Birkirkara 2 Balzan 1
Champions Birkirkara at last found a way through the Balzan defence when three minutes from Mateus Bissi Da Silvi scored the winning goal with the Balzan side protesting heavily as they were practically certain the ball did not cross the line. There was a melee inside the area with Daniel Miguelez Martinez looking to have saved the effort, maybe a whisker over the line.
Birkirkara managed to turn defeat into victory as they were losing 1-0 with around 20 minutes to go. A draw may have been a fairer result, even though Birirkara had most of the possession and attacked relentlessly in the second period the Balzan rearguard.
After only four minutes Rodrigo Pereira’s glancing header following a Dylan Grima free-kick put Balzan ahead. On 27 minutes Mark Spiteri was close to scoring a second goal for Balzan when from a Dylan Grima through pass he anticipated Justin Haber to slot the ball inches wide of goal. Birkirkara first realt threat at goal came on 35 minutes when a Paul Fenech drive was well saved by goalkeeper Daniel Miguelez Martinez saved well.
Two minutes before the break a a Demba Toure free-kick was saved by the Balzan custodian. And a minute later Haruna Shola’s low effort from 25 metres finished wide.
On resumption the Champions came out searching an eqialiser and on 57 an Edward Herrera cross shot was well saved by the Balzan custodian, and from the rebout it was Miguelez Martinez again who turned the ball away for a corner a Haruna Shola drive.
On 70 minutes Demba Toure missed a sitter from four metres when unmarked hit wide from a Herrera free-kick. At last the Champions managed to equalise when on 72 minutes
Shodiya Haruna Shola rose well to hgead home an Edward Herrera corner from the right flank.
Now the Champions were all over Balzan and an Edward Herrera volley was again well saved by Miguelez Martinez. But on 82 minutes Periera was close to repeating his fourth minute strike when from a Firas Aboulezz corner he rose well to head inches over the crossbar.
But it was Birkirkara who continued to press forward with Balzan looking capable of holding inb to a point, that controversial goal came to shatter their dreams.