Birkirkara 3
Maachi 12, 76; Zammit 83;
Pietà Hotspurs 0

Birkirkara left the ground in Corradino brimming with confidence yesterday.

They achieved their target of securing a place in the semi-finals of the FA Trophy – along with holders Valletta, Hibernians and Qormi – after a straightforward 3-0 win over fellow Premier League side Pietà Hotspurs but there were other aspects of their performance that will have delighted coach Paul Zammit and the Birkirkara fans.

The departure of a host of key players last summer had disrupted Zammit’s plans but now everything seems to be falling back into place.

Zammit inevitably had a tough job finding an adequate replacement for Brazilian striker Jhonnattann and, initially, Shola Shodiya Haruna as the Nigerian only rejoined the Stripes late in the season.

The long-term injury of Brazilian striker Liliu compounded their problems in attack but this cup tie produced enough evidence to suggest that Birkirkara’s attacking woes are now behind them.

Dutch striker Nassir Maachi capped his first start for the Stripes with two goals and Haruna showed signs that he’s rediscovering his best form. The Nigerian may not have been on the scoresheet but he provided the assists for both of Maachi’s goals.

There was also an influential display from Rowen Muscat, another homegrown player who re-signed for Birkirkara last month, a first senior goal for Kurt Zammit, on as a substitute, and a debut for another youngster, Leon Muscat.

Pietà had dared to dream after progressing to the quarter-finals but they came up short against Birkirkara. There was no questioning the Hotspurs’ desire to make a contest out of it as they ran and pressed but they were too lightweight in midfield and lacked punch in attack.

Coach Noel Coleiro named a strong formation with young right-back Cain Attard back in the fray after recovering from a fractured wrist.

Brazilian striker Ricardo Costa started alongside Charles Newuche in attack as Coleiro went 4-1-3-2 but the Nigerian forward had another disappointing outing.

Ryan Scicluna was back for Birkirkara yesterday after suspension had kept him out of the 1-1 draw against Valletta but Brazilian forwards Eliandro and Rafael Ledesma both failed to recover from injuries.

The game was less than 30 seconds old when Maachi threatened to give the Stripes the lead. Cutting in from the left, his angled shot deceived David Cassar, the Pietà goalkeeper, but the ball came off the near post.

Zammit stuck with 4-1-4-1 with Haruna up front and Maachi and Scicluna taking up the wide midfield positions.

It was not before the eighth-minute mark that either side created a ghost of a chance. Zach Muscat, reverting to right-back, delivered a low cross that rolled across the penalty area and into the path of midfielder Edmond Agius whose curling effort was high.

Haruna then provided a reminder of his ability to conjure something special out of nothing as he met Ryan Camenzuli’s raking pass with a stunning volley that whizzed past the post.

The Nigerian was again involved when Birkirkara broke the stalemate on 12 minutes as his measured cross from the right was headed home by Maachi for his first goal in a Birkirkara shirt.

Constant interchanging by the midfielders was behind Birkir-kara’s early supremacy as the Hotspurs often found themselves outnumbered in the middle.

But, in a rare attack, the Hotspurs nearly equalised as Claudio Frances raced towards the box after Birkirkara lost possession but his grounder was pushed away by Justin Haber. From the ensuing corner, taken by Frances, Scicluna miscued his clearance, sending the ball flying past the upright.

But, the Stripes stayed in command. Maachi met Agius’s corner from the right but his header was easily saved by Cassar.

As the minutes trickled by, the Hotspurs began to show up more often in Birkirkara’s half. Most of their best moves flowed from the feet of Frances who, three minutes past the half-hour, supplied a through-ball to the advancing Christian Grech but his effort was blocked by Haber.

At the other end, Agius’s corner soared towards the far post where Zach Muscat rose to direct the ball into the goalmouth but his inviting assist found no takers.

Pietà’s Costa veered infield from the left but his central drive was stopped by Haber.

When Kyle Cesare’s reckless tackle caught Zach Muscat early in the second half, Birkirkara called on referee George Kruashvili to dismiss the Pietà midfielder but the Georgia FA official reached for the yellow card.

Birkirkara needed a second goal to ease their nerves while the Hotspurs were obliged to step up their game to improve their chances of grabbing an equaliser.

Twelve minutes into the second half, Camenzuli sprinted into the box, after being played in by Maachi, but his cross-cum-shot grazed the crossbar.

Maachi swept past Grech before arrowing a fierce shot that sailed wide.

Birkirkara continued to produce the better football.

Nikola Vukanac headed wide from a corner on 64 minutes and, shortly afterwards, Haruna was denied by the woodwork as his header, from Maachi’s cross, cannoned off the upright.

Coleiro hauled off the ineffective Newuche for Gabriel and instructed Costa to moved further upfield. The Brazilian was later joined by Luke Micallef but Pietà’s comeback hopes ebbed away when Birkirkara doubled their lead.

Edward Herrera, who had come on for Scicluna, directed a pass to Haruna whose run had escaped the attentions of the Hotspurs defenders.

As Haruna advanced unimpeded into the box, everyone inside the stadium expected him to shoot but he showed a great sense of altruism as he squared the ball to the unmarked Maachi who drove home.

The Stripes pressed for the killer goal.

Maachi was denied a hat-trick by the woodwork after the Dutchman had got on the end of Vukanac’s headed assist. The loose ball dropped at the feet of Mauricio Mazzetti but his screamer was off target.

Substitute Zammit then sealed it for Birkirkara as the youngster ran into the box from the left and dispatched his shot past Cassar to complete a perfect afternoon for him and his team.

Birkirkara
J. Haber, R. Scicluna (70 E. Herrera), N. Vukanac, M. Mazzetti, S.S. Haruna, N. Maachi (80 K. Zammit), P. Fenech (87 L. Muscat), Z. Muscat, R. Muscat, R. Camenzuli, E. Agius.

Pietà Hotspurs
D. Cassar, C. Attard, C. Grech, L. Fortunato, J. Pisani, O. Anonam (46 D. Agius), K. Cesare (75 L. Micallef), R. Rodrigues, C. Newuche (66 Gabriel), C. Frances, R. Costa.

Referee: George Kruashvili (Georgia FA).

Yellow cards: Anonam; Cesare; Agius; Fortunato; Gabriel; Attard.

Attendance: 725.