The chase is on. Ghajnsielem F.C. edge Sannat Lions by a goal to nil. The three points take Ghajnsielem to first place equal on points with Victoria Hotspurs. The latter’s game in hand is Sunday’s derby against the resurgent S.K. Victoria W. Alex Simoncic, once again proved to be the difference between the Blacks and their opponents. He scored the winner from a direct free-kick early in the second half. Joseph Grech, heroic in this outing, collected his team’s first clean sheet of the season.

Franklee Galea and Kenneth Mercieca returned to the starting line-up, having served their one-match ban. This was Galea’s first match alongside Simoncic in midfield. The two complement each other well, and will function better the more they play together. David Debattista kept his place as one of the two stoppers deployed by coach Alex Spiteri despite the availability of Glenn Cefai.

Debattista was in the spotlight early on. He was quick to recover when Ferdinand Apap was beaten on a Sannat breakaway and managed to block as John Camilleri was ready to fire at goal. Debattista kept Camilleri under control for most of the half. When the one-time Black managed to gain some time and space on Debattista he was wasteful in his finish.

Martin Cremona and Joseph Buttigieg alternated as Sabri Rais’ markers, depending on the latter’s position in the field. Both did well to neutralize the ever dangerous Rais, especially on Sannat corner kicks.

Ferdinando Apap was not at his best in the first half. But this could be said about almost every Ghajnsielem player. The thought swirling in every Ghajnsielem supporter’s head was that the pressure of a title chase must be getting to the Blacks. How else could you explain, for example, the inability of an experienced player such as captain Buttigieg to calm things down and stroke the ball with confidence to Ghajnsielem’s midfield general Simoncic. Instead, Simoncic spent most of the first half watching the ball sailing over his head out of Ghajnsielem’s defence.

Kenneth Mercieca too betrayed a certain degree of fear when on occasion in the opening session instead of drifting wide and giving a safe passing option, he jogged out of defence, inconspicuously, in the pack.

Rodrigo Cariaga and Thiago dos Santos tried to make the most of the frequent high balls. Indeed, on a couple of occasions Ghajnsielem were inches away from creating something but the final pass was hit too hard. Mercieca, showing some of the quality he possesses surged out of Ghajnsielem’s half and with Cariaga going one way and dos Santos the other chose to send dos Santos away from goal, instead of Cariaga on a one-on-one with Paul Galea in the Sannat goal.

It took Ghajnsielem over half an hour to string more than three passes together, but when they did, the manoeuvre took them from right to left, with every Black seemingly applying an inspired touch. Sannat’s defenders, sensing the danger, committed a foul. This was Simoncic’s first chance to leave his imprint on the encounter. His curling shot, from well outside the Lions’ penalty area, did not swerve sufficiently and ended in the side netting, to Galea’s right. This development created a flicker of hope for the suffering Blacks fans, shivering with apprehension, more than cold, on the stands at the Sannat Ground. They silently bargained for a scoreless first half with the football gods, in the knowledge that Ghajnsielem always play better in the second half.

Sabri, Camilleri, Errol Grima ( playing this season’s first match against his Club) and company tried hard to convert their clear supremacy over the Blacks into goals. But they were not sharp in front of goal. Joseph Grech, aside from one unfortunate intervention during which he nearly injured himself, looked determined to keep his side in the match and he did so magnificently, especially when he saved a Lions’ hard drive from outside the penalty area towards the end of the half.

Mario Apap’s half-time whistle brought to an end a woeful opening 45 minutes for the Blacks. Ghajnsielem’s persistence with rigid man-to-man marking in defence tends to expose their flanks. The assignment of one, sometimes two players to specific marking jobs in midfield distorts the shape of their team. The emphasis on negating the other team’s match-winners seems to create a siege mentality within the ranks. Hoofing the ball upfield is job well done. And, as they say, it works in Gozo. Ghajnsielem have won four of their last five matches and are unbeaten in that stretch. But this brand of football, aside from being anti-football, is not good for the faint of heart. Three narrow wins in a row, there is so much the supporters can take.

The anxiety and the general disorganization within the team are forgivable (given the stakes and the conventional wisdom about what works around here), the underutilization of the team’s best assets, Simoncic, Cariaga and dos Santos is not.

Thankfully, as tiredness sets in instinct takes over, and Ghajnsielem started to play football right from the second half kick-off. Within a handful of minutes, their pressure forced Sannat into a foul in a promising position for Ghajnsielem’s peerless marksman. The Serbian took aim, and with a hard low drive from well outside Sannat’s penalty area blasted the ball past Galea and into the Lions’ goal for the eventual winner. Simoncic’s second goal direct from a free-kick in as many matches with the Blacks, surely a first, brought a gasp out of all the supporters in attendance. Simoncic and his teammates leapt with delight. President Sammy Rapa, Spiteri and the rest of the Blacks’ clan were reaping instant dividends for their investment in this player. The supporters furiously texted his name along with the score to their mates who for some reason could not be there.

Simoncic and company outplayed Sannat in the second half and emerged deserving winners. Ghajnsielem created half a dozen good scoring opportunities. Two of these came within five minutes of Ghajnsielem’s goal. One of these was created by Mercieca, who tore down the left and served dos Santos on the penalty spot, but the latter’s shot was blocked to a corner. Moments later dos Santos beat his man down the right, but miscued his shot and failed to trouble Galea. Simoncic tested Galea with viciously struck corner kicks, but the brave Sannat keeper somehow survived. Down the other end, Joseph Grech threw his body in harm’s way and blocked at the feet of a Sannat forward.

Mercieca lifted his game, but so did Galea. With socks down to his ankles he tackled fiercely in midfield, forcing one turnover after another. On occasion Galea reminds us that he graduated to the senior side from the youths on the basis of his fine passing and shooting skills, rather than his ball-winning capabilities. He provided a sublime through pass that sent dos Santos on a clean breakaway. Paul Galea loomed large and the Brazilian shot straight at the Sannat keeper.

If Galea came into prominence after the restart, so did Buttigieg. The captain not only led by example keeping possession with simple outlet passes, but sought to hurt the Lions with killer passes. Near the half hour mark, he set Cariaga up with a diagonal pass that took out Sannat’s back-line. Galea, again, denied Cariaga. Corner to Ghajnsielem.

Meilak too, led Ghajnsielem out of their zone, head lifted high on the look for openings in Sannat’s tiring rearguard. Meilak nearly settled the matter with a left-footed shot following a corner that slammed hard against the wall just wide of Galea’s goal.

Cremona, not only contributed with his experience, height and weight, to preserve Ghajnsielem’s precarious lead, but he even took his turn as play maker. He sent dos Santos away but the Brazilian’s shot went wide. Cremona was hurt on this play, but recovered to finish the match on the field of play.

Apap, made up for his average output in the first half, with a tremendous show of athleticism and composure in the second half. On one occasion he threatened to put the Lions away all on his own. He did not succeed, but the ease with which he recovered his position in front of Grech, once his adventure in attack came to an end, left one gasping in awe.

Mercieca, who kept the energy level up to the end, provided one more invitation to score to dos Santos but the striker, perhaps surprised that the ball made it all the way to his feet, hesitated and gave his marker a chance to recover and clear away.

Cariaga and dos Santos were involved time and again in Ghajnsielem’s build-up in the latter stages of the game. Frustrated by the superior quality brought to bear by the Blacks, Sannat resorted to tactical fouls. Manna from heaven when you have Simoncic, a deadeye with his left foot. Galea saved two of Simoncic’s free-kicks and saw another shave the crossbar.

Grech and his defenders dealt with Sannat’s desperate last attempts to save the match with courage and determination. Cariaga and dos Santos created more chances for Ghajnsielem to make sure of the points but the ball would not go in. Finally, time added on elapsed and Ghajnsielem celebrated another crucial, hard-fought win. Unbelievable though it may seem with so many matches left to play, one feels that the Blacks already have no room for error. This creates unbearable tension in the stands during the match, and sheer elation upon the final whistle, quite a ride.


30 Joseph Grech, 3 Ferdinando Apap, 4 David Debattista, 5 Alex Simoncic, 6 Joseph Buttigieg (c), 7 Brian Meilak, 8 Kenneth Mercieca, 10 Rodrigo Cariaga, 15 Martin Cremona, 18 Thiago dos Santos, 20 Franklee Galea.