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MATCH REPORT
This afternoon Għajnsielem F.C.
played their first ever
competitive match against M.F.A.
opposition when they took on 3rd
Division side Qrendi F.C. in the
first round of the Malta F.A.
Trophy. This was thus also the
Club’s first ever competitive
match outside the realm of the
Gozo Football Association.
Patrick Vassallo made two
changes from the side that
started their last competitive
match against Nadur Youngsters.
Joseph Attard started in attack
in place of Larry Debono and
David Debattista started in
defence in place of Charlon
Grima. Joseph Grech started in
goal. Patrick Camilleri
partnered Debattista in central
defence. Larry Buttigieg and
Robert Grima were the fullbacks.
Alex Simoncic patrolled midfield
in the company of Jason Portelli
and Joseph Buttigieg, who played
wide on the left. Charlon Tabone
and Attard played behind Manwel
Cordina in attack.
The Blacks settled down quickly
and started a bombardment on the
Qrendi F.C. goal. In Brian
Zammit, however, the Blacks
found an unbeatable goalkeeper.
The experienced Qrendi keeper
handled safely everything that
the Blacks threw at him. And
when Għajnsielem were not
missing due to Zammit’s heroics
they were blasting the ball high
or wide of his goal. Cordina,
twice, Attard, Simoncic and
Portelli were all denied by a
brilliant Zammit. Tabone and the
Blacks’ forwards came close on
other occasions as well.
The Blacks paid dearly for not
converting their domination into
goals. After controlling play
for so long Għajnsielem conceded
on a Qrendi breakaway. There was
a misunderstanding at the back
and Aaron Pendry, a one-time
Blacks player, side-footed the
ball into an empty net. At the
half-time break the score was
incredibly Għajnsielem nil
Qrendi one. The Blacks were
punished for missing so many
chances. Although Zammit was
brilliant in goal, Għajnsielem
should have scored at least
twice.
Stefan Azzopardi, who missed the
previous match, came on for
Larry Buttigieg at the start of
the second half. Joseph
Buttigieg dropped to left-back
and Azzopardi played in
midfield. Although the Blacks
still held the upper hand,
initially chances did not come
at regular intervals. Cordina
was surprised by Simoncic's
cross from a free-kick and the
chance was lost. Coach Vassallo,
who experimented with various
formations in this early part of
the season with scant results,
shifted Tabone to wide left and
Azzopardi to wide right in order
to give the Blacks a much more
familiar 4-4-2 shape. The
Blacks, worryingly, were not
playing with the same purpose as
they showed in the first half.
With Grima and company hurling
so many high balls at the tall
Qrendi central defender, the
Maltese side managed to absorb
the Blacks' pressure well.
Cordina, who was much more
involved in play during the
first half, spent a good stretch
virtually idle with very little
service.
Then the Blacks started to gain
momentum, passing the ball well
but coming short with their
final pass. Attard's volley from
Portelli's cross was blocked and
Zammit saved comfortably. Jason
Portelli's shot missed high
after good work by Tabone and
Buttigieg. Cordina then missed
from close range. Woeful
defending by the Blacks almost
lead to Qrendi’s second goal,
which would have surely killed
off the Għajnsielem right then.
Thus reprieved the Blacks went
straight up field and scored the
equalizer. Buttigieg sent
Cordina on a breakaway and the
new Blacks striker does not
usually miss such easy chances.
From a possible 0-2 hole the
Blacks found themselves looking
to go ahead. Simoncic and
Debattista soon came close to
scoring with long range efforts.
Tabone crossed the ball from the
left and Portelli brought the
best out of Zammit with a great
shot.
Qrendi ventured forward but
Pendry was closed down before he
could do any further damage. The
Blacks poured forward once again
and the siege resumed.
Buttigieg, who had joined the
attack, came close on two
occasions. Simoncic exchanged
the ball with Grima but Cordina
could not go round the keeper
following Grima's cross.
Simoncic then sent Cordina
through but the latter prefered
to pass to Attard rather than
shoot with his left.
The score remained one all going
into the final minutes of the
match with Blacks missing more
chances to score. Cordina missed
twice in quick succession
following an Attard cross. This
lead to a corner-kick. Camilleri
sent the short clearance high.
Down the other end the studs of
one of Joseph Grech’s boots
seemed to have saved the Blacks,
when a Qrendi forward shot at
goal from close range. In the
same incident Grima cleared off
the line. Qrendi had suddenly
come to life. The match moved
into injury time and it looked
like we were heading to extra
time. The two teams, however,
were determined not to go that
far. Cordina was somehow foiled
on a breakaway deep in injury
time. Qrendi took the ball down
the other end and scored the
match-winner through Pendry.
Unbelievably, the Blacks had
managed to throw this historic
cup tie away with atrocious
finishing and two pieces of
really poor defending.
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