Metalurg edge out spirited Stripes

M. Skopje 0
Birkirkara 0
(Agg: 2-2; Metalurg Through On Away Goals)

A spirited attacking performance was not enough for Birkirkara as they failed to nick an away win needed to progress to the second qualifying round of the Europa League after they were held to a goalless draw at Metalurg Skopje yesterday to bow out of the competition on the away goals rule.

After a frustrating 2-2 draw in last week’s first leg at the Hibs Stadium, the Stripes were aware that they needed to leave the Bashkimi Stadium with either a win or share six or more goals if they were to set up a second qualifying round match against Poland’s Ruch Chorzow.

Metalburg’s goalkeeper Igor Pavlovic produced a string of smart saves to shut out Birkirkara as they showed great personality, creating chance after chance.

In the end it was Metalurg who prevailed but Paul Zammit’s men certainly return home with their heads held high after bowing out of the competition without conceding defeat.

Zammit, the Birkirkara coach, picked a safety-first team to counter Metalurg’s muscular strengths, again leaving out Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and subsequently saw victory eluding his team.

He was boosted by the recovery of Paul Fenech, Joseph Zerafa and Nikola Vukanac who shrugged off slight knocks to take their place in an otherwise unchanged starting formation from last week’s match.

The first half was evenly-balanced with both teams in search of an opening goal that would have turned the tie in their favour.

The first chance came inside the first nine minutes when a Ljubomir Stevanovic corner kick found Kemal Alomerovic whose forced Reuben Gauci the Birkirkara keeper into a fine save .

The visitors responded a minute later when Ryan Scicluna’s shot finished just wide.

On 15 minutes, Gauci was called upon to keep out Ilija Nestorovski’s shot while at the other end Joselito warmed Pavlovic’s hands.

It was Birkirkara who had the best chance of the half on 31 minutes as Jorge’s shot was parried away by Pavlovic and Fenech fired over the rebound.

Metalurg were denied the lead a minute later as Mile Krstev saw his shot coming off the woodwork.

Two minutes later, Nestorovski miscued his shot from a good position as the hosts built up on their early momentum.

Shola Shodiya Haruna hit the bar non 36 minutes and two minutes from the break, Pavlovic came again to his side’s rescue as he pushed away Joselito’s shot.

On the restart, Metalurg began to assume control and created two further chances to open the score but Hristijan Dimoski fired his effort wide on 48 minutes and five minutes later, Gauci showed great reflexes when he denied Alomerovic.

Birkirkara’s match crackled to life on 65 minutes when Joseph Zerafa’s shot was deflected away for a corner.

Two minutes later, Rowen Muscat came close but his long-range shot was pushed away by Pavlovic.

The Stripes continued to search for the opener and the Metalurg goalkeeper produced another save to deny Joselito after 70 minutes.

In the last 20 minutes, it was a familiar story with Zammit withdrawing Vukanac, a defender, and roping in striker Mifsud Triganza in a bid to bolster his forward line as the Stripes stepped up the pressure.

Mifsud Triganza almost left an instant mark on 83 minutes when he fired just wide while Fenech who came close with a stinging drive.

In time added on Mifsud Triganza almost grabbed a dramatic winner but was denied again by Pavlovic.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, the Metalurg goalkeeper saved the result for the Macedonians as he again distinguished himself on a Haruna shot.

METALURG SKOPJE: I. Pavlovic, I. Kralevski, G. Dragovic, M. Petkovski, B. Ljamcevski, H. Dimoski (86 N. Dodevski), M. Krstev, L. Stevanovic, K. Alomerovic (80 A. Memedi), I. Nestorovski (59 B. Naumoski), C. Curlinov.

BIRKIRKARA: R. Gauci, R. Pereira, J. Vukanac (77 J.P. Mifsud Triganza), R. Scicluna (87 M. Camilleri), P. Fenech, R. Camenzuli (56 G. Sciberras), J. Zerafa, R. Muscat, S. Haruna, Joselito, Jorge.

Referee: Alexander Harkam (Austria).