St ANDREWS- 2
HIBERNIANS - 2
St Andrews: J. Galea, E. Beltre, D. Camilleri, B. Che, J. Perez Cuestra, S. Oproiescu (J. Walker), M. Desira Buttigieg (K. Nwoko), J. Farrugia, F. Onwudinjo, S. Wisdom (M. Johnson), E. Nkene
Hibernians: R. Briffa, J. Pearson (J.P. Farrugia), J. Lima, R. Soares, A. Cohen, B. Kristensen, C. Failla, J. Degabriele (D. Dos Santos), J. Mbong (L. Edison), G. Ribeiro, J. Silva
Referee: M. Spiteri
Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, P. Abela
Additional asst.refs: E. Azzopardi, E. Mangion
4th official: S. Attard
Scorers: C. Failla 55 pen, J. Farrugia 57 pen, 90+, G. Ribeiro 90
Yellow cards: G. Ribeiro, J. Pearson, E. Beltre, E. Nkene, R. Soares, D. Camilleri
Player of the match: J. Galea (St Andrews)
TMI top 3: 1. B. Kristensen 2. F. Onwudinjo 3. B. Che
Bottom team St Andrews had been eager for something to galvanise them after a traumatic period that had them pointless and winless in the previous 19 league matches. It finally arrived yesterday with a dramatic 2-2 draw against champions Hibernians after twice falling behind in the match.
The Saints were solid rather than inventive but they always showed a greater scope to make the difference and can be commended for showing a hearty appetite for the fight that deserved a point.
They only produced two shots on target – one from a penalty, the other from the equalising goal in seven minutes of added time. On both occasions, captain Joseph Farrugia was at the heart of his side's feat.
Winless Saints remained always in contention in a somewhat uneventful game, that produced a dramatic finale when the tempo of the game somehow intensified, with both sides going that extra mile.
Hibernians' pursuit of their own more glittering prize took a slight dent in the aftermath of this draw, chiselled from an awkward and irritating match. Twice they surrendered the lead and dropped two points that failed to take them to the top. But the Paolites can have few complaints, after another strangely lacklustre performance as their momentum has been dropping drastically of late.
The champions were again without Andre Agius, Rui Gomes, Marcelo Dias and Jorginho. And with Mbela also suspended, Joseph Mbong played in defence instead. Luis Edison made a susbtitute appearanced for the Paolites upon his return from Korea.
Hibernians enjoyed the expected majority of possesssion in the first half without making it pay.
St Andrews as a whole refused to buckle although the Paolites were toothless in attack, raking balls forward in the direction of Jurgen Degabriele and Jorge Silva to little effect. Midway through the half, Degabriele ran inside the St Andrews area and avoided the onrushing keeper Galea, but put his low effort fractionally wide.
Towards the half hour, Failla tested Galea with a shot from outside the area but that failed to trouble the Saints' shot stopper. However, Galea had to produce his very best on 36 minutes, tipping Degabriele's powerful drive into a corner on Kristensen's pass.
To this point, the Saints had barely threatened and even after five minutes of added time, due to a clash of heads between Soares and Solomon in the opening minutes, the half remained goalless.
The deadlock was broken ten minutes into the second period. Hibernians were awarded a penalty after Oproiescu felled Degabriele inside the St Andrews area and Clayton Failla beat keeper Galea from the spot.
Equilibrium was restored only two minutes later. St Andrews were also awarded a penalty, in what looked a very soft one, when Mbong and Desira Buttigieg clashed inside the area. Joseph Farrugia also tucked it away for the Saints.
Immediately after, Hibernians put in Luis Edison for Mbong and were beginning to show more urgency. Edsion was blocked by Nkene into a corner as he chased Kristensen's long ball. And when Kristensen played the ball wide for the unmarked Edison, he was blocked by Onwudinjo.
Hibernians added more forwards into the fray, with both Danny Dos Santos and Jean Paul Farrugia going in as substitutes.
Five minutes from time, the referee turned a blind eye, although close to the action, when Soares pushed Wisdom off the ball inside the area.
The pickings had been slim, until Gilmar Ribeiro aroused himself and Hibernians to score with a direct free kick from the left that hit the underside of the bar before going in at top far corner on the 90th minute.
That looked like Hibernians' winner and another defeat for St Andrews but the Saints hit back in seven minutes of added time. Cuestra sent a low cross from the right, that caught the Hibernians defence totally static and Joseph Farrugia could knock the ball over the line past the grounded keeper Briffa to snatch a draw.
This point will perhaps represent a turning point in their miserable season.
QORMI - 0
NAXXAR LIONS - 5
Qormi: A. Vella, A. Cassar (C. Barbara), I. Micallef, R. Micallef, K. Magro, D. Leeflang, C. Gauci, N. Ojuola, O. Sidibe, P. Viggiani (T. Vella), Y. Yankam
Naxxar L: J. Azzopardi, A. Scicluna, R. Grech, E. Casado, D. Toure (J. Debono), J. Godar, D. Fenech (M. Fenech), A. Buhagiar, E. Hamutenya, N. Tasic, X. Cekaj
Referee: C. Pisani
Asst.refs: J. Spiteri, D. Castillo
Additional asst.refs: D. Castillo, P. Farrugia
4th official: S. Spiteri
Scorers: D. Toure' 42, 55 pen, 76, O. Sidibe 63 og, X. Cekaj 87
Yellow cards: A. Buhagiar, R. Micallef
Player of the match: D. Toure' (Naxxar L)
TMI top 3: 1. D. Toure 2. D. Fenech 3. A. Buhagiar
Attendance: 626
Naxxar Lions rediscovered their winning ways after seven league defeats on the trot, when beating fellow strugglers Qormi, thanks to a Demba Toure' hatrick, a Cekaj header and a Sidibe own goal.
This was some respite for the Lions, in a one-sided match between two very ordinary teams sitting at the lower end of the table. They now go above the same Qormi to move into tenth place in the standings.
But Qormi's unwanted succession of defeats is extended, and judging on yesterday's showing, there is little sense of them ending any time soon.
Both coaches wanted to field their most solid side in this direct clash worthy of six points, in their fight for survival.
Following their drubbing against Balzan in midweek, Qormi had Andreas Vella playing in goal, Ryan Micallef and Ousmane Sidibe back after suspension and Clifford Gauci starting in midfield.
Naxxar also tweaked their starting line up with Julian Azzopardi replacing Pecorella in goal and David Fenech starting instead of Darren Falzon.
Qormi's ragged start allowed Naxxar to dictate the pace in the first half. Casado had tested the Qormi keeper with a powerful shot, turned into a corner, after nine minutes.
Past the half hour, Toure' arrived fractionally late on a Buhagiar cross, before the Lions took a deserved lead three minutes from halftime. Demba Toure' rose high to meet a hight ball inside the Qormi area and flicked it over keeper Vella with a glancing header.
Qormi's response in the opening 45 minutes came from a Magro shot going over.
Naxxar made sure in the second period, doubling their advantage on 54 minutes when awarded a debateable penalty after the referee adjudged Cassar to have blocked Fenech's cross with his outstretched arm. Demba Toure' again was the scorer.
Sensing that the points were there for the taking, Naxxar capitalised on Qormi's vulnerable rearguard on 63 minutes. There was some hesitation between the onrushing keeper Vella and defender Sidibe, with the latter miskicking the ball inside his own goal with Casado in attendance.
Qormi could not unduly trouble the Naxxar keeper and suffered further derision on 76 minutes, with Demba Toure' again being the executioner. The Senegalese forward was allowed a free header to beat keeper Vella from close range following a Fenech cross from the left.
There was still time for Naxxar to score their fifth three minutes from time. Xhoesan Cekaj heading in from close range to complete Qormi's misery.
Photos Melvyn Degiorgio
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/1TtD2Oa
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment