Women's Team demolish Hibernians' challenge

by Ayrton Galea - 31st March 2014

Birkirkara FC Women's Team gave a superb display on Friday evening in the showdown against Hibernians, which they disposed of with a 5-0 result, to regain joint leadership in the BOV Women's First Division League.

It was expected to be a hard-fought contest but the Birkirkara players trumped their opponents, to join the same Paolites on top of the table, with just two matches to go. This was the second defeat for the Paolites at the hands of Birkirkara.

The match started on a balanced note, but as soon as the Stripes surged ahead the match turned into a one-way affair. Doubling their lead before the break, and adding another three goals in the second half to register the biggest win over Hibernians in the team's history.

Mr. Johann Scicluna fielded a 4-3-3 formation and kept his tradition of never start with the same first-eleven selection of the previous match. Rebecca Chircop returned in the heart of the Birkirkara four-line defence, Kelly Agius Pace replaced Tara Attard and Alishia Sultana replaced Charlene Schembri.

Rebecca Chircop and Stephania Farrugia led the defence, supported by Agius Pace and Sultana on the wings. Gabriella Zahra, Kim Parnis and Maryrose Cardona composed the midfield department while Raina Giusti, Rachel Cuschieri and Martina Cilia formed the forward line with the latter roaming behind Giusti and Cuschieri.

The First Half

With little surprise, the heavyweight contest produced a balanced opening with both teams involved in a tug of war for possession in midfield.

Hibernians held the imitative for the first minutes as they were enjoying more possession in the midfield, but they failed to convert to scoring opportunities.

Birkirkara had their first scoring attempt on the sixth minute, when Rachel Cuschieri hit a brilliant volley from distance which the Hibernians goalkeeper neutralised in two attempts. On the other side of the pitch, four minutes later, Ylenia Carabott tried her luck with a long-distance drive but the Birkirkara goalkeeper, Janice Xuereb, saved without difficulty.

Hibernians continued to have a the lion's share of possession with most of their play involving their key players Dorianne Theuma and Ylenia Carabott. Close to the twentieth minute, it was Carabott who raced inside the box, but Stephania Farrugia did a brilliant job by putting the ball into safety.

The match continued to be a battle in midfield, with Birkirkara opting to play the ball behind the Hibernians' rearguard, which was continually threatened by the Birkirkara forwards, Raina Giusti and Rachel Cuschieri.

The Stripes were showing signs of superiority and for their efforts, they were rewarded with the opener. On the twenty-sixth minute, Rachel Cuschieri showed her excellent match vision by sending a pin-point pass in the direction of Kelly Agius Pace, who made an intelligent run to collect Cuschieri's pass, before rounding the goalkeeper and hitting into an empty net to put the Stripes ahead.

With one goal up, Mr. Johann Scicluna made his first change in order to keep things tight at the back. He withdraw Maryrose Cardona and included Yasmeen Vella past the half-hour mark.

Hibernians were unable to make a reaction and they paid the sourest price as the aggressive Stripes doubled the lead. It all started once again at the feet of Rachel Cuschieri who passed to Gabriella Zahra, with Zahra showing great composure before slotting past goalkeeper Demicoli.

Birkirkara began to wait for their opponents and hitting on the counter, with Rachel Cuschieri creating countless problems for the unsteady Hibernians rearguard. The latter failed to make any sort of reaction and they looked short of ideas.

The referee's half-time whistle found the Stripes leading by two, a score which represented their superiority inside the first forty-five minutes.

The Second Half

Just two minutes inside the second half, with Hibernians not even having the chance to make any sort of reaction, the Stripes added their third goal. Rachel Cuschieri had a cross-shot deflected with a header of a Hibernians defender, which surprised goalkeeper Keoney Demicoli and ended in the net.

It was now a one-way match, as what was expected to be a tight encounter, turned out to be an exhibition of attacking football by Birkirkara. Raina Giusti was unlucky not to add Birkirkara's tally when her strike from close-range ended over by inches.

Hiberanians were stunned as they could not deal with Birkirkara's high level of play. However, the Paolites were left with no option than to put everything forward.

Just past the hour mark, Martina Borg who was being effective on the wings, switched her position from the left wing to the right, raced inside the box after getting past two Hibernians' players but her strike ended wide.

The Paolites had another desperate attempt on goal five minutes later, when Ylenia Carabott had a dangerous free-kick ending over Janice Xuereb's bar.

However, the Stripes remained superior and they went close to adding their fourth goal. On the sixty-eighth minute, Rachel Cuschieri once again threatened goalkeeper Keoney Demicoli with a brilliant in-swinging shot, which brought the best out of the Hibernians goalkeeper as she turned the effort into a corner kick.

Johann Scicluna included a fresh pair of legs on the seventieth minute, when Kelly Agius Pace was substituted with Kirstie Vella. Six minutes later, Tara Attard replaced Alishia Sultana, who had given an excellent performance.

Ten minutes from time, Hibernians almost pulled one back. Ylenia Carabott had a well taken free-kick, but Janice Xuereb's used her superb reflexes to make an excellent save.

Birkirkara made them four, two minutes from time. Raina Giusti's continuous pressing created a communication problem between the Hibernians goalkeeper and the defender, with Giusti racing forward and lobbing the ball over Demicoli.

The Stripes added their fifth goal on the stroke of the ninetieth minute. Raina Giusti headed the ball into the path of Rachel Cuschieri, who made an excellent run before sending a superb in-swinging shot that gave goalkeeper Demicoli no chance.

The refree's full-time whistle found Birkirkara registering an incredible victory over their title challengers. The Birkirkara players were deservingly applauded by their supporters for their five-star performance.

BIRKIRKARA: Janice Xuereb, Rebecca Chircop, Stephania Farrugia, Alishia Sultana (73' Tara Attard), Kelly Agius Pace (66' Kirstie Vella), Kim Parnis, Gabriella Zahra, Maryrose Cardona (30' Yasmeen Vella), Martina Cilia, Raina Giusti, Rachel Cuschieri.

HIBERNIANS: Keoney Demicoli, Mandy Debono, Claire Sciberras, Charlene Zammit, Sherianne Zammit, Martina Borg, Francesca Chircop, Dorianne Theuma, Dionne Tonna, Nicole Borg (59' Annmarie Muscat), Ylenia Carabott.

Scorers: 26' Kelly Agius Pace, 34' Gabriella Zahra, 47' Rachel Cuschieri, 88' Raina Giusti, 90' Rachel Cuschieri.

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