Women's Team hit Raiders with five

by Ayrton Galea - 2nd December 2015

Birkirkara FC Women's Team made them five in a row and confirmed their excellent form in the BOV Women's First Division League when yesterday evening, they produced another brilliant performance as they defeated Raiders with a comfortable 5-1 score and temporarily join Hibernians on top of the table.

Pre-match predictions considered the clash against Raiders as a tricky task for the Stripes but the latter made sure of avoiding any set-back and produced another dominant performance to secure their fifth consecutive victory.

Starting the match with all guns blazing, the Stripes scored two quick goals in the opening six minutes of the match before adding another three in the second half to once again register a high-scoring victory. The Stripes have now scored no less than nineteen goals in their last four matches and they conceded just two.

Forward Raina Giusti confirmed her scoring skills as she added another two goals, adding her tally to seven while Gabriella Zahra also scored braced besides setting up the second goal to Giusti as both players were among the Stripes' best performers.

Debutant and team's latest signing Melissa Stickland also had a dream debut as she produced an outstanding assist to fellow team-mate Catherine Campbell as the latter enjoyed brilliant performance and found the net for the third consecutive match.

Thanks to this victory, the Stripes have now joined Hibernians on top of the table with eighteen points at least for a matter of hours as the Paolites have a game in hand as they will take on Kirkop United this evening.

Birkirkara's Coach Mr. Jean Pierre Portanier made two changes from the last match against Pembroke Athleta. Kelly Agius Pace and Kim Parnis regained a first-eleven place following the departure of Maryrose Cardona and Heidi Kjaer.

The Birkirkara Coach set out a 4-4-1-1 formation. Xuereb defended the posts with Stephania Farrugia and Yasmeen Vella as central-backs while Melania Bajada and Oriana Bedingfield as side-backs. The midfield was composed by Gabriella Zahra and Kim Parnis with Isabelle Mazzitelli and Raina Giusti on the wings. Catherine Campbell and Kelly Agius Pace formed the attacking department.

The First Half

The Stripes went out with all guns blazing and they surged ahead after just four minutes. Kelly Agius Pace served Raina Giusti a short-corner and the rapid forward showed great skills to dribble across the box and struck a wonderful shot at the back of the net past goalkeeper Marie-Anne Mumford.

One became two in the next two minutes. Gabriella Zahra showed great vision to supply a brilliant through-ball in the path of Giusti who out-run her opponent and drifted in the box before calmly placing the ball past the Raiders goalkeeper.

It was a brilliant start for the Stripes who kept dictating the opening stages but against the run of the play Raiders could have narrowed the gap with a close-range effort blocked by the alerted goalkeeper Xuereb while on the other side of the pitch, Isabelle Mazzitelli saw her effort ending wide from a good position.

Kelly Agius Pace could have punished Raiders for care-less defending as a short back header was picked-up by the Birkirkara forward on the twelfth minute but her low placed shot was parried by goalkeeper Mumford.

The Stripes remained brisker and mid-way through the first-half they produced another fine scoring opportunity. The vision of Gabriella Zahra was evident again as she picked Giusti on the wing but the latter's shot from tight angle was saved by Mumfod. Emma Xuereb had a shot ending wide for Raiders moments later.

Birkirkara could have added the third two minutes before half-time. Catherine Campbell found space outside the Raiders box to strike a left-footed shot but her effort was saved by Mumford as the score remained unchanged till the half-time whistle.

The Second Half

The Stripes once again went out with an aggressive approach and their efforts were paid off with the third goal on the fourty-ninth minute. They were quick in transitioning the ball forward with Campbell serving Agius-Pace who advanced before her inch-perfect cross found unmarked Gabriella Zahra who slotted the ball past Mumford.

Raiders got back in the back on the fifty-sixth minute as the ball travelled across the goal not cleared and arriving at the feet of Chantelle Grech who had her powerful first-time effort hitting past goalkeeper Janice Xuereb from close-range.

Narrowing the gap early in the second half, Raiders tried to gain some momentum but the Stripes were quick to cut it short with the fourth goal on the sixty-third minute. Giusti produced a precise through-ball in the path of Zahra who had her first-attempt blocked by the goalkeeper but from the rebound, the same player slammed home.

Mr. Portanier utlised Birkirkara's first substitution twenty minutes inside the second half as Kim Parnis was replaced by Kirstie Vella. Vella was included as a right-back as Melania Bajada was advanced in midfield.

Five minutes later, the team's latest signing Melissa Stickland made her debut with our Club as she replaced Kelly Agius Pace. Isabelle Mazzitelli was advanced as central-striker as Stickland made her way on the right flank.

Mazzitelli was quickly effective up-front as she served Giusti a fine-pass inside the box but the latter's shot ended wide by inches while two minutes later substitute Stickland was quickly involved into action as he shot was parried by the Raiders goalkeeper.

In Birkirkara's third and last substitution on the day, Isabelle Mazzitelli who enjoyed a positive display was replaced by Mariah Sciberras on the eighty-second minute.

The Stripes sealed the issue with the fifth goal. The combination between Stickland and Campbell which led to a number of goals in the past remained on track in their first match together with our Club as Stickland distributed a perfect ball to Campbell who poked home from close-range to wrap up another wonderful victory.

BIRKIRKARA: Janice Xuereb, Melania Bajada, Stephania Farrugia, Yasmeen Vella, Oriana Bedingfield, Kim Parnis (65' Kirstie Vella), Gabriella Zahra, Isabelle Mazzitelli (82' Mariah Sciberras), Catherine Campbell, Raina Giusti, Kelly Agius Pace (70' Melissa Stickland).

RAIDERS: Anne-marie Mumford, Rebecca Bajada, Chantelle Grech, Andy Zammit Mizzi, Rebecca Vella, Katie Gribbon, Ann-marie Said, Rosalie Cauchi, Tracy Theuma, Emma Xuereb, Rodianne Zerafa.

Scorers: 4', 6' Raina Giusti, 49, 63' Gabriella Zahra, 90' Catherine Campbell.

comments powered by Disqus