Birkirkara 1
Fenech 32;
Valletta 1
Briffa 29;
Before their hard-earned 1-0 victory over Hibs last weekend, Valletta had hardly been tested in their opening six games as they kickstarted their title defence in the most emphatic fashion.
Another formidable obstacle awaited Valletta yesterday as they came across a Birkirkara side whose own encouraging start to the season has justified their status as potential contenders for the title.
Paul Zammit, the Birkirkara coach, described yesterday’s meeting with the much-vaunted champions as an opportunity to gauge his team’s potential.
After 90 minutes of high-octane action, Zammit will have left the stadium brimming with renewed optimism after seeing his team rise to the challenge to hold Valletta to a one-all draw, in the process spoiling their rivals’ flawless opening to the season.
The two goals came in the space of three first-half minutes with Birkirkara biting back to wipe out Roderick Briffa’s opener.
Paul Fenech’s equaliser had a galvanising effect on this well-oiled Birkirkara team whose brisk movement and tactical organisation rattled the Citizens who, for the first time this season, looked short of inspiration for most of the second half.
Amid Valletta’s travails, it was hard to escape the feeling that the champions are perhaps not impregnable as many have suggested, especially when confronted with a disciplined team like Birkirkara.
It has to be said though that the substitutions didn’t help Valletta’s cause as coach Mark Miller was twice forced to rejig his formation after Dyson Falzon hobbled off early in the game and Michael Mifsud, their attacking fulcrum, was withdrawn at half-time with a dead leg.
Miller’s decision to switch Gabriel to attack didn’t work but it was in midfield where Valletta struggled most as the likes of William Barbosa and Briffa were outrun by their opponents.
Birkirkara’s bold start heightened their fans’ optimism about their chances of ruffling the preening feathers of the erstwhile unbeaten champions. It also served to renew their rivalry with the Citizens with both sets of colourful fans raising the decibel level as kick-off approached.
The availability of Ricardo, making his comeback from injury, enabled Miller to restore captain Briffa to a central midfield role as Steve Borg reverted to right-back. Ricardo was not the only change to Valletta’s formation as Shaun Bajada replaced the injured Ryan Fenech while Brazilian forward Leandro da Silva had to settle for a place on the bench.
Miller opted for a fluid 4-5-1-cum-4-3-3 with Gabriel and Denni operating on the wings and Michael Mifsud as lone striker.
Zammit’s selection contained one notable surprise as striker Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza, scorer of a hat-trick in the 4-1 rout of Tarxien Rainbows, was left out of the starting line-up.
Inevitably, Mifsud Triganza’s omission was met with a few raised eyebrows but it was probably motivated by Zammit’s desire to bolster his team’s defensive ability on the flanks with inclusion of two speedy wing-backs in the recalled Ryan Camenzuli and Edward Herrera.
Herrera was deployed at right-back while Camenzuli was assigned a more attacking role on the left of midfield. Birkirkara’s attack was led by the mobile duo of Brazilian Jhonnattann and Nigerian Shola Shodiya Haruna.
It was Reuben Gauci, the Birkirkara goalkeeper, who made the first noteworthy intervention of the evening as he leapt to his right paw away William Barbosa’s pulverising drive after just seven minutes.
Valletta then had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Trustin Farrugia Cann after Mifsud, latching on to a through-ball by Barbosa, fell after coming in contact with Nikola Vukanac.
Barbosa’s early shot aside, the initial stages were devoid of scoring chances as the two sides were careful to keep their tactical shape while their passing left much to be desired.
Valletta were again denied by Gauci on 27 minutes, the Birkirkara custodian repelling Gabriel’s dangerous shot from inside the box before Vukanac headed clear.
This proved to be the premable to Valletta’s opener which came two minutes later. Gabriel burst forward on the right before arrowing a magnificent cross towards the centre of the box and the sprinting Briffa guided an unstoppable header past Gauci.
The City faithful were elated but not for long.
Barely four minutes from Valletta’s breakthrough had passed when Birkirkara restored parity. The dawdling Barbosa was dispossessed by Herrera on the edge of the box and the former Hibs player squared to Paul Fenech. The latter’s initial shot appeared to ricochet off Jhonnattann but the ball rolled back to Fenech who fired home to send the Birkirkara fans into raptures.
Nine minutes from half-time, Mifsud incurred the wrath of his opponents with a reckless tackle on Vukanac. The Malta captain was booked for his misdemeanour.
Dyson Falzon’s injury forced Miller into his first substitution with Edmond Agius coming on for the former Mosta winger and Bajada dropping to left-back.
Birkirkara’s equaliser knocked Valletta off their stride as it was the Stripes who now showed the brighter ideas with the energetic Haruna causing endless problems to the opposing defenders.
On the verge of half-time, Barbosa unleashed a ferocious free-kick which drifted wide of a post.
Miller was compelled to reshape his formation for a second time at half-time as Mifsud didn’t appear for the second half due to injury.
His place was taken by Kurt Magro who stationed himself on the right of midfield with Gabriel taking up the striker’s role.
The Whites fashioned the first chance of the second half, Borg heading wide from Agius’s corner. Not before long, Birkirkara issued a reminder of their counter-attacking threat as Haruna sped clear of Jonathan Caruana before picking out Jhonnattann whose central flick was parried away by Manuel Bartolo.
Chances came thick and fast in the early stages of the second half with both teams upping the tempo of their game. Gauci blocked Denni’s grounder but at the other end, Valletta were finding it hard to deal with the marauding Haruna.
A minute past the hour, Jhonnattann’s free-kick ended wide. After that early flurry of chances, the game descended into a scrappy affair with both teams guilty of forfeting possession too easily.
With 21 minutes remaining, Miller introduced Leandro for Gabriel. The Stripes had a good chance when Haruna released Jhonnattann but the Brazilian’s shot was stopped by Bartolo.
Zammit made his first change, one he probably planned to do before the match, as Mifsud Triganza came on for Camenzuli.
Eleven minutes from time, Birkirkara would have taken the lead but for a top-drawer save from Bartolo who leapt into the air to smother away Vukanac’s glancing header from Jhonnattann’s right-wing corner.
That was to be Jhonnattann’s final contribution as he soon made way for fellow Brazilian Joselito, a further indication of Zammit’s intent to press for a winner.
Valletta struggled to settle into their usual rhythm in the second half as the hard-running Birkirkara players defended compactly and broke forward in numbers.
As the match entered stoppage time, Miller was seen gesturing angrily in the technical area, shouting instructions at his players but the referee’s final whistle came soon afterwards.
Birkirkara
R. Gauci-7, N. Vukanac-7, A. Mendoza Corujo-6.5, J. Zerafa-6, R. Camenzuli-6 (75 J.P. Mifsud Triganza), G. Sciberras-7, P. Fenech-6.5, E. Herrera-7, R. Muscat-7, Jhonnattann-6.5 (80 Joselito), S. Shodiya Haruna-8 (89 Z. Muscat).
Valletta
M. Bartolo-7, Ricardo-7, J. Caruana-5, S. Borg-6, Gabriel-6 (70 Leandro-5), R. Briffa-6, D. Falzon-6 (37 E. Agius-6), Denni-6, W. Barbosa-5, S. Bajada-5, M. Mifsud-5 (46 K. Magro-5).
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann.
Yellow cards: Sciberras; Mifsud; Camenzuli; Agius.
BOV player of the match: Shola Shodiya Haruna (Birkirkara).
Attendance: 2,701.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Valletta | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 19 |
| Birkirkara | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 16 |
| Hibernians | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 15 |
| Sliema W. | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 13 |
| Mosta | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 12 |
| Floriana | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 9 |
| Tarxien | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 7 |
| Qormi | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 7 |
| Ħamrun | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 7 |
| Balzan | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 4 |
| Rabat Ajax | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 2 |
| Melita | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 1 |