Għajnsielem F.C. kicked-off
their 2010/11 season with an
evening
Independence Cup tie
at the Sannat Ground against St.
Laurence Spurs. The Blacks were
surprisingly beaten 1-0 by the
newly-promoted side and were
thus eliminated at the first
hurdle of the competition.
Għajnsielem ran into a team that
is at a more advanced stage of
preparation than they are. St.
Laurence, bolstered by the
return of Matthew Francalanza
and ex-Black Charles Mercieca
and by ex-Blacks player-coach,
Leandro Blanco de Castro, as
well as by Argentine striker
Franco Franchin, quickly
realized that they could
overcome their opponents and
seized the initiative in the
match.
Għajnsielem introduced two new
players, ex-Kerċem Ajax Daniel
Sakic who partnered Ferdinando
Apap in central defence, and
ex-Nadur Youngsters and Qala St.
Joseph striker Alex Ribic who
partnered Joseph Attard II in
attack. Larry Buttigieg returned
to the side as left-back after
missing practically the entire
2009/10 season. Captain Joseph
Buttigieg switched flanks and
played at right-back.
Player-coach Alex Simoncic
patrolled central midfield
accompanied by Franklee Galea.
Stefan Azzopardi took up
position on the right in place
of the departed Brian Meilak,
who joined S.K. Victoria W. in
the off-season. Kenneth Mercieca
played on the left.
Simoncic sought to inspire his
side with his play in midfield
and his efforts from long range.
In fact he came close on two
occasions, one from free play
and one from a free-kick. St.
Laurence nearly made their
superiority count when they
struck the bar following a
Christopher Cauchi header.
Joseph Grech then denied first
the same Cauchi and then Matthew
Francalanza with good saves.
Kenneth Mercieca and Alex Ribic
came closest for the Blacks in
the first half, but players
missed their chances following
individual efforts.
Mercieca should have given
Għajnsielem the lead early in
the second half when he was sent
through by Galea. The Blacks’
forward, however, found Samuel
Micallef in his way and his
effort was blocked. Simoncic
again tried to break the
deadlock from distance but
Micallef alertly saved the ball
to a corner.
Near the hour mark, St. Laurence
scored the goal that settled the
cup tie when Matthew Francalanza
finished with style de Castro’s
invitation to score. Grech could
do little about this, in fact
the Blacks’ goalkeeper had kept
his side in the contest with a
save on Franchin a few minutes
earlier.
Although Għajnsielem picked up
the tempo and came close to draw
level through Mercieca, who
should have scored from a
Simoncic corner kick, and Ribic,
it was St. Laurence Spurs who
looked likelier to score. The
first division newcomers
deserved their victory and will
now face the reigning champions
Victoria Hotspurs in the
semi-final.
The defeat snapped a ten-game
winning streak that the Blacks
enjoyed against St. Laurence
Spurs (the longest active one
against any club). In fact one
has to go back to May 22, 1993
to find the last Għajnsielem
defeat at the hands of St.
Laurence—then Spurs eliminated
the Blacks from the second
division knockout.
The three substitutes introduced
by Simoncic represent at least
one positive note for the Blacks
to take away from this match.
Kenny Hili, who suffered a
career threatening injury
towards the end of the 2008/09
season made his return to the
first team when he came on for
Larry Buttigieg. This was not
Kenny’s senior debut because he
made a handful of appearances
late in the 2007/08 campaign.
Robert Grima, who played a
significant role in the first
half of last season, also
notched his first appearance
this season when he came on for
Joseph Buttigieg. Joshua Cassar,
one of the most promising
Għajnsielem youth team players
in the 90’s, but who for some
reason, never quite made the
breakthrough with the senior
Blacks (one appearance as
substitute in the 1999/00
season) came on for Franklee
Galea. In the interim Joshua had
played senior football with
other clubs.
The Blacks must now turn their
attention to the league opener
against S.K. Victoria W.
scheduled for Thursday September
16. In the meantime Għajnsielem
are expected to strengthen the
side with two new foreign
players.
