Vittoriosa Stars 0
Valletta 3
Sammut 2; Zammit 80; Falzon 88
Those who wait are not necessarily rewarded. After a 35-year absence, Vittoriosa’s return to the top flight ended in defeat as two late goals gave new Valletta coach Jesmond Zerafa a winning introduction to the Premier League and left the Stars heartbroken after a spirited display.
The game was only 63 seconds old when Valletta, widely tipped to end Birkirkara’s domestic supremacy, opened the scoring.
Many thought that Kevin Sammut’s early goal would open the floodgates but Valletta had to wait 80 more minutes to put their minds at rest and extinguish Vittoriosa’s hopes of a comeback.
Winston Muscat, the Vittoriosa coach, was forced to shuffle his pack as his team had to chase the game. Indeed, a match that produced countless scoring chances could so easily have headed in any direction after Sammut’s early contribution.
Yet, Vittoriosa were taught a harsh lesson about life in the top division of Maltese football as Valletta sealed the issue with two late goals from substitutes Ian Zammit and Dyson Falzon.
Muscat can take consolation from the fact that Vittoriosa will not play Valletta every week. He had asked for time for his new signings to gel prior to the game and, with eight new recruits making their league debut, it took Vittoriosa a while to find their feet.
Valletta, on the other hand, were composed and assured and it took them just a few seconds to go in front.
Omonigo Temile broke free on the right and fed Sammut who raced clear at the far post before coolly slotting the ball under the on-rushing Simon Agius.
Vittoriosa seemed content to pack the midfield and leave Luis Edison as a lone striker, while Valletta illuminated the contest with some delightful passing.
New boy Ian Azzopardi looked more like a winger than a left-back and after 15 minutes, he served Gilbert Agius who found space for a shot but hit it high over Agius’s crossbar.
Jamie Pace then smashed a fierce effort against the bar.
After 24 minutes, Pace and Azzopardi combined to play in Denni who hit wide as Valletta continued to pepper Vittoriosa’s goal. A few moments later, Terrence Scerri latched on to a ball over the top but dragged his shot wide.
It was not just the Citizens’ forward line that was catching the eye... goalkeeper Andrew Hogg did well to block Anthony Ewurum’s effort on the half hour mark.
Vittoriosa upped their game after the break but they lacked a cutting edge.
Jorge Santos Silva was given a glimpse of goal in the 46th minute after a neat flick from Carlos Campagnoli but the Brazilian rammed the ball high and wide.
Valletta looked threatening at set-pieces and in the 57th minute, from a free-kick by Agius, Scerri slid in at the back post but could not connect with the ball. Minutes later, Jeffrey Chetcuti almost gifted his former side an unlikely goal when his clearance flew perilously close to his own goal.
The Whites had the momentum but it was suddenly wrested from them. In a swift counter-attack, Jorge Santos Silva retrieved the ball and set off on a mazy run but Azzopardi tripped the Vittoriosa striker just outside the box.
The Stars went agonisingly close to an equaliser when, from Campagnoli’s free-kick, Edison rose above the pack only to see his powerful header sail just over the bar.
Zerafa tried to inject some pace into his team’s play, bringing on Zammit for Sammut.
Buoyed by their improved display, Vittoriosa pressed forward but they soon suffered a blow when Campagnoli was sent off for a second bookable offence on 64 minutes. Vittoriosa held out for the next 15 minutes but just as their hopes of an equaliser began to soar, Valletta struck again.
With 10 minutes left, Zammit, who had barely been on the field for five minutes, curled a free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.
However, Vittoriosa did not seem too disheartened and five minutes from time, Jonathan Caruana made a goal-line clearance to deny Edison.
With Vittoriosa surging forward, it seemed inevitable that Valletta would score again. They made it 3-0 two minutes from time, Falzon scoring from the rebound after Agius had partially saved an effort by Temile.
Playing today
National Stadium: 19.30 - Sliema Wanderers vs Birkirkara.
Vittoriosa Stars
S. Agius-6, C. Micallef-5 (67 K. Mifsud-5), P. Aquilina-5, S. Pace-5, J. Chetcuti-6, C. Campagnoli, L. Edison dos Santos-6.5, D. Cachia-5, J. Santos Silva-7 (86 K. Sammut), A. Ewurum-6 (70 L. Grech), S. Wellman-5.5.
Valletta
A. Hogg-6, R. Briffa-6, Ramon-6, J. Caruana-6, I. Azzopardi-6.5, G. Agius-5, O. Temile-6.5 (83 D. Falzon), J. Pace-7.5, Denni-5, K. Sammut-6.5 (73 I. Zammit-6), T. Scerri-5.5 (79 J. Okonkwo).
Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.
Yellow cards: Pace; Micallef; Campagnoli; Ramon, Azzopardi.
Red card: Campagnoli (VS) 64.
BOV player of the match: Jamie Pace (Valletta).