Stripes show brighter ideas

Floriana 0
Birkirkara 0

Football coaches often benefit from flying starts but while a drawn result at the stadium in Corradino was perhaps not the most romantic baptism for Patrick Curmi, it must have been still hugely welcomed by the former Marsaxlokk coach as Birkirkara had the better of this goalless affair against Floriana, dominating possession and moving the ball around swiftly and intelligently.

Curmi named his strongest possible line-up, perhaps a signal of his intent to usher a new era at Birkirkara and land his first piece of silverware this summer.

With most of the starting XI being first-team regulars last year, Curmi made his intentions clear that he wants to build around the Stripes’ solid footballing base as he handed former Hibernians defender Matt Clark his debut while Jorge Mora, Jacopo Camilli and Alan Tabone also made a first appearance since returning to the club.

Tabone and Trevor Cilia began in a withdrawn attacking role floating behind Camilli.

The Stripes proved to have more than enough strength and guile to hold off Floriana who did not pose any problem. As from the start, the Greens’ game-plan appeared to focus on being tight in defence and moving in attack just a secondary option.

Deprived of the services of Salvatore Amirante, Greens coach Michael Woods roped in Ryan Darmanin in what turned out to be the only change from the starting formation that played in the 1-2 upset to Valletta on Friday.

Andrew Decesare, on the left flank, orchestrated most of Birkirkara’s forward movement and after four minutes, overlapping on the flank, he drove in a splendid cross weighted perfectly for Camilli to connect to. All that remained was for the forward to volley it home, yet the Italian hit badly and over the bar.

Two minutes later, Cilia smashed the ball against the underside of the bar as Woods’s side were increasingly pushed backwards with Paul Fenech and Rowen Muscat dictating the pace and possession.

Fenech went a whisker away from opening the score after 36 minutes but his long-range effort finished just wide.

Floriana were limited to one chance, early in the second half, when Imam Seydi made a good run down the left but his cross-cum-shot was saved by keeper Jorge Mora.

Birkirkara often looked in cruise control in the second half with their main threat coming through Camilli and on the hour mark his grounder came off the foot of the Floriana upright.

Birkirkara used much of the second half as a build-up exercise, with Curmi introducing new recruit Leighton Grech, Argentine striker Victor Rena and Latvian defender Marcis Savinovs.

With just a few minutes left on the clock, Birkirkara came close to scoring three times.

Grech had a reasonable penalty shout turned down and then, Rena headed the ball into the penalty area towards Grech, again, with Owen Bugeja forced into a desperate clearance. Just before the final whistle, Cilia chested the ball down and unleashed a powerful shot which finished just wide.

Floriana
M. Towns, D. Pisani, O. Bugeja, T. Farrugia, M. Micallef, C. Borg, J. Borg, C. Caruana (82 M. Grioli), R. Darmanin, J. Hardiker, I. Seydi.

Birkirkara
J. Mora, A. Agius, P. Fenech, T. Cilia, A. Tabone, A. Decesare (58 L. Grech), M. Clarke (77 M Savinovs), J. Zerafa, A. Buhagiar, J. Camilli (65 V. Rena), R. Muscat.

Referee: Marco Borg.

Yellow cards: Zerafa, Buhagiar, Pisani, Caruana.

Attendance: 604.

Next match
Thursday: 7.30 p.m. Birkirkara vs Valletta (Hibs Stadium).