson in finishing. A free-kick by Shawn Bajada caught the Stars cold and Agius showed his fine technique as he chested down the ball before beating Agius with a beautifully-struck volley at the near post.

The Stars began the second half in determined mode. Soon after the restart, a set-piece cross almost had the Stripes defence in a tangle. Goalkeeper Michael Fraser tried to punch the ball away from Clayton Micallef’s long-range free-kick but his tame clearance fell to Ryan Grech only for his lob to sail over the bar.

While Muscat stayed on the touchline shouting orders, his opposite number watched motionless and, with 18 minutes to go, decided to throw on Karl Pulo for Alemao. Little had been seen of the Brazilian striker but enough to suggest he needs time to settle in.

The chances did eventually arrive for Birkirkara after the interval. Fenech was given time and space in the Vittoriosa area but his low drive was tipped away by goalkeeper Simon Agius following a three-man move.

With Agius guiding a resolute defence, it was the Stripes who came through but not before Fraser pushed over the bar an effort by Micallef at the death after the goalkeeper failed to hold a corner by Grech and the Vittoriosa defender flicked the loose ball goalward.

Vittoriosa Stars
S. Agius-6, K. Sammut-6, C. Micallef-6.5, S. Wellman-6, J. Chetcuti-5, M. Maccari-7, R. Grech-6, L. Edison-5, Jorge-5.5, A. Ewurum-4.5, A. Tabone-5 (70 L. Grech-5).

Birkirkara
M. Fraser-6, T. Vella-6 (90 R Camenzuli), J. Zerafa-6, N. Vukanac-6.5, S. Bajada-5.5 (82 R Scicluna), A. Agius-7, R. Kumbrevicius-4.5 (72 K Pulo), R. Muscat-6, P. Fenech-6.5, E. Lattes-7, A. Buhagiar-7.5.

Referee: Alan Mario Sant.

Yellow cards: Kumbrevicius; Fenech; Grech; Buhagiar; Jorge; Chetcuti.

BOV player of the match: Emiliano Lattes (Birkirkara).

Attendance: 1,633.

Next Premier League fixtures

Friday - Victor Tedesco Stadium
7.30 p.m. Marsaxlokk vs Vittoriosa Stars

Saturday – National Stadium
2 p.m. Birkirkara vs Qormi
4 p.m. Valletta vs Ħamrun Spartans

Sunday – Hibs Stadium
2 p.m. Floriana vs Sliema Wanderers
4 p.m. Hibernians vs Tarxien Rainbows