Four off as Tedesco bags first win as Sirens coach

SENGLEA ATHLETIC 0

SIRENS 1

Bustos 61

Senglea Athletic

M. Farrugia-5, Z. Cassar-5, A. Abela-6, F. Gnindokponou-6.5, D. Fava-5, J. Tanti-5, L. Riascos-6.5, A. Scicluna, J. Dibola-6, D. Xuereb-6 (83 L. Brincat), Wilkerson-5.5 (80 D.Abela)

Sirens

D. Cassar-6, Raphael-6.5, T. Jammeh-5.5 (66 R. Grech), H. Kone-7 (70 T. Agius), W. Domoraud-6, J. Walker-5, A. Borg-5, S. Tounkara-5 (82 L. Grech), R. Scicluna, A. Bustos, E. Callegari Torre-5.5.

Referee: Andrea Sciriha.

Yellow cards: Riascos, R. Scicluna, Gnindokponou, Xuereb, A. Scicluna.

Red cards: R. Scicluna (Sirens) 64; Bustos (Sirens) 79, A. Scicluna (Senglea) 86, Riascos (Senglea) 90.

BOV player of the match: Hamed Kone (Sirens)

A solitary goal scored past the hour mark by Angel Bustos was enough to hand Giovanni Tedesco his first joy as Sirens coach in a match referee Andrea Sciriha issued four red cards.

Sirens paraded their latest signings – Italian defender Emiliano Torre Callegari and Gambian striker Tamsir Jammeh as Tedesco used this match to tinker with his formation.

Raphael moved in central midfield with Angel Bustos coming in at left-back for Thiago Espindola.

Sirens did the early running but there was little effect in their play. In the fourth minute, Raphael tried his luck with a well-taken low shot from the edge of the area, which missed the target by a whisker.

The Northenders increased their pressure just before half-time. They went close to taking the lead in the 37th minute. Hamed Kone’s free-kick was directed towards goal by Wilfred Domoraud which nearly had the better of Matthew Farrugia but the ball thumped against the post.

Senglea rarely ventured forward in the first half but they managed to create an anxious moment in Sirens’ defence in the 47th minute. Junior Dibola managed to shoot at goal from an angled position but David Cassar did well to palm the ball away into a corner.

On 61 minutes, Sirens won a corner on the right and from the perfectly-taken kick by Kone, Bustos flung himself to head in past the wrong-footed Farrugia.

Moments later, Ryan Scicluna scythed down Freud Gnindokponou to end his venture towards the Sirens box. The former Birkirkara midfielder, having already been cautioned in the first half, was given his marching orders by referee Andrea Sciriha.

That left Sirens with a vital cog in midfield missing. This impelled Tedesco to withdraw two strikers – Jammeh and Kone to rope in Ryan Grech and Terence Agius.

Playing with a player less was already a tall order for Sirens but matters became more complicated for them 11 minutes from time when Bustos was also shown a red card. The Argentine winger spoilt his copybook when he pulled down Luis Riascos.

Four minutes from time, André Scicluna was also banished to the stands by Sciriha. At death, the referee again fetched for his red card to dismiss Riascos this time.