Women's Team cruise to seventh straight win

by Ayrton Galea - 18th February 2014

Birkirkara FC Women's Team confirmed their brilliant form in the BOV Women's First Division League as they chalked-up their seventh consecutive victory when they defeated Gozo with a comfortable 4-1 score.

With Gozo coming from a disastrous 6-1 defeat to Hibernians, the fixture was somehow a tricky test for the Maltese Champions, but they rose to the occasion and showed superiority for most of the match to clinch their seventh win on the trot.

A brace by Raina Giusti in the first fifteen minutes set the Stripes on cruising mode for another dominant display. They held much of the play, with Gozo only able to pull one back before the end of the first half, after the Stripes had already opened a comfortable three goal lead. However, the Stripes scored their fourth and last goal in the second half.

The Birkirkara coach made just one change from the last league match against Hibernians, as Kirstie Vella was back in the picture to replace Chantal Fenech.

The First Half

Birkirkara could not have asked for a better start to the match, as their aggressiveness was rewarded with an early lead. On the sixth minute, an excellent through-ball served Raina Giusti, who finished home past goalkeeper Dorianne Grech from close-range.

The Stripes, boosted by the early goal, continued to show superior football but Gozo who threatened for the equaliser on the eleventh minute. Joselene Gafa had a fierce volley turned into a corner by Janice Xuereb. From the resulting corner, Tracy Theuma connected but the ball went over the bar.

Gozo sought to put the Stripes under pressure but the latter were solid enough to punish them with a devastating counter-attack, which doubled their lead. Rachel Cuschieri sent an inviting cross to Raina Giusti who had her first attempt cleared off the line, but she was in the perfect position to hit home.

Have enjoyed his team scoring two early goals, Mr. Johann Scicluna, made his first substitution on the twentieth minute mark when Yasmeen Vella replaced Kirstie Vella and took her role in the defensive trio.

Raina Giusti, the player who was creating the spark in the Birkirkara's forward line, was unlucky not to complete her hat-trick on the twenty-second minute, when her shot from inside the box scratched past the crossbar, following an excellent pass by Rachel Cuschieri.

Gozo might have been seeking to pile-up pressure, but the Stripes continued to play football as it should be, by playing quick short passes on the ground and moving without the ball.

The Gozitans had a fine scoring opportunity before the hour-mark, when Nicole Buttigieg made a positive run down the right flank and tried a diagonal shot which sailed over the bar.

On the thirty-fifth minute, Kim Parnis brilliantly served Rachel Cuschieri who showed great skills to dribble the goalkeeper and put the ball into an empty net, to make it three-nil for the Stripes.

Just one minute before the break, Gabriella Zahra sent an excellent cross, which saw Kim Parnis rising high, to hit a powerful header, which ended over the crossbar by a matter of inches,

Gozo pulled one back on the stroke of half-time. Annmarie Said sent a precise corner kick which surprised goalkeeper Janice Xuereb, as the latter could only deflect the ball into the net.

Birkirkara only had time to restart play before, the referee blow the half-time whistle with the Stripes leading with a score of 3-1.

The Second Half

The second half started on a tense note, with both sides committing a number of fouls. This frustrated both teams, and Birkirkara were denied from playing on their rhythm.

Scoring opportunities proved to be rare in the second forty-five minutes. Birkirkara's Coach sought to regain the team's fast tempo, as he included Maryrose Cardona to replace Martina Cilia, on the sixty-fifth minute.

Rachel Cuschieri sent a dangerous free-kick that failed to be connected by anyone. From the next cross, Gabriella Zahra had her cross parried by the goalkeeper on the sixty-seventh minute.

On the seventy-first minute, Rachel Cuschieri made a surging run on the left side, before drifting inside the box and rounded the goalkeeper, but her diagonal shot ended wide by inches.

The Stripes who continued to show improvement in their game sealed the issue with the fourth goal on the seventy-fifth minute. Raina Giusti found Maryrose Cardona who played Rachel Cuschieri, who in turn hit a powerful shot past goalkeeper Grech.

With the three points in the bag, a minute later, the Birkirkara's Coach made a double change when he replaced Raina Giusti and Kelly Agius Pace by Tara Attard and Chantal Fenech.

On the eighty-second minute, Rachel Cuschieri showed great vision by serving Maryrose Cardona on the run, who had a close-range shot scratching past the first post.

Five minutes from time, Kim Parnis had a powerful shot excellently blocked by Dorianne Grech.

On the eighty-seventh minute, in Birkirkara's last change, Kim Parnis was replaced by Charlene Schembri.

In the final minutes, Birkirkara controlled easily their opponents. The referee's full time whistle found them registering their seveneth consecutive victory, with a result of 4-1.

Birkirkara: Janice Xuereb, Kirstie Vella (20' Yasmeen Vella), Stephania Farrugia, Rebecca Chircop, Kim Parnis (87' Charlene Schembri), Gabriella Zahra, Kelly Agius Pace (76' Chantal Fenech), Alishia Sultana, Rachel Cuschieri, Martina Cilia (65' Maryrose Cardona), Raina Giusti (76' Tara Attard).

Gozo: Dorianne Grech, Melania Bajada, Joselene Gafa, Nicole Buttigieg, Felicienne Mercieca, Emma Xuereb, Annmarie Said, Claudette Xuereb, Chantelle Grech, Tracy Theuma, Rita Azzopardi.

Yellow Cards: 51' Kelly Agius Pace (Birkirkara).

Scorers: 6' Raina Giusti, 14' Raina Giusti, 35' Rachel Cuschieri, 75' Rachel Cuschieri (Birkirkara), 45' Annmarie Said (Gozo).

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