Birkirkara 1
Avila-Perez 47;
Floriana 2
Sodje 32, 36;

Floriana put themselves on pole to secure third place in the league championship when they edged Birkirkara in a thrilling encounter yesterday.

With just two points separating the Stripes and the Greens at the start of the match, both teams looked determined to take maximum points and boost their bid for the last-available Europa League berth via the league standings.

Floriana looked on their way as two quick-fire goals from Onome Sodje put them in a comfortable lead by the end of the first half.

But the Stripes, who started the day two points ahead of the Greens, failed to throw in the towel and substitute Moises Avila-Perez put his team back in the reckoning.

The red card to midfielder Clyde Borg further piled the pressure on Floriana who, however, weathered the storm and held on to a vital win.

Birkirkara coach Paul Zammit effected only one change to the team that crushed Balzan Youths 5-0 last week as Shaun Bajada was recalled at the expense of Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza who was dropped to the bench.

Paul Fenech, who recovered from an ankle injury, was not in the Stripes’ 18-man squad.

Joe Brincat, the Floriana coach, also effected one change to the starting formation as Borg was preferred to John Mintoff who was among the substitutes. Striker Christian Caruana was again missing due to suspension.

Prior to kick-off, the two teams held a minute’s silence in memory of Livorno player Piermario Morosini who died during a Serie B match against Pescara on Saturday.

Birkirkara were quick off the mark and after two minutes Bajada sped clear on the left before sending a dangerous, low cross into the path of Shola Shodiya who fired over with only Floriana goalkeeper Manuel Bartolo to beat.

Two minutes later Floriana were almost punished for some wayward defending when Bartolo, in a bid to clear the ball, was dispossessed by Shodiya.

The Nigerian seemed to have been pushed off the ball by Manolito Micallef but the referee saw nothing untoward. The loose ball fell into the path of Bajada who fired wide.

Birkirkara remained the more adventurous side and on 20 minutes Angus Buhagiar centred the ball towards Nikola Vukanac who headed just over.

Floriana finally threatened near the half-hour mark. They were awarded a central free-kick from which Pablo Doffo saw his inswinger pushed to a corner by the diving Reuben Gauci.

That was perhaps the prelude of what was to come two minutes later as Ivan Woods released Sodje who sped clear and planted the ball past the Stripes keeper to open the score.

Birkirkara almost equalised from kick-off. Ryan Scicluna’s cross was somehow cleared by Bartolo and Bajada’s rasping drive finished just wide.

But, at the other end, the Woods-Sodje tandem was at it again three minutes later.

In a quick raid, Woods released his strike partner on the edge of the area and he expertly curled the ball past Gauci’s reach to the delight of the Greens fans.

At the break, Zammit opted to withdraw Rodrigo Pereira and Bajada and roped in two forwards, Moises Avila-Perez and Mifsud Triganza in a bid to turn the match around.

Pereira’s withdrawal saw Sciberras moving in the heart of defence with the two substitutes partnering Shodiya in a three-pronged Bir-kirkara attack.

However, it was Floriana who came close to a third goal when Sodje served Andre Grabowski whose grounder almost had the better of Gauci with the ball finishing inside the side-rigging.

From the prospect of falling three goals behind, Birkirkara succeeded in halving the deficit.

Shodiya’s cross was misjudged by Bartolo with the ball falling kindly to Avila-Perez who stabbed the ball inside an empty net.

That goal sparked the Stripes into life and in a 54th-minute quick break Jorge released Shodiya whose shot was blocked by Eric Akoto. The ball rolled into the path of Mifsud Triganza but his goal-bound effort was cleared off the line by Owen Bugeja.

Sensing his opponents’ growing threat Brincat introduced Tyrone Farrugia to strengthen the back-line.

Just past the hour, Gauci looked shaky when trying to hold Doffo’s free-kick but luckily for the Stripes no.1, the ball ran out of play.

Birkirkara then suffered a blow when Jorge limped out injured and Grabowski could have killed off the Stripes when he burst through, turned past Gauci but his ensuing shot at goal lacked precision.

Floriana finished with ten men 15 minutes from time when Borg collected a second yellow card in the space of a few minutes and was dismissed.

The Stripes stepped up the pressure and could have snatched a dramatic equaliser in stoppage time but Mifsud Triganza, with only Bartolo to beat, shot wide of goal to the Greens’ relief.

Birkirkara
R. Gauci-5.5, N. Vukanac-5.5, R. Pereira-5 (46 M. Avila-Perez-6.5), J. Zerafa-6, S. Bajada-5 (46 J.P. Mifsud Triganza-6), G. Sciberras-6.5, A. Buhagiar-6, R. Muscat-6, R. Scicluna-5.5, Jorge-6.5 (66 A. Tabone-5), S. Shodiya-6.5.

Floriana
M. Bartolo-5.5, D. Pisani-6.5, M. Micallef-6, E. Akoto-7, O. Bugeja-7, P. Doffo-7, I. Woods-7.5, T. Paris-6 (58 T. Farrugia-6), A. Grabowski-6.5 (80 B. Farrugia), C. Borg, O. Sodje-8 (90 Alandson ).

Referee: Trustan Farrugia Cann.

Yellow cards: Woods, Shodiya, Borg. Red card Borg (F) 75.

BOV Player of the match: Onome Sodje (Floriana).

Standings

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Valletta	28	22	5	1	68	22	44
Hibernians	28	19	6	3	68	23	38
Floriana	28	15	6	7	43	29	30
Birkirkara	28	14	4	10	46	34	29
Sliema W.	28	8	13	7	41	38	20
Balzan Y.	28	9	5	14	35	57	17
Qormi	28	12	2	14	44	43	24
Ħamrun	27	8	6	13	42	56	21
Mosta	27	8	6	13	32	41	19
Tarxien	27	8	3	16	32	47	18
Mqabba	27	7	6	14	30	46	17
Marsaxlokk	28	4	2	22	29	74	6

Playing today
Hibs Stadium: 6 p.m. Mqabba vs Tarxien; 8 p.m. Ħamrun vs Mosta.