The Blacks are now two points
adrift of Victoria Hotspurs and
one point ahead of the resurgent
Nadur Youngsters. Xewkija Tigers
trail Għajnsielem by four
points. So all is not lost for
the Blacks. They still control
their own destiny. In one of the
most interesting championship
seasons in years, there is
unusual parity among all the
teams in the division and
anything can happen between now
and the end of April. The
Blacks, however, need to
rediscover the form that saw
them score freely in the first
half of the season. The
challenge is to do this without
opening too much at the back.
Għajnsielem seemed determined to
make a good start to this match
and poured forward in numbers
straight from the kick-off. They
seemed hungrier than the Lions,
and Thiago dos Santos signalled
the Blacks’ ambitions with a
hard shot from outside the
penalty area, which went high
over Paul Galea’s goal. In
Sannat’s first possession of
note they scored. Three
ex-Blacks were involved in the
move that effectively settled
the outcome. Fernando de Andrade
took possession in midfield.
Għajnsielem were caught off
balance. His pass towards John
Camilleri on the right beat the
Blacks’ defence. Camilleri had
the time to deliver a measured
cross towards the second post
from where Grima easily headed
past Joseph Grech and into the
Blacks’ net.
Sannat could now play their
favourite game. They packed
their defence and waited to
pounce on Għajnsielem mistakes.
Led by Sabri Rais they sought to
disrupt the flow in
Għajnsielem’s play with physical
football. The Blacks took time
to recover from the blow they
suffered. Alex Simoncic shot
high over Galea’s goal near the
15 minute mark. Thiago dos
Santos nearly squeezed the ball
inside the near post ten minutes
later. The Brazilian headed wide
from the resultant corner kick
taken by Simoncic.
From this point to the end of
the first half, Għajnsielem, led
by Simoncic, who played further
upfield than usual, pounded
Sannat with direct attacks and
set pieces. A Sannat defender
nearly headed into his own net
from a Simoncic free-kick.
Rodrigo Cariaga headed wide at
the near post from a Simoncic
corner. Thiago dos Santos
controlled the ball well in the
penalty area, turned but shot
high from a good position.
Franklee Galea lost possession,
than regained it with a good
tackle to start the best move of
the first half. He passed to dos
Santos who played a quick one
two with Simoncic. Mercieca
could not turn in the
Brazilian’s cross. This attack
produced a series of corner
kicks taken by Simoncic and
Cariaga all of which created
havoc underneath Galea’s goal
posts. How the Blacks failed to
hammer the ball home on one of
these set pieces we do not know.
The second half started
promisingly for the Blacks when
dos Santos sent a inviting cross
for Kenneth Mercieca. The
latter, however, was slow to
react and a Sannat defender
anticipated him and cleared the
danger. The Blacks’ search for
the equalizer effectively ended
with another Mercieca miss. He
took possession in Sannat’s
penalty area, but took too long
to pull the trigger and his shot
was blocked.
Near the hour mark, Joseph
Attard came on for David
Debattista. He took position in
attack. Simoncic dropped back in
midfield. This switch did not
have the expected impact on the
Blacks’ fortunes. It seemed as
if Għajnsielem had been worn out
by Sannat’s physical play and by
their futile pursuit of the
equalizer. Simoncic’s presence
in midfield was not properly
exploited because he rarely
received clean ball from his
team mates, who seemed too dazed
to reason properly with simple
pass and move football.
The Blacks supporters in
attendance, their belief boosted
by the indifferent form shown by
Hotspurs over the past few
weeks, watched somewhat
perplexed, as Għajnsielem’s bid
to take over first place
unravelled before their eyes.
Għajnsielem came close through
Brian Meilak who shot wide from
a good position, Mercieca who
nearly burst past two Sannat
defenders and Attard who saw his
well-directed shot blocked. When
the exhausted Rais left the
match for the return of Mark
Muscat, one hoped that the
Blacks would take this as the
cue for one final surge.
Instead, Muscat immediately won
a header from an Għajnsielem
clearance, and sent Camilleri
alone to score the goal that put
the match beyond the Blacks’
reach.
