Stripes back on track
by Ayrton Galea - 20th September 2015
Birkirkara FC heaved a sigh of relief when they returned to winning ways with a dominant performance yesterday afternoon as thanks to two goals in each half, they defeated newly-promoted side Pembroke Athleta FC with a comfortable 4-1 score.
In a match that saw the Stripes dominating for long stretches, they got back to winning ways and had a sigh of relief following two frustrating weeks that saw them being held to Tarxien and losing to Valletta in the last outcome.
The Stripes scored two goals in the opening fifteen minutes by Mauricio Mazzetti and Vito Plut to open a comfortable two-goal lead but a goal on the stoke of half-time put Pembroke back in the contention. However, Zach Muscat added the third goal five minutes inside the second half before Plut added his second goal of the game to seal the issue.
Thanks to this victory, the Stripes are now in the fourth place and they narrowed the lead to joint-leaders Mosta and Valletta to just two points after they were both defeated yesterday while they are just one point under Balzan.
Birkirkara's Head Coach Mr. Giovanni Tedesco made three changes from the defeat against Valletta. Zach Muscat was handed with his first start in this Premier League campaign while Emerson Marcelina and Vito Plut were also in the first-eleven selection at the expense of Edmond Agius, Joseph Zerafa and Rowen Muscat.
The Italian Coach fielded an offensive an offensive 3-4-3 formation. Haber defended the posts while Mauricio Mazzetti, Nikola Vukanac and Zach Muscat formed the central-backs with Ryan Camenzuli and Edward Herrera patrolling the wing-backs. Paul Fenech and Marcelina composed the midfield department with Ellinton Morais, Fabrizio Miccoli and Vito Plut started up-front.
The First Half
The match was just thirty seconds old when the Stripes went close on taking an early lead. Ryan Camenzuli found space on the left to send a cross inside the box that saw Fabrizio Miccoli's first-time effort scratching past the post.
With the Stripes dictating the opening stages, they broke the dead-lock after eleven minutes. Miccoli and Fenech exchanged possession with the latter serving Miccoli whose cross found Mauricio Mazzetti and the Argentine defender hit past goalkeeper Matthew Farrugia with a fine strike.
One quickly became two four minutes later. The flowing movement of Plut and Morais was too much for the static Pembroke defence as after exchanging possession, Morais had his shot stopped by Farrugia but from the rebound, Plut hit home from close-range.
The Stripes remained in command and they went closing on adding the third goal past the half-hour mark when Zach Muscat fired wide after served by Fenech. Moments later, Mazzetti was wide with a shot from outside the box.
However, against the run of the play, Pembroke got back in the match as they narrowed the gap on the stoke of half-time. Austin Martz controlled the ball on the edge of the box and beat goalkeeper Justin Haber with a low fine strike.
The end of the first half found the Stripes having only one goal to show for their superiority as they leaded with a narrow 2-1 score.
The Second Half
Have lost their lead in their previous two encounters, one could insert doubt if the story will repeat itself but these doubts faded away by the quick third goal five minutes inside the second half. Miccoli's free-kick was not held by Farrugia and from the rebound, Zach Muscat stabbed the ball home.
Pembroke didn't put the towel in and they went close on pulling one back when unmarked Paltemio Barbetti hit a powerful shot from outside the box which Haber turned the effort into a corner kick. The Stripes replied with a header by Morais ending wide following a cross by Camenzuli.
Mr. Tedesco utilised his first substitution on the hour mark when Edward Herrera was replaced by Edmond Agius. By the inclusion of Agius, the Birkirkara Coach shifted his team to a 4-3-1-2 formation.
The Stripes made them four twenty-one minutes inside the second half. Fabrizio Miccoli sent an excellent cross behind the defence in the path of Morais who served Plut and all alone shot past Farrugia for his second goal in the match.
Pembroke went close on narrowing the lead when Austin Martz beat the offside trap and raced forward but in a one-versus-one saw Haber making himself big and turning the ball into a corner kick on the sixty-eighth minute.
In Birkirkara's second substitution, Emerson Marcelona was replaced by Gareth Sciberras twenty minutes from time and five minutes later, Ryan Camenzuli, who enjoyed a fine match, was replaced by Joseph Zerafa.
Ellinton Morais had a shot parried by Farrugia on the eighty-third minute and four minutes later, Edmond Agius had a shot from outside the box also saved by Farrugia.
Edmond Agius had an in-swinging shot saved by Farrugia as the Stripes held to a 4-1 victory against Pembroke Athleta and return to winning ways.
BIRKIRKARA: Justin Haber, Edward Herrera (60' Edmond Agius), Mauricio Mazzetti, Nikola Vukanac, Zach Muscat, Emerson Marcelina (74' Gareth Sciberras), Paul Fenech, Ryan Camenzuli (76' Joseph Zerafa), Fabrizio Miccoli, Ellinton Morais, Vito Plut.
PEMBROKE ATHLETA: Matthew Farrugia, Zoran Levnaic, Alex Cini, Louis Cutajar (79' Miguel Attard), Owen Bugeja, Paltemio Barbetti, Gustavo Villalobos (73' Siraj Arab), Kyle O'Brien, Ariel Laudisi (85' Peter Paul Sammut), Austin Martz, Bardsley Gibson.
Referee: Philip Farrugia
Assistant Referees: Jurgen Spiteri, David Castillo
Additional Assistant Referees: Adrian Azzopardi, Emanuel Grech
Fourth Official: Thomas Debono
Yellow Cards: 63' Fabrizio Miccoli (Birkirkara), Ariel Laudisi (Pembroe)
Scorers: 11' Mauricio Mazzetti, 15' Vito Plut, 45' Austin Martz, 50' Zack Muscat 66' Vito Plut
BOV Player of the Match: Fabrizio Miccoli (Birkirkara)
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