Twelfth straight victory for the Women's Team

by Ayrton Galea - 1st February 2017

Birkirkara FC Women's Team beat Raiders FC with a 3-0 score to register their twelfth consecutive victory and to ensure that they will be facing title challengers Hibernians FC in the next match with at least seven point lead.

In a match that saw the Stripes in control throughout the ninety minutes, a goal each by Kelly Agius Pace, Leanne Micallef and Sarah Urpani extended the Stripes' positive run. For the Stripes, this was their twelfth win from thirteen matches played.

While for Agius Pace this was their third goal in the last three matches, Micallef netted her first goal with our Club while for Urpani, who is still forming part of the Under-17's Team, this was her first goal with the senior team. Urpani's goal arrived just one week later after her fellow Under-17's team-mate Samantha Zarb also scored her first goal with the Senior Team.

National Team players Stephania Farrugia and Alishia Sultana were only fit to start on the substitutes' bench but playmaker Tracy Teuma returned for the Stripes. In the other change, Cassie Camilleri was given the nod from the start.

Thanks to this victory, the Stripes have opened a temporally ten-point lead over Hibernians FC who takes on Kirkop United FC this evening. Nonetheless the score, the Stripes will be going to their next match against Hibernians with a comfortable seven-point lead in a match that could carry a lot of weight for this year's title race.

The First Half

The Stripes made their intentions clear to notice and they went close after six minutes. Agius Pace unzipped the defence with a fine through-ball towards Leanne Micallef who did well to avoid her marker but her shot from inside the box ended over.

Birkirkara went close again after fifteen minutes. Raina Giusti played a short-corner to Agius Pace who drifted inside the box and her powerful shot blocked by the Raiders goalkeeper Jodie Attard. Five minutes later, a shot by Gabriella Zahra, captain on the day, was saved by Attard.

Goalkeeper Attard had to rush out of her position in order to stop a fast break-away for the Stripes on the twentieth minute but the Raiders goalkeeper floored Leanne Micallef as the latter was going through on goal. Two minutes later, a shot by Giusti was saved by Attard.

The Stripes surged ahead on the twenty-fourth minute. Micallef made a fine run before the ball reached Agius Pace inside the box off a deflection and the Birkirkara striker kept calm to place the ball at the back of the net.

Boosted by the opening goal, the Stripes went close twice in space of three minutes with an identical action. The delivery from the corner kick by Teuma was inch-perfect for Ann-Marie who first had a powerful header ending over and then hit another fine header but this time was denied by the crossbar.

Raiders did threaten for an equalising goal five minutes from half-time with a solo-action by Rohanne Zahra, but her shot was easily saved by goalkeeper Janice Xuereb. Moments later, Agius Pace had a fine low shot ending wide as the Stripes ended the first-half with a narrow lead.

The Second Half

For the start of the second half, Coach Shawn Meilak introduced Alishia Sultana and Stephania Farrugia as they replaced Cassie Camilleri and Kim Parnis.

Farrugia almost left her mark just four minutes inside the second-half when she connected perfectly off a free-kick by Ann-Marie Said, but her shot came off the crossbar.

The Stripes doubled their lead just after the hour-mark. Teuma made a fine run down the right wing that saw her drifting inside the box before serving Leanne Micallef who controlled well and hit home from a close-range.

Teuma had a powerful shot saved by Attard twenty minutes inside the second half while two minutes later, the Stripes were denied by the post again. A free-kick by Farrugia saw the ball fell to the path of Said who hit a rasping drive which came off the foot of the post.

Twenty minutes from time, Teuma hit a thunderous free-kick which ended just over the bar. The same player was denied to crown her brilliant performance with a goal yet again when after served by Agius Pace, her fine shot scratched past the post.

The Stripes sealed the issue on the second minute of added time. Gabriella Zahra showed great vision to supply an excellent cross towards the late substitute Sarah Urpani who advanced into the box and kept cool as she drilled the ball home with a close-range effort.

The Stripes will be involved in the much awaited match against Hibernians on Tuesday, 14 February. The match will be played at the Centenary Stadium and it will kick off at 20:15.

BIRKIRKARA: Janice Xuereb (73' Rosemarie Baldacchino), Mariah Sciberras, Yasmeen Vella, Ann-Marie Said (83' Sarah Urpani), Cassie Camilleri (46' Alishia Sultana), Gabriella Zahra, Kim Parnis (46' Stephania Farrugia), Raina Giusti, Leanne Micallef (63' Sonia Schembri),Tracy Teuma, Kelly agius Pace.

Scorers: 25' Kelly Agius Pace, 62' Leanne Micallef, 90+2' Sarah Urpani.

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