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MATCH REPORT
Għajnsielem F.C. won
their seventh match out of seven
so far this season when they
beat Munxar Falcons 8-2. The
Falcons gave the Blacks an early
scare when they overturned an
early one-goal deficit and took
the lead, which was the first
time this season that the Blacks
trailed at any time this season.
But the Blacks reacted
immediately, retook the lead and
went on to win comfortably.
Alex Spiteri
pencilled the
seventh different
starting line-up of the season.
This rotation of two or three
positions in the line-up may
prove useful in the second phase
of the competition, when the
Blacks will play a series of
tough matches in a short span of
time and the versatility of some
of the players may give Spiteri
the flexibility that might make
the difference between
winning or losing a direct clash.
The Blacks
started strongly with Damon Hili
bursting through the Falcons
defence before hammering the
ball past Brandon Mizzi.
Għajnsielem's focus drifted and
the Falcons showed the public in
attendance what a fine team they
are. They put the Blacks, who
were hampered by the wind
blowing in their faces, under
incessant pressure and scored
two fine goals through one of
their best players Ryan Vella,
one an overhead kick and the
other a glancing header from a
free-kick. In reply, Andrew
Attard headed firmly from an
Alberto Xuereb corner but Mizzi
made a reaction save. Xuereb
then penetrated on the left and
shot at goal, the ball would
have missed the goal at the
second post, but Chris Cauchi,
who started in place of the
injured Jamie Vella, redirected
the ball into the unguarded net.
The Blacks came
close three times through Hili
who shot wide from distance,
Cauchi who headed high from a
Marco Ciangura cross and Andrea
Grima who shot wide from outside
the area. Hili brought this
streak to an end when he latched
on to a Xuereb corner and tapped
in, after Andrew Attard had
missed heading home at the near
post. Cauchi then headed badly
from another well-taken Xuereb
corner. Near the end of the half
Mizzi made an incredible save
when he kept the ball out from a
Hili shot taken from point blank
range. But this good work was
all undone seconds later when
the ball was passed badly in the
Munxar half and Hili pounced on
the loose ball and scored with a
hard shot. There was still time
for Hili to try to increase the
lead but Mizzi saved well.
Moments later Mizzi turned
Grima's low drive behind for a
corner.
Shortly after the
restart, the Blacks scored their
fifth goal. Cauchi, who was
unselfish throughout this
outing, played the ball in
midfield to Hili. The latter
exchanged the ball with Ciangura
before blasting past Mizzi.
Ciangura then tried to get his
name on the score sheet but
missed at the near post.
Għajnsielem came close through
Xuereb who shot wide and Grima,
who again saw Mizzi save a shot
taken from distance.
Hili took the
ball inside the falcons' penalty
area before he back heeled the
ball to Ciangura, who had cut
inside. The right midfielder
spotted Xuereb unmarked on the
left. His layoff was perfect and
Xuereb was not going to miss a
chance like that, 6-2 Blacks.
Attard had a shot saved but his
frustration was short-lived
because his glancing header from
a Xuereb corner beat Mizzi at
the near post. Attard marred his
afternoon with a bad tackle on a
Munxar forward. Referee Joe
Bajada rightly cautioned the
Blacks' central defender.
Grima and Cauchi
made way for Christian Dingli
and David Scicluna and the
latter immediately came close to
scoring when his shot came off
the upright. Ciangura struck the
upright from the rebound and
eventually Hili nudged the ball
wide. Massimo Mallia came on for
the excellent Ciangura and he
wasted no time in firing his
first short at goal high of the
Munxar goal. Scicluna shot twice
in the side netting near the
end. Attard rounded out the
scoring when his high shot
bounced high over Mizzi and into
the Munxar goal. Josef Vella
came on for Hili and he too saw
his immediate shot on goal go
high.
This was another
easy win for the Blacks. Their
latest opponents have managed to
cause the Blacks a few problems
but could not sustain their
pressure for a significant
length of time. This allowed the
Blacks to take over and go on to
score at will. (Photography Josef Vella)
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