City derby show delights Zerafa

Valletta coach Jesmond Zerafa has been at pains to cool the lofty expectations surrounding his team’s title chances this season.

Mindful of the Whites’ failure to make good on their tag as outright favourites in the last two seasons, Zerafa has consistently refuted suggestions that the title issue was as good as over.

With Valletta nine points in front and still unbeaten after 22 matches, Zerafa’s joyous reaction, after the Citizens’ emphatic dismissal of Floriana, was more than justified but typically, he preached a mantra of caution afterwards.

“This was a win for the supporters,” Zerafa said. “A victory over Floriana has a special meaning for our fans. This result has enhanced our morale as we now have a nine-point lead at the top but the championship is not finished yet.

“There is a batch of teams vying for second place and the remaining matches will certainly be hard-fought. But, our performances of late have strengthened my optimism. Tactically, the players have been almost flawless in recent games.”

The high pressures attached to derby games tend to affect even the most gifted players but Valletta’s outstanding performance on Sunday suggested otherwise.

“Derbies are always difficult but my players were ready for this game,” Zerafa claimed. “They have the experience to cope with the pressure. I thought my players looked tranquil and confident throughout the match. We were not inhibited by the fear of losing.

“With regards to our performance, there are highs and lows in every game. There were passages when we were not at our best but the positives far outweigh the negatives. In Sunday’s derby, we produced more quality than quantity and that’s why our performance looked so convincing. But, for me, it’s the result that matters and I’m happy because we took the three points.

“We played one of our best games against Birkirkara in the first round but the match finished 2-2, meaning that we dropped two points.”

Having set the pace since the opening weeks of the season, Valletta began the Championship Pool with a seven-point lead at the top but back-to-back draws against Ħamrun Spartans and Marsaxlokk caused a fair degree of unease among their fans.

The scepticism surrounding the credentials of new signing Andrade didn’t help matters as the Brazilian forward cut a peripheral figure in his first few outings in City’s white shirt.

Some argued that Valletta had no need to bring in another foreigner in January but Andrade is slowly but surely proving his critics wrong as he followed up his scrambled winner against Birkirkara with a sweetly-struck shot that fired the Citizens ahead in Sunday’s derby.

Andrade’s improving form is an added boost for Zerafa.

“In his first few games for Valletta, Andrade didn’t show his qualities but I was always confident that he would prove his worth,” Zerafa said.

“I’d say that Andrade has hit his best form in the two most important games of the championship for us. Everyone expects foreign players to be better than their Maltese counterparts but that’s not easy at Valletta because our Maltese players are very good.

“Nevertheless, Andrade is settling in well, especially now that his family is here.

“He knows the players better and I believe that with his ability, he can be useful to the team. However, football is not about the individual, it’s a team sport and all the players in the squad are important.”

Agius condition

Andrade was one of many top performers for Valletta in Sunday’s derby but it says all about Gilbert Agius’s awesome display that the City captain was voted BOV player of the match despite playing only 61 minutes.

The sight of Agius leaving the pitch on a stretcher temporarily dampened the spirits of the Valletta fans but Zerafa had positive news on his captain’s state of health.

“Gilbert Agius’s injury is not serious,” Zerafa said. “He went out after being hit by Pablo Doffo’s extended elbow but he’s ok now.

“Denni was unjustly sent off by the referee because he did nothing wrong but then Doffo was only given a yellow card for elbowing Agius. After that, Gilbert felt a bit dizzy and the same happened to Edmond Agius who took a blow in the face from Daniel Nwoke. Both Gilbert and Edmond are fine now.”

Denni was given a straight red after referee Clayton Pisani deemed that the Brazilian had deliberately hit Mano Micallef but television replays showed that the former Tarxien livewire had only collided with the Floriana player as the two jumped for the ball.

It was the second match in a row that Valletta had a player dismissed after Jamie Pace’s red card in the first half of the Birkirkara game and Zerafa was livid.

“Losing a player to a red card is a setback,” Zerafa said. “With 10 men, you have to change the team’s tactics to try to limit the damage. Referees should think a bit longer and consult their assistants before they send off a player.

“In the last two games, two of our players were dismissed and this could have had repercussions for the team.”

It’s testament to Valletta’s resil-ience that they emerged with maximum points from their last two matches despite finishing with 10 men.

Besides edging them closer to the league title, Sunday’s 3-0 win over Floriana was the perfect way for Valletta to launch their preparations for Saturday’s U*Bet FA Trophy quarter-final against Hibs.

“The Trophy is a different competition,” Zerafa said. “It’s the performance on the day that counts and a defeat means that you’re out of the reckoning.

“It’s important that we’re fully concentrated because the match against Hibs will not be easy. The Trophy is Hibs’ only target now and their enthusiasm has increased after they won the last two games to dispel their relegation worries.

“As far as we’re concerned, we want to defend the Trophy. The win over Floriana has further enhanced our morale but we must keep our feet on the ground.”

Premier League statistics

Scorers, red cards

Birkirkara: Lattes 8; Galea 6 (1 pen); Fenech 5; Vella 3; Kumbrevicius 2, Cilia 2, Tabone 2 (1 pen); Vukanac, Borg, Agius, Scicluna, Babatunde.
Floriana: Nwoke 8; Woods 6 (2 pen; Farrugia 4; Draganov 3, Caruana 3; Mecerod 2; Dzhorov, Darmanin, Agius, Said, Micallef, Doffo.
Red cards: Farrugia (vs Tarxien), Paris (vs Sliema Wanderers), Bugeja (vs Valletta).
Ħamrun Spartans: Spiteri 11; Shields 6 (1 pen); Grima 5; Pereira 4; Fenech 2 (1 pen), Anizoba 2, Falzon 2; Mangion, Kokavessis.
Red cards: Hrubsa (vs Floriana, vs Valletta), Bonnici (vs Floriana), Ryan Fenech (vs Floriana).
Hibernians: McManus 7 (1 pen.); Cohen 5 (1 pen); Herrera 4; Pisani 2, Pulis 2, Kristensen 2; Caruana, Clarke, Farrugia, Pearson, Fairbairn, Hart, Taki (pen).
Own goal: Micallef (vs Vittoriosa).
Red cards: Pulis (vs Ħamrun); Fairbairn (vs Vittoriosa).
Marsaxlokk: Effiong 14; Guerreiro 4 (1 pen.); Templeman 3, Alcorse 3 (1 pen); Licari 2, Raimy 2, Sciberras 2; Kokavessis, Deanov.
Red cards: Alcorse (vs Valletta), Mamo (vs Floriana), Galabov (vs Vittoriosa), Raimy (vs Valletta).
Qormi: Mifsud 7; Josue 5 (4 pens), Frendo 5; Mallia 3, Bello Osagie 3; J. Farrugia 2; Bjedov, Chetcuti, Camilleri, Bondin.
Red cards: Bondin (vs Ħamrun), Hojung (vs Vittoriosa Stars), Bartolo (vs Floriana), M. Farrugia (vs Marsaxlokk).
Sliema Wanderers: Mifsud Triganza 10; Lima 6 (1 pen), Obiefule 6 (1 pen); Lachkhem 2, Barbara 2, Scerri 2.
Red cards: Mintoff (vs Birkirkara), B. Muscat (vs Vittoriosa), Lima (vs Valletta), Bajada (vs Vittoriosa).
Tarxien Rainbows: Cristiano 7 (1 pen), Bueno 7, Sergio 7 (1 pen); Ricardo 6; Caruana, Everton.
Own goals: Pearson (vs Hibernians); Kang (vs Qormi).
Red cards: Bueno (vs Hibernians), Grioli (vs Marsaxlokk).
Valletta: Scerri 14 (4 pens); Denni 10 (1 pen); Sammut 5; Fenech 3, Zammit 3; Falzon 2, Pace 2, G. Agius 2, Andrade 2; E. Agius, Temile, Borg, Briffa, Caruana.
Red cards: Ramon (vs Floriana), Falzon (vs Ħamrun), Pace (vs Birkirkara), Denni (vs Floriana).
Vittoriosa Stars: Ewurum 6, Edison 6 (2 pen); Jorge 5; Grech 2; Micallef, Campagnoli.
Own goals: Gauci (vs Hibs), Mifsud (vs Sliema).
Red cards: Campagnoli (vs Valletta), Edison (vs Birkirkara, vs Sliema), Mifsud (vs Valletta), Grech (vs Ħamrun).

Next fixtures

U*Bet FA Trophy QFs
Saturday (National Stadium)
2 p.m. Sliema vs Birkirkara
4 p.m. Valletta vs Hibs

Sunday (Hibs Stadium)
2 p.m. Tarxien vs Vittoriosa
4 p.m. Qormi vs Floriana