Cekulajevs on the mark in debut

Valletta 2
Cekulajevs 14; Briffa 77;
Balzan Youths 0

Valletta made the best of difficult pitch conditions yesterday to keep the pressure on nearest rivals Hibernians, who play Floriana today, brushing off a negligible Balzan Youths challenge to win by two goals.

This was not a vintage performance for the champions but it was never going to be given the damp weather and the fact they played on a synthetic pitch. Valletta simply needed a win and they easily accomplished that.

Aleksandrs Cekulajevs scored on his debut before Roderick Briffa’s classy finish encapsulated the difference in attributes between the two sides.

Valletta became the first Maltese side to include nine foreigners in their line-up as Cekulajevs started the match ahead of Roderick Bajada who had to settle for a place on the bench.

Italian defender Andrea Scozzese, Argentine midfielder Nahuel Jimenez Pulitano, Brazilian striker William Barbosa, Nigerian forward Alfred Effiong and English keeper Matthew Towns were among the substitutes.

Latvian striker Cekulajevs was Valletta’s attacking pivot with Ousseni Zongo and Denni pushing on the wings and Michael Mifsud deployed in the hole in an offensive module.

On the other side, Miguel Ciantar was promoted to the starting line-up after he rescued a point against Floriana in Balzan’s previous outing.

Balzan had five former Valletta players in their starting XI – Renie Forace, Jonathan Francica, Yessous Camilleri, Bjorn Bondin and Jamie Pace – and two of those City old boys were involved in the first noteworthy episode of the match.

On 10 minutes, some good work from Bondin allowed Pace to set up Glenn Bonello who cluttered into Jonathan Caruana in the Valletta box.

However, referee Adrian Azzo-pardi looked to have made the right decision when turning down penalty appeals.

Valletta took the lead four minutes later off a devastating attacking move which saw Denni releasing Mifsud who sped past keeper Matthew Camilleri before showing a great deal of altruism when squaring the ball for Cekulajevs who tapped home for the easiest of finishes.

The Youths suffered a blow on 26 minutes when Bondin’s participation was curbed by injury after an Ian Azzopardi piledriver hit his face. With one goal down, Ivan Zammit decided to take the ­gamble, replacing the midfielder with striker Anthony Eviparker in a re-modelled 4-3-3.

But the match remained low-key as Valletta could not string three passes together in the first half.

The crowd had been treated to one shot on target from Mifsud, which drew a routine save from Camilleri, and the occasional run-and-centre actions from Denni and Zongo which found no takers.

Valletta remained superior though. On 58 minutes, Mifsud spurned a good opportunity by dragging his effort wide and soon after Bledjon Guga was in the right place to head Edmond Agius’s inswinger off the line.

It was Guga’s last contribution to the game as the Albanian defender was then dismissed for his second bookable offence after a late tackle on Agius.

Despite being down to 10 men, Balzan went on the attack and Pedrinho hit the side-netting from the edge of the box.

Frustrated by his team’s lame showing, Jesmond Zerafa effected his first substitution on 73 minutes, Barbosa replacing Cekulajevs.

However, fears of a nervous finale for the Lilywhites were dispelled when Briffa thumped a swerving shot past Camilleri and into the net to gasps around the stadium.

Balzan did not throw in the towel and four minutes from time Andrew Hogg denied Pedrinho a consolation goal that their contribution perhaps deserved.

Valletta
A. Hogg-6.5, J. Caruana-6, S. Borg-6, S.M. Panandetigiuri-5.5, I. Azzopardi-6, A. Cekulajevs-6 (73 W. Barbosa), R. Briffa-6.5, E. Agius-6.5, O. Zongo-6, Denni-6 (90 A. Effiong), M. Mifsud-7.5 (85 G. Agius).

Balzan Youths
M. Camilleri-5, B. Bondin-5 (26 A. Eviparker-5), G. Bonello-5, B. Guga, J. Pace-6, Y. Camilleri-6, R. Forace-5.5, J. Francica-5, M. Deanov-6 (80 M. Borg), Pedrinho-6.5, M. Ciantar-5 (61 L. Micallef-5).

Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.

Yellow cards: Guga, Francica, Micallef, Azzopardi.

Red card: Guga (B) 62.

BOV player of the match: Ousseni Zongo (Valletta).

Attendance: 865.