Birkirkara maintain winning momentum at the expense of Gżira United

GŻIRA UNITED 0

BIRIKIRKARA 1

Sandona 13

GZIRA UNITED

J. Haber, G, Bohrer, J. Minala (80 F. Hassany), E. Pepe, Thaylor, Z. Scerri (63 K. Tulimieri), M. Dias (80 A. Borg), E. Saint, A. Alves, F. Zuniga, T. Espindola (46 J. Pisani).

BIRKIRKARA

G. Volpe, M. Morello, A. Sandona, P. Gaitan, P. Mbong, A. Satariano, L. Lacunza, N. Micallef, N. Cross, M. Maia (79 J. Siafa), G. Yikpe.

Referee: Slobodan Petrovic

Yellow cards: Espindola, Zuniga, Bohrer, Maia, Thaylor.

Leaders Birkirkara pulled further away from their rivals with a hard-fought win over Gzira.

Agustin Sandona capped a diligent display with a rasping strike which left the Maroons’ defence dazed.

Gżira’ s lack of confidence in front of  goal consigned them to their fourth defeat of the season.

Before kick-off, Gzira goalkeeper Justin Haber with a shirt on the occasion of his 350th league appearance.

Birkirkara started the match as they left off against Ħamrun last week and could have been two goals ahead after 15 minutes.

The first of many chances fell to Alexander Satariano after 13 minutes, the Malta midfielder hitting a point-blank shot which was well saved by Haber.

But the Stripes did not have to wait long to go ahead.

Manuel Morello hit a teasing free-kick from the right into the box, the Maroons blocked Nathan Cross’s attempt to turn the ball goalwards, only to see it fall into the path of Sandona who sweetly curled the ball beyond Haber.

If Gżira were stunned by going behind early on they did not show it, and the Maroons began to string passes around as they tried to fashion an opening.

Past the half hour mark, Haber mishandled a sliced Pablo Gaitan’s shot that had ballooned high up into the air.

It seemed set to hit the crossbar, but the Gżira goalkeeper clawed the ball back down from above his crossbar and spilled to out to the Italian midfielder, but Gaitan incredibly shot wide.

A solo run by Alex Alves had Birkirkara on the backfoot after 42 minutes as the midfielder’s brave run took him just in front of the box before setting up Zach Scerri who hit wide.

Soon after the break, Gżira were almost gifted an equaliser when Neil Micallef’s woeful pass was seized on by Alves, but the Brazilian winger shot straight at Giacomo Volpe.

On 58 minutes, Satariano raced at the heart of the Gzira defence, even staying on his feet after an attempted trip by Farid Zuniga but he was closed down by Haber when he was about to pull the trigger.

Birkirkara were pressing forward in search of a second goal to give themselves some breathing space.

Satariano burst clear through the middle channel and played Maxuell Maia clean through on goal. But the Brazilian forward hesitated, and he hit the ball high and wide.

Gzira made a desperate late push forward in search of that elusive equaliser.

A powerful shot by Thaylor was saved Volpe.

On 82 minutes, the Maroons threatened again when Tulimieri connected with an outswinging cross from Ebisindor Saint but his header flashed wide of Volpe’s post.

Gaitan then threw himself on to the ball to deny Gabriel Bohrer and Gżira a share of the points.