Match Report: Birkirkara FC 2-1 Pieta Hotspurs FC
by Ayrton Galea - 26th August 2018
Birkirkara FC registered their second win in two matches, when they came from behind to defeat Pieta Hotspus FC with a 2-1 score to ensure their perfect start in the BOV Premier League.
A goal mid-way through the first half put Pieta Hotspurs upfront, but the Stripes produced a remarkable comeback in the second half, as they scored two goals in three minutes to turn the score in their favour and register their second consecutive victory.
Michael Mifsud scored on his first appearance in the BOV Premier League with the Stripes, as he equalised on the sixty-ninth minute, before Cain Attard turned the score in Birkirkara's favour two minutes later. Attard was then sent off four minutes from time in a controversial decision.
Coach Paul Zammit made just one change from the last match, as Michael Mifsud, back in the fray after missing the last match, replaced Serbian forward Milan Basrak. Ryan Scicluna was the only player missing for the Stripes.
The First Half
Birkirkara enjoyed large swatches of possession in the opening twenty minutes, but for all their efforts, they failed to have any shots on goal.
Pieta Hotspurs broke the dead-lock in their first scoring opportunity on the twenty-second minute. Gabriel Mensah sent a cross towards Jan Busutill who hit a fine low shot past goalkeeper Kristijan Naumovski.
Birkirkara's first shot on goal had to wait till the twenty-seventh minute, when Marcelo Henrique served Paul Fenech, but the latter's weak shot ended wide without troubling goalkeeper Jacob Chircop.
The Stripes went close on the twenty-ninth minute. Kurt Zammit, pushing forward down the left side, made a fine run before serving Marcelo Henrique and the Brazilian forward hit a fine in-swinging shot from outside the box that ended wide by a whisker.
Two minutes from half-time, The Stripes were denied from the equalising goal. Mifsud's header, off an accurate cross by Attard, was denied with a great save by goalkeeper Chircop. From the resulting rebound, Chircop made himself big again, as he denied a close-range shot by Jake Grech.
The Second Half
With fourty-five minutes to go, the Stripes went out with all guns blazing. Jake Grech served Marcelo Henrique who almost surprised goalkeeper Jacob Chircop, but his shot hit the side-netting with the Pieta goalkeeper beaten.
The Stripes were unlucky not to make the score level. Henrique played a short free-kick towards Brito and the latter's shot was cleared off the goal-line by the Pieta defender. Henrique then made a brilliant solo-action as he dribbled past several players with his shot ending wide by inches.
The Stripes should have made the score level on the hour mark, but Jake Grech hit wide with only goalkeeper Chircop to beat following another excellent cross by Attard. On the other side of the pitch, Shunsuke Nakamura's low shot was blocked by Naumovski.
Birkirkara's efforts prevailed on the sixty-ninth minute. Marcelo Henrique, one of the most dangerous players upfront for the Stripes, made a fine solo-action on the left wing before supplying an inch-perfect cross towards Michael Mifsud who fired the ball home from close-range.
The Stripes turned the score in their favour just two minutes later. Marcelo Henrique's corner found Danilo Chapoval who headed the ball in the path of Cain Attard and the latter slotted home to put the Stripes in the lead for the first time the match.
Cain Attard continued to be an asset in Birkirkara's scoring chances. On the seventy-sixth minute, the rapid right-back produced another dazzling run before delivering another inch-perfect cross towards substitute Milan Basrak, but the latter's effort smashed against the upright.
In a controversial decision four minutes from time, the Stripes ended up playing with one player less. Referee Emanuel Grech showed Cain Attard his second yellow card after he adjudicated that the Birkirkara player was wasting time. Following harsh protests, Andelkovic was also booked.
Despite being forced to play the last few minutes with one player less, the Stripes held strong for the victory to ensure their perfect start before facing arch-rivals Valletta FC in the next big match after the International break.
Marcelo Henrique, the Birkirkara forward, was voted the BOV Player of the match.
BIRKIRKARA: Kristijan Naumovski, Danilo Chapoval, Mislav Andelkovic, Paul Fenech, Jake Grech (61' Milan Basrak), Kurt Zammit, Eduardo Dos Santos, Michael Mifsud (79' Terence Agius), Cain Attard, Marcelo Henrique (88' Edward Herrera), Thiago Brito.
PIETA HOTSPURS: Jacob Chircop, Takaki Ose, Dylan Agius, Paul Chimezie, Jan Busutill (83' Clyde Bouvett), Gabriel Mensah (83' Nicholas Pisani), Juan Manuel Artiago Roa, Christian Grech, Ayrton Mizzi, Shunske Nakamura, Antonio Orlando Macedo Neto.
Referee: Emanuel Grech.
Assistant Referees: Thomas Debono, Darko Stankovic.
Fourth Official: Matthew Degabriele.
Yellow Cards: 20' Paul Fenech, 23' Cain Attard, 50' Marcelo Henrique, 86' Mislav Andelkovic (Birkirkara), 20' Shunsuke Nakamura, 69' Jan Busutill, 88' Takaki Ose, 90' Antonio Orlando Macedo Neto (Pieta Hotspurs).
Red Cards: 86' Cain Attard (Birkirkara).
Scorers: 22' Jan Busutill (Pieta Hotspurs), 69' Michael Mifsud, 71' Cain Attard (Birkirkara).
BOV Player of the Match: Marcelo Henrique (Birkirkara).
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