Valletta 2
Pace 41; Borg 67;
Birkirkara 1
Avila 54;
Valletta coach Jesmond Zerafa declared before the match that the first-round duel with Birkirkara would spur his players to greater efforts as the champions looked to embark on another winning run after their slip-up to Hibs.
On the other side of the fence, Birkirkara came into their clash with the champions on a wave of a fresh enthusiasm after coach Paul Zammit returned to lead the team.
Zammit’s second coming as Birkirkara coach raised hopes of an instant revival for their team, starting from their much-anticipated tiff with their bitter rivals but despite turning in a tenacious display, the Stripes were second best to the champions yesterday.
Goals from Jamie Pace and Steve Borg handed Valletta a merited victory which lifted them above Hibs at the summit of the nascent BOV Premier League table on 18 points, two more than the Paolites who have a game in hand.
After their toils to overcome Mqabba in their last outing before the international break, Valletta played a lot better yesterday. They were compact, especially in midfield where Edmond Agius, rightly voted BOV player of the match, and Pace reigned supreme while their forwards never stopped moving.
Birkirkara battled gamely and tried hard to maintain their tactical shape in the face of Valletta’s pressure but they offered little going forward. It is clear that Zammit has a big job on his hands to transform Birkirkara into an attacking force besides getting his new-look back four to defend as a unit.
The spirits of the Valletta fans will have been lifted by the news that Michael Mifsud and Jonathan Caruana had received the all-clear to start. Also making a return for Valletta was sturdy defender Borg who missed the 4-2 victory over Mqabba due to suspension.
Zammit’s team selection, his first since resuming the reins of Birkirkara, contained no surprises.
Newcomer Dragan Perisic was thrust straight into the thick of things, the Serbian defender partnering Brazilian Rodrigo Pereira in the heart of Birkirkara’s rearguard.
Andrew Decesare started at right-back for Birkirkara as Angus Buhagiar failed to recover from a hamstring problem.
Spanish forward Moises Avila was the central figure in Birkirkara’s attack with Trevor Cilia and Terence Vella deployed on the wings in a 4-1-2-3 formation.
The presence of four forwards, namely William Barbosa, Alfred Effiong, Denni and Mifsud was testament to Valletta coach Jesmond Zerafa’s attacking intent. Barbosa positioned himself in front of the central duo of Pace and Agius as Effiong and Denni had the freedom to swap flanks to confuse the Birkirkara defence.
Denni, who had been doubtful before the match after picking up a knock in training, was presented with the BOV player of the month award for September prior to kick-off.
The Birkirkara fans showed their enthusiasm for the return of Zammit by unfurling a banner featuring the coach’s portrait.
Six minutes into the game, Pace, who retained the captain’s armband in the absence of the suspended Gilbert Agius, lifted the ball over from Denni’s right-wing corner.
Trevor Cilia’s rising free-kick from the distance flew over as the two teams toiled for fluency in the initial exchanges.
Referee Esther Azzopardi had to deal with the first contentious episode after just 12 minutes when Mifsud appeared to have barged into Pereira. She opted to verbally caution the Valletta striker despite the vociferous pleas of the Birkirkara fans to book Mifsud.
Barbosa was prominent on 20 minutes with a powerful run through the middle after Valletta had cleared a Birkirkara attack. The Brazilian exchanged passes with Mifsud but the latter’s final effort sailed over the bar.
Midway through the first half, Denni came close to giving Valletta the lead. Barbosa was the provider with an intelligent pass from midfield and Denni got behind the Birkirkara defence but his first-time effort was off target.
Close to the half-hour mark, Valletta protested for a penalty when goalkeeper Jorge Mora appeared to catch Effiong’s foot but Azzopardi pointed to the corner flag. Mora then did well to repel Roderick Briffa’s long-range drive.
The champions were producing the more cohesive stuff now as the constant movement of their forwards prevented Birkirkara from making inroads in City’s half.
After a lull in entertaining football, Valletta opened the scoring four minutes from half-time. Birkirkara were found wanting at the back as Agius’s set-piece cross from the middle of the pitch soared into the box where Pace rose above everyone to direct a looping header over the startled Mora and into the far corner of the net.
Birkirkara mustered a good move when Gareth Sciberras released Rowen Muscat in the box but the Malta U-21 midfielder took a touch too many and was eventually dispossessed.
Two minutes from the start of the second half had gone by when Agius’s well-struck first-timer whistled past the far post. Barbosa’s menacing free-kick was beaten away by the diving Mora but a mistake by Caruana in the centre of the pitch handed Birkirkara a lifeline on 54 minutes.
With several Valletta players in Birkirkara’s half, Caruana tried to stride forward through the middle only to be dispossessed. The Stripes were quick to switch from defence to attack as Cilia powered forward before releasing Avila who flicked the ball past the on-rushing Andrew Hogg.
Birkirkara’s equaliser disrupted Valletta’s rhythm as the white-shirted players laboured to recapture their earlier fluency. Soon after Birkirkara’s goal, Zerafa had brought on Falzon for Effiong and it was the new entrant who procured the free-kick from which the Citizens went back in front at midpoint of the second half.
Once again, it was Agius, a vital cog in Valletta’s midfield engine, who whipped in an excellent cross from the ensuing set-piece and Borg’s header had too much power for Mora.
Zammit brought on Leighton Grech for Vella to add speed to his team’s attack. Twelve minutes from time, Grech created space for a shot inside the box but his effort was too central to unnerve Hogg.
The Birkirkara coach threw on another forward as Nigerian Shola Haruna replaced Perisic who had a satisfactory debut.
Mifsud threatened to extend Valletta’s lead as the Malta captain drifted infield from the left and cut inside Sciberras but his angled effort was pawed away by Mora.
Falzon then skied his shot after a good run and Ousseni Zongo, who had come on for Denni, tried to surprise Mora with a chip but the Spanish goalkeeper saved.
Valletta
A. Hogg-6, J. Caruana-6, S. Borg-7.5, I. Azzopardi-6.5, A. Effiong-5.5 (57 D. Falzon-7), R. Briffa-6.5, J. Pace-7, E. Agius-8.5, Denni-6 (87 O. Zongo), W. Barbosa-6, M. Mifsud-6.
Birkirkara
J. Mora-6, T. Cilia-6 (88 A. Tabone), J. Zerafa-5.5, R. Pereira-6, A. Decesare-5, D. Perisic-6 (84 S. Haruna), P. Fenech-6.5, T. Vella-5 (70 L. Grech-5), R. Muscat-5, M. Avila-6.5, G. Sciberras-6.5.
Referee: Esther Azzopardi.
Yellow card: Sciberras.
BOV player of the match: Edmond Agius (Valletta).
Attendance: 3,166.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Valletta | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 18 |
| Hibernians | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 16 |
| Floriana | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Sliema | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 12 |
| Qormi | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
| Birkirkara | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Mqabba | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 10 |
| Balzan Youths | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 5 |
| Marsaxlokk | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 4 |
| Hamrun | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| Tarxien | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 4 |
| Mosta | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 1 |