Birkirkara 7 Naxxar Lions 1

Birkirkara turned on the style to thump high-flyers Naxxar Lions 7-1.

In the opening stages, the lack of genuine width seemed to be causing Birkirkara problems as the Naxxar defence ganged up on Haruna, Temile and Jhonnattan in a congested attacking third and Muscat’s team were content to burst forward in small numbers on the break.

Understandably, the Stripes continued to enjoy large swatches of possession but for all their possession they were finding it hard to unlock the solid defence.

All this changed when Jhonnattann directed a cross into the Lions goalmouth and a defensive blunder by Thiago Lopes led to Birkirkara’s opener when the sturdy defender mistimed his clearance from Temile’s cross and the Brazilian pounced on the chance to smack a powerful shot behind Julian Azzopardi, the Naxxar goalkeeper.

Paul Zammit’s troops applied additional pressure on their opponent’s defence and another defensive brought a second goal nine minutes from half-time. A short clearance by the Naxxar rearguard fell to the unmarked Haruna who zipped open the defence with a delicate ball for Scicluna who timed well his run to deposit the ball into the net.

Birkirkara made it 3-0 nine minutes after the restart. Edward Herrera’s free-kick was excellent but Alejandro Mendoza rose unmarked to bullet a header past the helpless Azzopardi.

Three minutes later, profiting on some hesitant defending, Haruna retrieved possession outside the box and took a touch before arrowing a powrful shot over Azzopardi.

Lopes’s calamitous evening continued past the hour mark when he gave way possession cheaply at the edge of the Naxxar box and Jhonnattann took full advantage to stroke the ball home from close-range.

Birkirkara’s incessant pressure was interrupted after 68 minutes. Angus Buhagiar’s cross that looked to pose little threat to substitute goalkeeper Reuben Gauci but Birkirkara’s No.1 lost his balance and the ball rolled into the path of Scerri to score his fifth consecutive goal.

But Naxxar’s reprieve was short-lived as Jhonnattann completed his hat-trick midway into the second half. Scicluna directed a cross towards Nikola Vukanac who chested the ball down for the Brazilian whose effort bulged the net behind Azzopardi.

Fifteen minutes from time, the prolific striker got his fourth and Birkirkara’s seventh goal with an angled shot that arched over Azzopardi into the top corner.

Minutes later, Gauci made amends for his previous blunder to deny newcomer Milan Vignjevic from getting his name on the scoresheet before referee Adrian Azzopardi put the Lions out of their misery.