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Play has now
shifted to the Sannat Ground, to allow for the resurfacing of the Gozo
Stadium. The Blacks started this month playing catch-up because of their postponed fixture
with Zebbug. The wins against Victoria Hotspurs 2-0 and
Xaghra United 3-2 were a must for them to stay in touch with the
Youngsters. The problems evident early in the season came into view at
various points in these two matches. It took a perfect strike from Errol
Grima to break the deadlock against Victoria Hotspurs. Then the Blacks
failed to make sure of the result until midway through the second half.
Against Xaghra United, Errol Grima was finally pushed infield from his
wide position. The move yielded immediate results. The poor defensive
performance in this match was alarming. Not only was the marking
inexistent, but the three-man defensive line was given little cover by the
midfield.
Instead of dropping their heads and feeling sorry for
themselves, Xewkija drew inspiration from their early season near misses and developed
a self-belief that with a little luck and some concentration they could
challenge. They started the month by beating Xaghra U. Then they stunned
Nadur with a 1-0 win. The same Tigers beat Zebbug
for their third win on the trot.
Ghajnsielem went into the second round
opener against Nadur with a view to deliver the second punch of a
devastating 1-2 combination. Nadur had other plans. There were plenty of
alibis, however, for the Blacks' 0-3
disappearing act. Errol Grima was missing through suspension. Frank
Buttigieg missed the match due to injury. Dione Lautier started the match
in poor physical condition and was substituted at half-time. Loreto
Scicluna was felled fifteen minutes into the match and had to be substituted.
Matthew Portelli crashed out horrendously in the second half and he too
had to be replaced. With their win, the Youngsters have everyone back on their
bandwagon.
Still reeling from the shock and in even worse shape on the injury
front, the Blacks went down 3-4 in a roller coaster affair with the Tigers. The
Blacks had Grima back in the side for this match, but lost Cremona
(injury) and Joseph Attard I (red card) in the second half.
These two
losses, the Blacks' first of the season, have forced the Club into a
reality check. Maybe the squad is not strong enough to win the
title. The
runaway train has been badly derailed in the space of six days. It is not
yet December and the prime objective of this ambitious campaign already
looks compromised. The Club has been let down by the team's defensive
performance. The Blacks committed too many technical and tactical mistakes
at their end. The alarm bells that had sounded in the 3-2 win over Xaghra
were squelched by the hooray of victory, and as a result went unheeded in
the two following matches to a disastrous effect.
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