Valletta 2
Kooh Sohna 40; Bajada 90;
Naxxar Lions 0

The pressure was on Valletta to get back on track after their painful defeat to Birkirkara last week.

On paper, Valletta should have not encountered too much trouble to overcome a Naxxar side still without a win this season.

But these were no ordinary circumstances for the champions. They struggled to break down their modest opponents who kept them on their toes with swift breaks.

While Valletta were crying for inspiration, an upset looked on the cards as Naxxar kept having a go at their wounded opponents who came into this match on the back of two consecutive defeats.

Although the Citizens’ display was far from convincing, the only thing that mattered for them yesterday was to return to winning ways. And they were clearly relieved to have reached that aim at the end of the match after playing for almost the entire second half with 10 men after Hugo Faria’s dismissal.

Shawn Bajada’s last-gasp goal steadied his team’s nerves but failed to put gloss on the win.

Cameroon striker Raphael Kooh-Sohna and Tunisian midfielder Abdelkarim Nafti were restored to Valletta’s starting formation while Ian Azzopardi filled the void left by Luke Dimech, suspended.

Gilbert Agius switched also the systems, ditching the three-man defence for the tried-and-tested 4-1-4-1 with Kooh Sohna deployed as a lone striker. Ryan Camilleri, manning the right flank, and Azzopardi, filling in at left-back, were detailed to play wide in a bid to split open the Naxxar defence.

On his part, Jesmond Zerafa kept faith with the 4-4-1-1 formation with Pape Gueye leading the Lions’ attack and Gilmar playing behind the lone striker.

Sydney Nevi da Silva was assigned screening duties but Uzeh Edafe was not there to share the burden as the former Valletta coach restored right-back Angus Buhagiar to the starting formation to replace the suspended Andrew Scicluna.

Hardly seven minutes from the start had elapsed when Camilleri had a chance to put Valletta ahead when his goalbound cross-shot was cleared away from Ibok Edet.

Valletta quickly established control of possession but it was the Lions who almost broke the deadlock in the 12th minute.

Racing onto Daren Falzon’s long pass, Gilmar galloped towards goal before curling his shot just wide of the far post.

Minutes later, Faria floored Gilmar to concede a free-kick in a central position some six metres away from the edge of the box. The Portuguese midfielder got booked and Gilmar’s shot was too central to trouble Vella.

On 26 minutes Azzopardi served Kooh-Sohna but the striker was thwarted by goalkeeper Julian Azzopardi who blocked his first-time effort.

Not before long, Naxxar served up a reminder of their counter-attacking threat as Falzon forced his way through on the right flank before crossing for the unmarked Gueye whose point-blank effort drew a top save from Nicky Vella.

Valletta would have opened the score past the half hour mark, were it not for Azzopardi who touched Kooh-Sohna’s looping header over the bar.

But the Lilywhites were not to be denied three minutes later. The modus operandi was the same as Nafti’s delivery soared towards the far side of Naxxar’s box and the Cameroon striker lobbed the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.

Valletta suffered an unexpected setback just after the break when Faria was given the marching orders as the midfielder naively hooked down Gilmar near the halfway line and the referee rightly booked the Valletta player for a second time.

It was difficult for the Valletta supporters to see their player leaving the pitch as team manager Ian Zammit immediately started shouting instructions to ensure that the team did not lose their grip on the match.

In fact, just moments later, Ryan Cassar launched a cross forward towards Gueye who, however, miscued his shot.

Sensing his opponents’ difficult moment, Zerafa made a double substitution Sydney and Vella making way for Victor Bellia and Uchenna Eminike.

Agius’s thoughts on his team’s performance were reflected in his bold decision to make three substitutions in quick succession, taking off Nafti, Kooh-Sohna and Hamza Barry in favour of Shawn Bajada, Ian Zammit and Llywelyn Cremona, leaving an all-Maltese line-up on the pitch.

Eleven minutes from time, Steve Borg did well to block Eminike’s shot on goal as Naxxar surged forward with renewed zest.

Apprehension gripped Valletta when, in a swift break, David Alejandro Reano ran into the box only to see Vella tipping his effort over the bar.

The rising tension prompted the erstwhile calm Agius to stand up, gesticulating angrily from the technical area.

At the death, Reano scythed down Bajada to end his first serious venture towards the Naxxar area.

Bajada picked himself up to smash home a stunning 20-metre free-kick with a delightful left-foot strike that bent away from Azzopardi’s despairing dive to ease the Lilywhites’ nerves.

Valletta
N. Vella-6, J. Caruana-5.5, I. Azzopardi-6, S. Borg-6, R. Camilleri-5.5, R. Fenech-5, H. Faria, R. Kooh-Sohna-6.5 (73 I. Zammit), R. Briffa-7, H. Barry-6 (77 L. Cremona), A. Nafti-6 (67 S. Bajada-6).

Naxxar Lions
J. Azzopardi-6, Sydney-5.5 (70 V. Bellia-4), I. Edet-6, D. Falzon-6.5, T. Vella-5 (70 U. Eminike-5), R. Cassar-6 (77 D. Bonnici), M. Del Negro-5, P. Gueye-5, Gilmar-6, D. Reano-7.5, A. Buhagiar-6.

Referee: Mario Apap.

Yellow cards: Faria, Fenech, Reano.

Red card: Faria (V) 55.

BOV player of the match: Roderick Briffa (Valletta).

Standings

  P W D L F A Pts
Hibernians 9 8 1 0 24 6 25
Birkirkara 9 6 0 3 16 8 18
Balzan 9 4 4 1 15 11 16
Valletta 9 4 1 4 15 7 13
Qormi 9 4 1 4 12 12 13
Sliema W.  9 3 4 2 10 11 13
Mosta 9 4 1 4 9 14 13
Tarxien R. 9 2 5 2 12 11 11
Floriana 9 2 4 3 14 18 10
Pietà H. 9 2 2 5 7 13 8
Naxxar L. 9 0 4 5 8 17 4
Żebbuġ R.  9 0 3 6 11 25 3

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