Ghajnsielem F.C.'s Under 15 team
started the 2011/12 league campaign with
a tough match against one of the
most improved teams from last
year Xewkija Tigers. This
competition will be played on an
8-a-side basis at the Xagħra
ground. The match duration will
be 35 minutes each half. The Blacks started
better and it was no surprise
when they took the lead through
Damon Hili who hammered the ball
in hard and low from distance
following an Alberto Xuereb pass
in the 10th minute.
The Blacks continued to play
well and deserved to go further
ahead following a Jamie Vella
header from Adrian Demanuele's
cross and Ciangura's pass.
They did go two up shortly after
when Christian Dingli took hold
of a short clearance and beat
the Xewkija Tigers goalkeeper
from distance. 2-0 for the
Blacks with 20 minutes gone in
the match.
Just before half-time, however,
the Tigers reduced the arrears
with a shot from distance.
The Blacks, who hit the same
goalpost three times through
Hili, Demanuele and Xuereb, did
not know how they were only one
up at the break. In addition,
Jamie Vella had come close on a
number of occasions with near
post headers.
Shortly after the restart Chris Cauchi
came
on for Vella who was suffering
from a knock. The Blacks played
with more caution early on and
came under pressure from their
opponents. Then in one of their
counter-attacks, the Blacks took
a
3-1 lead following Ciangura's low finish after
a turnover caused by Cauchi.
Moments later Andrea Grima came
on for Ciangura. Then Hili
suffered a foul in midfield and
was shown the yellow card for
using foul language. Xewkija
reduced the arrears with a shot
from down their right.
The Blacks lost concentration
and with two
minutes to go Xewkija's efforts
were rewarded. They took
advantage of a lapse in the
Blacks defence and scored the
equaliser. The Tigers would have
been pleased with a point given
the circumstances. Not so the
Blacks. Driven by a fired-up Damon Hili the Blacks
pinned Xewkija in their own
penalty area and with time
running out they found the
winner. Hili took the ball across his body to the left and
launched an unstoppable
left-footed shot into
the top right corner of the Xewkija goal.
The Tigers had spent
too much energy in their fight
back and could not reply.
Instead Cauchi made absolutely
sure for the Blacks with a goal
deep in injury time.
The Blacks deserved to win
mostly on the basis of what they
had done in the first half. They
were the side that settled first
and came to terms with the
dimensions of the Xagħra
ground. Their passing was at
times brilliant and the
interchanging between Hili and
Attard was text book. The Blacks
teed up their captain on a
regular basis with good layoffs.
The wide players crossed the
ball well and gave the team
width. Attard defended solidly
aided by Demanuele and Dingli.
Vella kept Xewkija's sweeper
busy and was unlucky not to
score at least once from one of
his near post headers.
The Blacks were unfortunate not
to convert their superiority
into goals and to make matters
worse they conceded on Xewkija's
first serious attack on the
Għajnsielem goal.
Hili dropped too far back in the
second half and Xewkija slowly
grabbed the initiative. They
could attack in numbers
unconcerned by the Blacks
attacks. When Ciangura squeezed
the ball inside the near post
for the Blacks' third goal, the Blacks
looked in the clear but moments of indecision
at the back nearly cost
Għajnsielem the win. Hili and
Cauchi made sure that all would
end well for the double-winning
team of last season.
Jules Ngangue was the referee.
