Birkirkara 1
Liliu 39;
Valletta 2
Falcone 44; Priso 86;
Valletta’s pre-season gloom is fast giving way to rising optimism.
Back-to-back wins in their opening two league games had already gone some way towards lifting the mood of the City fans but this showdown with rivals Birkirkara was always going to be viewed as the first acid test for this revamped team.
In keeping with expectations, the two heavyweights served up a gripping encounter, especially in a highly-charged first half, with Birkirkara tearing out of the blocks only for Valletta to grow in stature as the game progressed.
Much of the pre-match focus had inevitably been on Paul Zammit as this was his first encounter against his former club since moving to Valletta in summer.
Zammit was composure personified throughout as his team rallied from a goal down to turn the tables on the fading Birkirkara.
There had been little between the two teams but Zammit played his cards better than his counterpart Giovanni Tedesco as the late introduction of Njongo Priso and the tactical switch to 4-3-3 changed the dynamic of a tight game.
It was Priso, the Cameroon-born winger who is expected to be granted Maltese citizenship in the coming weeks, who delivered the game’s box-office moment as, with four minutes left, he tricked his way into the box to strike the winner.
Given the way the game panned out, a draw would probably have been a fair result but Valletta surely deserve credit for holding their nerve after falling behind and for finishing the game as the stronger side.
While Valletta now have maximum points from three games, Birkirkara have dropped five from their last two.
Defeat will increase the pressure on Tedesco but these are still early days and, judging by the team’s performance yesterday, there is no reason to panic.
The Stripes played well, especially in the first 20 minutes of both halves, but again they lacked continuity and looked short of energy in the final stages.
There was a nice moment before kick-off as Zammit marched towards the section occupied by the Birkirkara fans to receive a memento amid shouts of ‘Pawlu, Pawlu’.
Zammit sprung a surprise as he opted for three at the back, a decision that brought a recall for defender Ryan Camilleri who was flanked by Jonathan Caruana and Juan Cruz Gill.
In attack, pacey Brazilian Jhonnattann was partnered by towering Argentine Federico Falcone with Roderick Briffa roaming behind.
Tedesco duly restored striker Liliu to his starting XI but there was no place for Zach Muscat as the Italian tactician started with Edward Herrera at right-back.
Tedesco went with 4-1-3-2 with Fabrizio Miccoli and Liliu in attack and Rowen Muscat marshalling the back four.
The game was just over a minute old when Birkirkara captain Paul Fenech attempted an audacious lob from long range but his effort was high.
Birkirkara went close again when Miccoli’s cross seeped into the six-yard box but Nikola Vukanac’s scrambled header was high.
Tedesco’s team stormed out of the blocks. They appealed for a penalty when Liliu went down after being challenged by Cruz Gill but their claims were waved away by referee Andre Arciola.
On 11 minutes, Claudio Pani, the Valletta midfielder, was wide from the distance.
Miccoli, served by Edmond Agius, cut inside Romeu Romao but his rising shot was off target.
There was a scare for Valletta when Miccoli’s cross from the left was met by Liliu but his downward header was wide.
Valletta were finding the going tough in the early stages. With Briffa playing close to the strikers, they looked bereft of flair in midfield relying as they were on two defensive players in Albert Bruce and Pani and two flank defenders in Ian Azzopardi and Romao, albeit the latter is fast emerging as one of the most powerful right-backs in the Premier League.
When Jhonnattann tracked back to receive the ball, Valletta posed an instant threat as the Brazilian brought Briffa into play. The Malta midfielder supplied an excellent through-ball to Jhonnattann who was crowded out as Justin Haber dashed out to close the angle.
Jhonnattann was first to the loose ball but his rising effort was too central to unsettle Haber.
At the other end, Henry Bonello, the Valletta goalkeeper, saved from Liliu after the latter had shaken off Caruana’s challenge.
The game opened up. Romao glided past Ryan Camenzuli before arrowing a cross that was picked up by Falcone but his grounder was stopped by Haber.
Bonello punched away Miccoli’s corner and, moments later, the former Italy striker went down clutching his face after a duel with Bruce.
Birkirkara struck six minutes from half-time.
Having won a free-kick after being felled by Pani, Miccoli played the ball short to Liliu whose incursion into the box went unchecked by the white-shirted players. Liliu unleashed an angled drive that appeared to come off Camilleri whose deflection wrong-footed Bonello.
The Birkirkara supporters were in delirium.
Two minutes later, Valletta threatened to equalise but Cruz Gill’s drive was charged down by Muscat after Azzopardi had nodded Romao’s cross into the Ar-gentine’s path.
Another flowing Valletta move saw the marauding Jhonnattann trade passes with Azzopardi whose cross was again met by the Brazilian but his first-time flick was saved by Haber.
There was nothing Haber could do to prevent Valletta from levelling matters on the brink of half-time. Bruce played a key role as his raking ball from midfield soared above the Birkirkara defenders and towards the advancing Falcone who beat Haber with a reverse chip to the evident delight of the City fans.
As in the opening half, Bir-kirkara sought to take the initiative when the second period got underway.
Miccoli lifted his shot over the bar after getting on the end of Camenzuli’s low cross.
Zammit then made his first substitution, sending on Llywelyn Cremona for Briffa.
Tedesco responded by introducing forward Juan Quero Barraso for Agius while Zach Muscat replaced the hobbling Vukanac.
The second half became a battle of attrition as tiredness appeared to catch up with both teams.
With 21 minutes remaining, Falcone drifted infield from the left but his long-range drive was off target.
Vito Plut replaced Liliu while, for Valletta, Priso came on for Romao as Zammit adjusted to four at the back.
The Whites threatened five minutes from time when Caruana flashed in to connect with Jhonnattann’s corner but his sliced header was wide.
Barely a minute passed when Valletta seized the lead thanks to Priso who nutmegged Mauricio Mazzetti before firing past Haber from a tight angle.
Birkirkara looked stunned but fashioned a chance only for Plut to head over from Mazzetti’s cross.
In stoppage time, Mazzetti cushioned the ball to Barraso inside the box but out came Bonello to deny the Spaniard as Valletta held on.
Birkirkara
J. Haber-5, E. Herrera-5, N. Vukanac-6 (68 Z. Muscat-5.5), M. Mazzetti-6.5, J. Zerafa-6, R. Muscat-7, E. Agius-5.5 (67 J. Quero Barraso-5.5), P. Fenech-6, Liliu-7 (77 V. Plut), F. Miccoli-6, R. Camenzuli-5.5.
Valletta
H. Bonello-6.5, J. Caruana-6, I. Azzopardi-6.5, R. Camilleri-6, J. Cruz Gill-6.5, R. Briffa-5.5 (66 L. Cremona-5), A. Bruce-7, F. Falcone-6.5, C. Pani-6.5, Jhonnattann-7 (85 J.P. Mifsud Triganza), R. Romao-7 (76 N. Priso-7.5).
Referee: Andre Arciola.
Yellow cards: Zerafa; Pani; Fenech; Bruce.
BOV player of the match: Rowen Muscat (Birkirkara).
Attendance: 2,883.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Valletta | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
| Mosta | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
| Hibernians | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 |
| Pembroke | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Tarxien | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Balzan | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Birkirkara | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| Floriana | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Sliema | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Qormi | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| St Andrew’s | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| Naxxar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 |