Floriana 0
Birkirkara 1
Borg 76;
Birkirkara returned to a more familiar top-three position yesterday after edging Floriana 1-0 in a scrappy encounter at the National Stadium.
An opportunistic goal from central defender Patrick Borg turned out to be enough for the champions to have the better of Floriana and boost their aspirations of a top-six finish at the end of the second round after an inconsistent run of results had jeopardised the team’s ambitions of retaining the Premier League title this season.
Borg’s goal, however, was just one of a few positives for the Stripes yesterday.
True, coach Paul Zammit had various first-team players missing but the team still looked jaded and short of ideas for most of the match. Indeed, Birkirkara must up their game by several notches if they are not to fall behind in the race for the major honours.
But goals are the most important factor in football and Birkirkara got the breakthrough late on to move on the 17-point mark, one ahead of Ħamrun Spartans and two better off than Floriana.
Birkirkara yesterday had Trevor Cilia, Ryan Harding, Nikola Vukanac and Andrew Decesare unfit and Joseph Zerafa serving a one-match ban.
Zammit partnered Rowen Muscat with Borg in the heart of defence while Alan Tabone retained his place in midfield after his two-goal exploit against Sliema the previous week.
Floriana coach Todor Raykov had an almost full compliment at his disposal, midfielder Christian Cassar being their only major absentee after failing to recover from knee trouble.
The match was devoid of goalmouth action in the early stages with both sides struggling to create any scoring chances.
In fact, we had to wait until the 16th minute for the first opportunity when Floriana were awarded a corner, taken by Pablo Doffo, and Michael Mecerod saw his glancing header finish just wide.
Birkirkara t ried to hit back but for all their possession they struggled to cause any sort of danger to an organised Floriana rearguard.
Instead, it was the Greens who threatened again when Ivan Woods’s attempt from a free-kick finished over. Then, Doffo picked Manolito Micallef in the Birkirkara box but the wing-back saw his shot blocked by keeper Michael Fraser.
Birkirkara’s first real pot at goal arrived just before half-time when Muscat released Emiliano Lattes but the Argentine winger miscued his shot from a good position.
The half-time break did little to revitalise proceedings and as such scoring chances remained at a premium.
In the stands, things were livelier though as the followers of Birkirkara and Hibs, the latter gathering for the second match, joined forces to taunt their rivals from Valletta at the other side of the enclosure.
On the field, Zammit withdrew Shaun Bajada and Tabone and roped in Terence Vella and Karl Pulo in a bid to inject some fresh impetus into his team’s attacking moves. Raykov responded by introducing Christian Caruana in lieu of Sasha Borg.
On 68 minutes, Fraser misjudged his sortie following a Doffo cross but Floriana failed to profit from the situation.
A minute later, Birkirkara thought they had opened the score when in a swift break, Lattes squared the ball to Michael Galea who saw his effort parried by Lofti Saidi. In came Pulo who fired the loose ball home.
However, the ‘goal’ was an-nulled for an infringement by the Birkirkara substitute.
The stalemate was finally broken 15 minutes from time.
Lattes drifted the ball into the Floriana box from a free-kick and Borg did well to push it beyond the goal-line at the far post.
Birkirkara should have added a second soon after when in a swift break Pulo raced clear on the left but miscued his pass towards Lattes and Saidi was quick to intercept.
Floriana never gave up and four minutes from time substitute Ryan Darmanin headed the ball just wide from a Doffo corner.
The Stripes should have killed off the match in stoppage time but the predatory instincts of veteran Galea deserted him with only Saidi to beat.
Floriana
L. Saidi-6, B. Said-6.5, P. Doffo-6.5, M. Micallef-6, D. Pisani-6, M. Mecerod-5.5, I. Woods-7, J. Borg-6.5 (79 R, Darmanin), S. Borg-6 (63 C. Caruana-5), T. Farrugia-6, C. Borg-6 (70 I. Sokolov-5).
Birkirkara
M. Fraser-6, T. Paris-6.5 (83 R. Scicluna), P. Borg-7, S. Zahra-6.5, S. Bajada-5 (61 T. Vella-6), P. Fenech-6.5, A. Tabone-5 (61 K. Pulo-6), R. Muscat-6, A. Buhagiar-6, M. Galea-5, E. Lattes-7.
Referee: Alan Mario Sant.
Yellow cards: Mecerod; Buhagiar; Muscat; Pisani; Vella; Fenech; Sokolov.
BOV player of the match: Emiliano Lattes (Birkirkara).