Date:
Saturday, 14th January 2012 Venue: Xagħra
Ground Goal scorers: Damon Hili
(5),
Alberto Xuereb (2), Jamie Vella
(Għajnsielem F.C.)
Anthony Zammit, Michael Joe Cini,
Charlon (Żebbuġ
Rovers) Blacks' line-up:
Owen Xuereb,
Adrian Demanuele,
Christian Dingli, Andrew Attard, Marco Ciangura
(Andrea Grima), Damon Hili, Alberto Xuereb and Jamie Vella
(Ismael Belhadj). Unused substitutes:
None. Officials: Alex Spiteri
(coach), Loreto Scicluna, Ivan
Vella, Therry Ciangura
(officials). Referee: Saviour
Parnis
Għajnsielem F.C. won
their ninth match of the season
this afternoon when they
overcame the resistance of
Żebbuġ Rovers and beat them 8-3.
The match was not as easy as the
score may suggest. Żebbuġ have
proven difficult to beat this
season and for three quarters of
this match managed to stay close
to the Blacks. They held the
league leaders 1-1 at the end of
the first half and fought back
to 3-2 and 5-3 but then the
Blacks finally put them away
with three Damon Hili goals in
quick succession late in the
match.
Alex Spiteri
fielded his old favourite
starting eight, with Owen Xuereb
in goal, Andrew Attard flanked
by
Christian Dingli and Adrian
Demanuele in defence, Damon Hili
accompanied by Marco Ciangura
and Alberto Xuereb in midfield
and Jamie Vella the spearhead in
attack. It was Vella who opened
the score with a first half
goal. The Blacks, however,
failed to pull away and the
Rovers equalized so that the
teams went into the break tied
at one.
Alberto Xuereb
and Damon Hili gave the Blacks
the best of starts in the second
half with two early goals. Then,
however, the Blacks gave up a
cheap goal from a corner kick.
Although the Rovers enjoyed very
little possession they started
to believe that they could drop
the Blacks to their second
straight draw. Għajnsielem's
frustration started to show and
one felt that this could be one
of those days, when against all
odds the technically superior
team is tripped up by the sheer
determination of their inferior
opponent. This feeling lasted
until Vella found Xuereb on the
far side with a good pass and
the left-winger found the net
with a low shot. Vella was at
the moment occupying a position
in right midfield, after Spiteri
had brought on Andrea Grima and
inserted him in a forward
position exploiting his strength
to combat the Rovers' robustness
in defence. The move paid
dividends because it enabled
Vella to enjoy more time on the
ball wide right while Grima kept
one or more Rovers occupied in
the centre. Damon Hili widened
the lead shortly after with a
low shot.
The Blacks
conceded a free-kick near the
edge of the penalty area and the
Rovers scored from the indirect
kick to draw within two. Hili,
however, settled the issue when
he scored with a shot from
beyond the halfway line after a
back pass straight from the
kick-off. Andrew Attard sent
Hili away for the Blacks'
seventh goal, Hili scored with
an angled shot from the left.
Hili's fifth and the Blacks'
eight goal came when the captain
punched the ball into an empty
net following the rebound from a
Xuereb shot. Ismael Belhadj had
come on late in the match in
place of Vella.
Għajnsielem
solidify their position in first
place with this win (combined
with Xewkija Tigers' surprising
loss against Munxar Falcons
earlier in the day). They will
close their preliminary phase
commitments with a January 22
match against last-placed S.K.
Victoria W., who have lost all
their matches so far this
season. Then the Blacks will
have to play the other top six
finishers in the championship
pool. As things stand these will
be Qala Saints, Sannat Lions,
Xewkija Tigers, Nadur Youngsters
and Oratory Youths. (Photography
Matteo Ciangura)
