Under-17's trounced by Sliema Wanderers

by Ayrton Galea - 30th November 2013

Birkirkara Under-17's Team suffered a heavy defeat in the APS Under-17's League at the hands of Sliema Wanderers, when last Saturday they lost with a score of 7-0.

The early minutes of the match gave the impression that the match will be a balanced encounter, but once Sliema Wanderers settled down and took the lead, they never looked back.

Sliema, who impressed those present with their deadly forward line, ended the first-half leading with four goals to none. After the break they added another three goals, to give Birkirkara their biggest defeat in the league.

The First Half

The initial minutes of the match proved to be a balanced encounter and Birkirkara did not show any inferiority. Against all expectations they went out as the most aggressive side.

The Stripes created their first chance on the fourth minute. Michael Zammit delivered a dangerous free-kick from the right which was parried by the goalkeeper.

However, Sliema Wanderers, who have one of the most deadly forward-lines in the Under-17's League, proved this in their first scoring opportunity on the seventh minute. Following a short clearance, the Wanderers forward, Aidan Friggieri managed to beat goalkeeper Luke Chircop with a close-range shot.

Birkirkara tried to make a reaction. They had another dangerous free-kick taken by Michael Zammit who created havoc inside the box, before it was cleared into a corner kick.

Sliema's forward line seemed to be on fire, as they doubled the score on the thirteenth minute thanks to a great free-kick setup concluded by Aidan Friggieri with a close-range shot.

Birkirkara failed to settle down and the Wanderers increased their woes when hardly a minute later, they scored their third goal. An excellent cross sent the Sliema's player, Aidan Friggieri, through and he beat the goalkeeper with a powerful diagonal shot to complete his hat-trick in just fourteen minutes.

The Stripes were stunned. Their aggressive opening was dashed as three early goals killed all their hopes of getting something out of this difficult match.

However, the Stripes tried to pick themselves up. They almost pulled one back on the twentieth minute, when from a short-clearance, Carl Abela saw his effort scratching past the right post.

The Stripes goalkeeper, Luke Chircop, was the protagonist on the twenty-seventh minute when he denied Sliema Wanderers from the fourth goal. In a one versus one situation he rushed out to deny Sliema from another dangerous attempt.

Clint Zammit tried his luck with a long-distance shot which ended totally wide on the thirty-second minute.

Three became four for Sliema Wanderers on the thirty-fourth minute. Another close-range shot by Luca Brincat beat goalkeeper Chircop.

The first forty minutes saw the Stripes being trounced with a 4-0 score as they failed to regroup following conceding their first early goal.

The Second Half

In the second half The Stripes went out trying to get back in the game, and they created the first scoring opportunity.

Clint Zammit tried a powerful shot from long distance which drifted wide off the post on the forty-second minutes. Three minutes later, Michael Zammit had a dangerous free-kick but goalkeeper Timothy Aquilina blocked with some difficulty.

The Stripes almost pulled one back on the forty-ninth minute when a close-range effort was cleared off the line following an uncertain outing by goalkeeper Aquilina, with the Blues protesting for a foul on the same goalkeeper.

Exactly like what had happened in the first half, against the run of the play, it was Sliema who managed to find the net. On the fifty-fourth minute Aidan Friggieri scored his fourth personal goal by concluding perfectly following a low cross from the right, to increase the lead by five goals to nil.

Once again the Stripes were stunned. Sliema were increasing confidence by the minute, and they scored the sixth goal on the half hour mark. In almost a repeat action of the fifth goal, a low cross from the right, this time found Luca Brincat who concluded in the net.

Hardly a minute later, Sliema sealed the issue with the seventh goal. Sliema Wanderers' promising youngster, Luca Brincat also completed his hat-trick by concluding past goalkeeper Chircop.

To add more woes to Birkirkara, in the final moments of the match, Clint Zammit suffered an ankle injury and was unable to continue playing. Birkirkara had already used all their substitutions and they had to continue the rest of the match with one player less.

The referee's full time whistle found the Stripes suffering an embarrassing defeat while keeping the Wanderers on the right track for the challenge of the title.

First Eleven: Luke Chircop, Carl Abela, Maximilian Borg, Zachary Cassar, Fabien Lufi, Darren Buttigieg, Nigel Bugeja, Clint Zammit, Michael Zammit, Andre Debono, Wayne Farrugia.

Substitutes: Jean Claude Grech, Aaron Montebello, Bjorn Brincat, Neil Zahra, Jeremy Cassar.

Yellow Cards: Maximilian Borg, Nigel Bugeja, Clint Zammit.

Scorers: 7' Aidan Friggieri, 13' Aidan Friggieri, 14' Aidan Friggieri, 34' Luca Brincat, 54' Aidan Friggieri, 60' Luca Brincat, 61' Luca Brincat.

comments powered by Disqus