Gżira United and Balzan fire blanks for second successive week

GŻIRA UNITED       0

BALZAN        0

GŻIRA UNITED

G. Mangano, G. Mentz, E. Pepe, A. Borg (46 L. Riascos), T. Aldama, F. Chouaib, L. Macula (80K. Tulimieri), S. Sno, D. Barbosa (72 B. Borg), K. Zammit, T. Espindola (46 J. MInala).

BALZAN

D. Golovic, N. Kerkez, M. Grima, N. Pulis, J. Busuttil, B. Hili (65 R. Floro), A. Oluwatobiloba, H. Stanic, M. Ndombasi (65 V. Blasco), U. Akpan (82 I. Westendorf), E. Kamsoba.

Referee: Alex Johnson.

Yellow cards: Borg, Kerkez, Mentz, M. Grima, E. Pepe, R. Floro, K. Zammit

Gżira United and Balzan shared the spoils in a goalless draw for the second time in a week. The final stalemate hardly did any good to either side as both were eyeing a win to lift them away from the bottom places.

The two teams are currently separated by two points with the Maroons moving three points clear of bottom-placed Melita and Naxxar Lions and two ahead of Balzan.

Balzan have now gone seven matches without a win although they earned four points in draws out of the last five matches.

Gżira, on the other hand, have now collected just two points from the last four matches.

For Gżira, Andy Borg and Faysal Chouaib were preferred to Luis Riascos and Kevin Tulimieri.

Balzan, on the other hand, had three changes as Samir Arab was serving a one-match ban while Triston Caruana and Isaac Westendorf were among the substitutes with Nemanja Kerkez, Markus Grima and Udoyen Akpan included in the starting formation.

The Maroons went close to taking the lead on nine minutes.

Thaylor delivered a cross from the right and Macula’s close-range effort was blocked by Danilo Golovic. 

Balzan replied with a cross by Oluwatobiloba from the left which was blocked by Gabriel Mentz on 36 minutes and Benjamin Hili took the loose ball but his conclusion from the edge of the area was blocked once again by the Gżira captain.

Seven minutes later, Marcus Ndombasi’s corner from the left was palmed out by Mangano.

At the other end, Thiaguinho had a corner from the right parried by Golovic two minutes from the end of the first half.

Five minutes in the second half, Aldama intercepted a pass by Nicholas Pulis and served Faysal Chouaib on the right but the latter’s diagonal shot scraped past the post. Mentz then tried his luck with a long-range effort when served by Aldama from the left on 57 minutes.

Substitute Victor Blasco went close with a direct freekick from the left for Balzan ending just wide on 72 minutes.

The Maroons replied with a direct freekick from the left by Kurt Zammit which was neutralised by Golovic two minutes later.

In added time, Choauib missed a good opportunity for Giovanni Tedesco’s side, hitting wide when served with a through ball inside the area.