Bohrer penalty hands Gżira United narrow win over Naxxar Lions

GZIRA UNITED 1

Bohrer 18 pen.

NAXXAR LIONS            0

GZIRA UNITED

G. Mangano, G. Bohrer (49 B. Borg), J. Minala, A. Borg, Thaylor, L. Ribeiro, M. Shaquill, D. Barbosa, S. Denic (83 M. De Filipps), K. Zammit, T. Espindola.

NAXXAR LIONS

M. Debono, N. Micallef, B. Sane, E. Farias (83 D. Jackson), T. Ndao, K. Haber (55 G. Bonanno), A. Laton, Maicon, F. Pereira, J. Cardoso, Y. Ito (55 T. Yamaguchi)

Referee: Slobodan Petrovic.

Yellow cards: K. Zammit, M. Debono, Macula, Minala,

Naxxar paid the penalty as a first-half spot kick separated the two sides in a dour encounter.

Controversy opened the match when Maicon was adjudged to have handled Thaylor’s cross on 18 minutes, allowing Gabriel Bohrer to convert the spot kick. Referee Slobodan Petrovic took time to make his decision, first waving play on but then retracting his initial choice to point to the spot.

Bohrer, who already scored nine goals this season, kept his nerve to score.

Imbued with confidence, Gżira kept on driving forward and Macula was inches away from doubling his side’s lead when he skimmed a shot just wide of the far post.

Late in the half, Naxxar at last contrived a chance when Giulio Mangano saved well on Kayne Haber.

And yet just after the restart, Giovanni Tedesco suffered a blow when Bohrer had to be taken off on a stretcher and substituted by Brooklyn Borg.

Yet, Naxxar failed to profit from the situation, with their attacking threat was as good as nil for much of the second half as their midfield lacked the flair and thrust to provide a steady supply of passes and crosses to their forwards as George Vella’s men were relying too much on hopeful shots from the distance.

Laton hit a rasping shot from distance which finished just wide on 64 minutes.

But a disciplined Gżira side kept their opponents at bay to take their first victory of the Closing Round and reignite their hopes of a Top Six spot.

OTHER RESULT

ŻABBAR SP      3

Micallef 56

Ilic 90

Tavares 90+

BALZAN           0

ŻABBAR SP

L. Camilleri, J. Micallef, Wallace, B. Gambarte (76 S. Ilic), Z. Grech (83 D. Fava), J. Pisani, D. Tavares, S. Jovancic (46 D. Jovicic), Vinicius, K. Keqi (90 J. Mendonca), D. Oliveira (76 M. Barros Santos).

BALZAN

D. Ciappara, S. Arab, T. Caruana, J. Busuttil, O. Awosanya, H. Stanic, L. Jankovic, L. Lukovic, V. Llorens (64 I. Westendorf), U. Akpan (74 B. Hili), R. Da Silva.

Referee Daniel Portelli.

Yellow cards: Da Silva, Keqi, Jovicic.

Red cards: Stanic (B) 68; Da Silva (B) 77.