Commanding Women's Team too strong for Pembroke Athleta

by Ayrton Galea - 18th November 2015

Birkirkara FC Women's Team produced another outstanding performance to register their fourth consecutive victory in the BOV Women's League when three goals in the first thirty minutes paved the way for a comfortable 4-0 victory over Pembroke Athleta.

In another commanding performance and high-scoring victory, the Stripes extended their string of satisfactory performances when they outclassed opponents Pembroke Athleta to keep the pace with leaders Hibernians.

Starting the match with all guns blazing, the Stripes built a two-goal lead in the opening seven minutes thanks to a quick brace by Raina Giusti. On the half-hour mark, Isabelle Mazzitelli scored her first goal of the season and Catherine Campbell rounded it off in style with a fine fourth and final goal.

For the Stripes this was another high-scoring victory and they have now scored sixteen goals in their current run of four straight victories, in which fourteen were scored in the last three outings. The Stripes are still the second best attack after Hibernians but now they are sharing the best defence with four goals conceded from six matches along-side with the same Paolites.

Birkirkara FC Women's Team Coach Mr. Jean Pierre Portanier once again fielded a 4-4-1-1 formation and made three changes Veteran goalkeeper Nina Dimech defended the posts at the expenses of Janice Xuereb while Kim Parnis was replaced by Maryrose Cardona in the midfield department and Isabelle Mazzitelli was given a first-eleven selection as she replaced Alishia Sultana.

There were no changes in the back-four as Stephania Farrugia and Yasmeen Vella formed the central-backs with Melania Bajada and Oriana Bedingfield as side-backs. Gabriella Zahra led the midfield along-side Maryrorse Cardona while Isabelle Mazzitelli and Raina Giusti patrolled the wings. Foreign duo Catherine Campbell and Heidi Kjaer composed the attacking department.

The First Half

Birkirkara registered a perfect start. The match was only fourty-five seconds old when the Stripes surged ahead. Maryrose and Gabriella Zahra combined well before the latter unzipped the defence with a perfect pass to Raina Giusti and the winger lobbed over goalkeeper Rosemarie Baldaccinho.

Stunned by the opening goal, Birkirkara were quick to double their lead. Just six minutes later, Maryrose Cardona won possession and served Raina Giusti. The eighteen year old showed great abilities to dribble past two markers and smashed a wonderful shot past the goalkeeper.

The match continued to be one-way traffic and Birkirkara went close to the third goal. Raina Giusti delivered an accurate corner kick on the sixteenth minute but Stephania Farrugia's header ended just over the bar.

Birkirkara threatened again when the forward foreign duo of Kjaer and Campbell combined well before the latter supplied a great through-ball to Mazzitelli but the latter had a bad touch and goalkeeper Baldaccinho saved the danger.

The Stripes made them three on the half-hour mark. Oriana Bedingfield made an excellent run on the left flank to pick-up possession and supplied a brilliant cross to Isabelle Mazzitelli who showed great skills to round the goalkeeper and put the ball into an empty net.

Birkirkara almost added their fourth goal on the fortieth minute. Catherine Campbell unzipped the defence with a perfect pass and Maryrose Cardona's close-range shot ended wide as the Stripes ended the first half enjoying a comfortable three-goal lead.

The Second Half

Leading by three goals, Mr. Jean Pierre Portanier made a double substitution for the start of the second half. Scorer of a brace Raina Giusti was replaced by Alishia Sultana while Heidi Kjaer was replaced by Kelly Agius Pace.

Birkirkara continued where they left in the first half. In a quick transition just four minutes inside the second half, Gabriella Zahra served Alishia Sultana on the wing and the latter's shot was blocked by the defender. The Pembroke defender was the protagonist on keeping the same score by also blocking the rebound from the same player.

Mr. Jean Pierre Portanier made the third substitution ten minutes inside the second half when Melania Bajada was replaced by Kirstie Vella.

With Pembroke down and out, the match reduced in its intensity as the Stripes opted to keep possession and keep moving the ball around with Gabriella Zahra the most active player in the match by showing great pace and vision by her well-timed passes.

Isabelle Mazzitelli, scorer of the third goal was replaced by promising youngster Mariah Sciberras on twenty minutes from time while five minutes later, in Birkirkara's last substitution, Yasmeen Vella was replaced by Charlene Schembri.

The Stripes made them four on the eighty-third minute. Kelly Agius Pace sprinted inside the box and delivered an accurate cross in the path of Catherine Campbell with the English forward controls the ball well before hitting a wonderful strike past the Pembroke goalkeeper to wrap-up another wonderful victory.

BIRKIRKARA: Nina Dimech, Melania Bajada, Yasmeen Vella (75' Charlene Schembri), Stephania Farrugia, Oriana Bedingfield, Gabriella Zahra, Maryrose Cardona, Isabelle Mazzitelli (70' Mariah Sciberras), Raina Giusti (46' Alishia Sultana), Catherine Campbell, Heidi Kjaer (46' Kelly Agius Pace).

PEMBROKE: Rosemarie Baldacchino, Annabelle Rapa, Monique Sultana, Justine Zammit, Rachel Mifsud, Thresa Scicluna, Lorna Cassar, Kimberly Magro, Cassandra Camilleri, Sonia Schembri, Luana Vella.

Scorers: 1', 7' Raina Giusti, 30' Isabelle Mazzitelli, 83' Catherine Campbell

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