Women's Team lose to Hibernians
by Ayrton Galea - 17th December 2015
Birkirkara FC Women's Team had their six-match winning streak coming to an end yesterday evening, when with a depleted side, they suffered a 3-0 defeat to leaders Hibernians in the BOV Women's First Division League top of the table clash.
In an entertaining clash between the best two Clubs in Women's football, the Stripes left the Charles Abela Stadium with only themselves to blame as they failed to convert their high number of open scoring opportunities while Hibernians made the best out of the Stripes' depleted squad to open a six-point gap on top of the table.
The build-up for this match was anything than plain-sailing for Coach Mr. Jean Pierre Portanier. The Birkirkara Coach had to do without foreign duo Catherine Campbell and Melissa Stickland while Alishia Sultana is still recovering from a struggling shin injury.
Mr. Portanier fielded an offensive 3-4-3 formation and was forced to make two changes from the last outing. The foreign duo of Campbell and Stickland was replaced by Isabelle Mazzitelli and Kirstie Vella. For the latter, this was her first start in this league's campaign.
Goalkeeper Janice Xuereb defended the posts with Melania Bajada, Stephania Farrugia and Yasmeen Vella forming the three-line defence. Gabriella Zahra and Oriana Bedingfield started in midfield with Mazzitelli and Vella patrolling the wing-backs. Kim Parnis and Raina Giusti started at the either side of central-striker Kelly Agius Pace.
The First Half
Birkirkara survived an early scare after just a minute. Dorianne Theuma was given space to surge forward and lobbed the ball to Martina Borg who her shot flashed across the goal. The Stripes replied on the sixth minute when Kelly Agius' shot ended wide by inches.
Hibernians surged ahead on the eleventh minute. Martina Borg served Corissa Vella who unmarked turned to face the goal and her low shot hit hard past goalkeeper Janice Xuereb to put the Paolites ahead and break the dead-lock.
The early goal was the wake-up call for the Stripes as they quickly. A fine through-back to the path of Kim Parnis put the latter open on the right side with Raina Giusti and Kelly Agius Pace both unmarked in the box but Parnis opted to shoot and her effort was held by goalkeeper Tagliaferro.
Birkirkara should have made the score level on the seventeenth minute. Agius Pace showed great abilities to turn and supplied an excellent through-ball to Raina Giusti who advanced forward but all alone against goalkeeper Tagliaferro had her close-range shot blocked by the Hibernians goalkeeper.
The match remained balanced but the Stripes looked sharper. Leading the midfield, Gabriella Zahra was playing a key-role in Birkirkara's quickness to transfer the ball forward while the diagonal runs of Giusti and Agius Pace were giving the Hibernians' rear-guard a hard task to deal with.
The Stripes lost another golden opportunity five minutes from half-time. A free-kick from the right was deflected by Isabelle Mazzitelli in the path of Kim Parnis but the latter failed to hit the ball with only Tagliaferro to beat.
Lost chances carry a lot of weight and Birkirkara paid the ultimate price as just two minutes later, Hibernians doubled the score. Yasmeen Vella was adjudicated to have handled the ball inside the box and the referee ordered what seemed to be a very controversial penalty. From the spot, Ylenia Carabott doubled the lead.
Birkirkara were left blaming their luck not to pull a deserved one goal back just before half-time. Gabriella Zahra served Kelly Agius Pace who showed great skills to dribble past two markers and surge inside the box but her shot was denied by the foot of the post as the Stripes were left chasing a two-goal difference at the break.
The Second Half
The Stripes went with all guns blazing in the second half as they sought to get back in the match. Agius Pace penetrated the defence and served the unmarked Raina Giusti after the first minute of the second half but the latter was adjudicated in an offside position.
With Birkirkara trying to push forward, they were leaving spaces at the back and Hibernians almost profited from the situation on the fifty-sixth minute. Martina Borg surged clear inside the box but defender Yasmeen Vella recovered in time and made an excellent tackle to clear the ball before Borg could have pulled the trigger.
Against the run of the play, Hibernians made them three on the sixty-eighth minute. Dorianne Thuema delivered an accurate corner kick on the second post and unmarked Dionne Tonna headed past goalkeeper Xuereb.
The Stripes should have pulled one goal back minute later. Isabelle Mazzitelli was in an ideal position inside the box despite marked by the Hibernians defender but Mazzitelli's central shot was saved by goalkeeper Tagliaferro.
With the Stripes three down with just twenty minutes to go and unrealistically to get something from the match, Mr. Portanier handed the debut to the promising youngster Sarah Urpani as she replaced Isabelle Mazzitelli. Urpani, handed the debut at the age of just fifteen years old, joined Agius Pace in attack.
Five minutes later, the Birkirkara Coach included another Under-16's Player as Mariah Sciberras replaced Kirstie Vella. Sciberras was inserted as right wing-back as the Stripes were now playing with a 3-5-2 formation.
Youngster Sciberras went close on scoring a consolation goal five minutes from time as she powered herself on the right channel before having her fierce drive surprising the Hibernians goalkeeper but ended just over the bar as Hibernians held on for a 3-0 victory.
BIRKIRKARA: Janice Xuereb, Melania Bajada, Stephania Farrugia, Yasmeen Vella, Isabelle Mazzitelli (70' Sarah Urpani), Gabriella Zahra, Oriana Bedingfield, Kirstie Vella (75' Mariah Sciberras), Kim Parnis, Raina Giusti, Kelly Agius Pace.
Yellow Cards: 30' Charlene Zammit (Hibernians).
Scorers: 11' Corissa Vella, 41' Ylenia Carabott, 68' Dionne Tonna (Hibernians).
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