BOV Premier League - Birkirkara FC 1-3 Gzira United FC

by Ayrton Galea - 20th October 2019

Birkirkara FC suffered their third defeat in the BOV Premier League when they were defeated by Gzira United FC with a 3-1 score in a match played yesterday evening at the Centenary Stadium.

This defeat was the first under the guidance of Coach Andre Paus who had registered three draws and a victory in his first four matches. For the Stripes, this defeat leaves them in the bottom places with just a victory in seven matches.

The Birkirkara Coach made one change from the victory against Hibernians FC as Isaac Ntow replaced Kurt Zammit. Matthew Guillaumier and Johann Bezzina were back in the line-up following recovering from their respective injuries.

Gzira United surged ahead after nine minutes. Winger Hamed Kone entered the box from the right and hit a curling shot that beat the Birkirkara goalkeeper, Andrew Hogg.

The Stripes went close to make the score level on the seventeenth minute when Rocha found Alba unmarked in the box, but his low shot from a good position was weak and ended wide. 

Birkirkara piled-up the pressure in the opening stages of the second half and they should have made levelled the score past the hour mark. Falcone's inch-perfect cross found Cain Attard who incredibly fired over in-front of an empty net.

Fifteen minutes from time, Gzira United doubled the score. A cross from the left found Kone, who despite hitting the ball poorly, his effort somehow still got past Hogg.

The Stripes pulled one back six minutes from time. Falcone was floored inside the box and the referee ordered the penalty kick. From the spot, the same player made no mistake. 

Birkirkara were all over their opponents in the last stages, but it was the Maroons who ensured the victory with the third goal deep into stoppage time. Andrew Cohen beat the offside trap, rounded Hogg and slotted home.

BIRKIRKARA: Andrew Hogg, Enrico Pepe, Maurizio Vella (75' Matthew Guillaumier), Roderick Briffa, Federico Falcone, Cain Attard, Caio Rocha, Oscar Matias Carniello, Miguel Alba (64' Michael Mifsud), Ryan Fenech, Isaac Ntow.

GZIRA UNITED: Justin Haber, Fernando Barbosa, Gianmarco Conti, Nikolai Muscat, Zachary Scerri, Rodolfo Soares, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Hamed Kone, Arthur Oyama, Martin Davis, Jefferson De Asssis.

Referee: Fyodor Zammit.
Assistant Referees: Duncan Sultana, Christopher Francalanza.
Fourth Official: Malcolm Spiteri.

Yellow Cards: 61' Oscar Matias Carniello, 90+1' Matthew Guillaumier, 90+5' Michael Mifsud (Birkirkara), 12' Gianmarco Conti, 28' Zachary Scerri, 54' Jefferson De Assis, 71' Hamed Kone (Gzira United). 

Scorers: 9', 75' Hamed Kone, 90+5' Andrew Cohen (Gzira United), 84' Federico Falcone (Birkirkara).

BOV Player of the Match: Hamed Kone (Gzira United).

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