BALZAN 0

ST ANDREWS 2

Atkinson 16 pen; 44

Balzan’s title aspirations were handed another blow after after suffering a stunning 2-0 defeat at the hands of St Andrews at the Tedesco Stadium, on Saturday.

Neither side really controlled proceedings throughout the game as while Balzan enjoyed the lions’ share of possession, they failed to capitalise on their chances. 

Balzan were trying to surprise their opponents with long-range efforts but they never really forced St Andrews’ custodian Matthew Calleja Cremona into action.

St Andrews’ cautious approach paid dividends when past the quarter of play, they earned a penalty after Andrija Majdevac handled the ball inside the  area.  Kevaughn Atkinson converted from the spot to put the Saints ahead. 

After the goal, Balzan’s team was all over the place, relying on long balls from the back towards the offensive line in bid to put pressure on their opponents. 

Forward Majdevac attempted a header past the half-hour mark but Calleja Cremona found no difficulty in clearing the danger. 

On the brink of half-time, St Andrews exposed Balzan’s defensive frailties when a devastating Martin Davis left his marker on the spot before whipping a cross inside the box.

Goalkeeper Steve Sultana let the ball slip from his hands and with a great sense of anticipation, Atkinson immediately blasted the ball into empty net. 

Minutes after the restart, Davis, by far St Andrews’ best player on the field, saw his long-range effort denied by the woodwork.

Moments later, Atkinson caught Balzan’s defenders offguard but his shot was blocked by Sultana. 

On 65 minutes, Atkinson was at the heart of an identical situation and once again, he missed the target as his effort went wide.

Twenty minutes from time, Majdevac squandered a golden opportunity to put his team back into game when his close-range effort was cleared off the goal-line by Alex Satariano.