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MATCH REPORT
Għajnsielem F.C. kicked-off
their 2011/12 league campaign
late this afternoon with a match
against pre-season favourite and
in-form Xewkija Tigers. The
Blacks had in their side Roberto
Rivellino Petriaggi. Xewkija
Tigers, who in the off-season
had signed Chris and John
Camilleri, Elton Vella (all
ex-Sannat L.) and Franklee
Galea, played this match without
Galea and Chris Camilleri
(injured). So facing a slightly
weaker side than the formidable
one expected, the Blacks should
have been heartened and
emboldened to play a positive
match. This was not to be.
Before Għajnsielem could
establish a foothold in this
encounter they were already, one
John Camilleri goal down. This
was a soft goal conceded after a
quickly taken free-kick, with
Camilleri reaching Christian
Bugeja's cross before Richard
Sammut could react. Camilleri
placed behind the Għajnsielem
goalkeeper and into the net.
Sammut was indeed the starting
Għajnsielem goalkeeper. He was
making his seasonal debut after
Joseph Grech had started the
previous two competitive
matches. Alex Simoncic was back
in defence, along with David
Debattista, Robert Grima and
Patrick Camilleri. Charlon Grima
was back in the starting line-up
with a defensive role in
midfield alongside Charlon
Tabone and the playmaker Jason
Portelli. Joseph Attard and
Petriaggi played in support of
Manwel Cordina in attack.
Għajnsielem’s shockingly slow
start continued and Patrick
Camilleri courageously cleared
the ball off the line with
Sammut beaten and Bugeja ready
to tap home John Camilleri's low
shot. In Għajnsielem’s first
serious attack Petriaggi should
have levelled the score but he
failed to connect with a
Portelli free-kick. Just when it
seemed that the Blacks had
settled down they conceded a
second goal. This came out of
nowhere when Rodney Buttigieg
took hold of the rebound from a
Paul Rapa effort and beat Sammut
with a scorcher of a shot.
Portelli struck the post for
Għajnsielem with a direct
free-kick taken from the edge of
the Xewkija penalty area and
Tabone missed from point blank
range on the rebound. Down the
other end Sammut saved well
from John Camilleri. Portelli,
who was the best among the
Blacks in the first half, sent
Attard clear but the latter shot
wide under pressure. Għajnsielem
were at this point holding their
own, although with two or three
Blacks seemingly marking Tigers
man-to-man the Blacks betrayed a
degree of collective mental
frailty. Simoncic, who once
again wasted a full half playing
in defence, sensed an
opportunity to bring vitality to
the Blacks’ play
and joined the
attack on of his team's most
intricate moves of the half.
Unfortunately,
Għajnsielem gave up possession
just outside the Xewkija penalty
area. The ball was shifted
quickly to John Camilleri down
the other end, and there was
nothing that Patrick Camilleri
and Sammut could do to stop the
striker from giving Xewkija a
three-goal lead. This goal
demoralised the Blacks and soon
after Christian Bugeja hit the
bar for Xewkija. A fourth goal
would have been too harsh on the
Blacks. So at half-time it was
Ghajnsielem nil Xewkija three.
Vassallo sent Joseph Buttigieg
on for Charlon Grima, then
Stefan Azzopardi on for Attard
and abandoned his first half
plan completely. Buttigieg took
position in defence and Simoncic
moved into midfield. The
realignment stabilised the
Blacks. Unfortunately, their
forward play lacked spark and
Xewkija controlled proceedings
with ease. Cordina and
Debattista headed wide following
good crosses on two separate
occasions. Simoncic was by far
the most influential player in
the second half and was rewarded
for his efforts with an
injury-time goal direct from a
free-kick. Earlier in the second
half he had forced Xewkija's
goalkeeper Joseph Grima to make
his best save of the afternoon
with a drive from long distance.
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