Msida dismantle Balzan to close gap

Balzan Youths 0
Msida St Joseph 3

Neither Balzan nor Msida could boast of any peacock feathers. There was no expectation of a windfall either. Their agenda as they crossed swords yesterday was restricted to maintaining their top status.

The minimum Balzan would have opted for was a draw which would keep them four points ahead of their rivals. Msida's objective was nothing less than maximum spoils. That would help them whittle down the leeway to just one point.

The outcome was more than palatable for the Reds. Their spirits were raised with an early goal after which their strikers Olumuyiwa Aganun - voted MIA Player of the Match - and Daniel Nwoke posted their striking authority on the proceedings.

Their power play had Balzan in all sorts of panic with the Youths looking dismayed all along. The Youths would claim that a possible equaliser, denied by the bar early on could have given the match another twist.

The Reds would retort that this contention would be hindsight talk. Be that as it may, Msida always had the sharper look about them and two goals shortly after the interval gave them the assurance they were after.

Indeed, it was a solid showing by the Reds which would go some way towards boosting further their hopes of salvation. Balzan, on their part, would have to forget yesterday's outing to recharge their batteries for the battles ahead.

Msida had a flying start when taking the lead after barely two minutes. They won a free-kick from a central position about eight metres outside the penalty area. Manuel Boni's exquisite curling kick eluded the Balzan barrier to end beyond the reach of the unsighted Barry. A quaint goal indeed and one of the best seen this season.

The Youths could have equalised shortly afterwards but for the bar which came to their rescue on a Filipov close-range clipping effort. At the other end, Barry rushed out to block desperately on Aganun in a one-on-one situation.

That exciting lift-off whetted the appetite of those present, who expected more open-ended fare. Msida kept up the tempo and Charles Sciberras, following up on Barry's scrambled clearance outside the area, could only see his excellent drive headed on the goal-line by Mario Caruana.

Msida's more direct football, tailored for the penetrative running qualities of their striking tandem, Nwoke and Aganun seemed to carry more scoring potential than the more studious approach work of Balzan.

Jason Galea's header on a flag-kick was tipped over by Borg. Balzan tried to weave their way back into the game with Jaroslav Marx and Filipov directing operations, behind Stefan Zahra and Anthony Gera, a replacement for the injured Evi Parker.

The lull as half-time approached was broken by some efforts from Balzan which failed to mature and a penalty claim by Gera that went unheeded. Nwoke's mazy incursion inside the box was finished off rather tamely to the relief of Barry.

The Reds were for another bonanza seven minutes after the restart. A throughball to Aganun was fully exploited by the Nigerian who lobbed over Barry with a Balzan defender making a futile attempt to clear off the line.

There was more to come from the rampant Msida. A diagonal, but equally defence-splitting ball set Nwoke free on the right. The striker easily eluded the attentions of Barry before planting home. Donald Attard and his clan had a deeper sigh of relief.

Balzan were utterly dismayed. They could not realise what befell them. What followed was some half-hearted efforts to salvage a modicum of decency in a defeat that was inexorably drawing close. Borg said no to a couple of attempts.

Tactics were completely thrown overboard and Aganun and Nwoke relished in the open space - a flashback to the game they played against Sliema at the beginning of the season.

It was more posterity than any tactical exigencies which prompted Balzan to effect substitutions. Msida's changes were induced for the same reason.

The result had long been sealed and both teams will now live to fight another day. At the moment, Msida despite still being a point down on their rivals, enjoy the psychological advantage.

Balzan Y.: E. Barry-5, A. Muscat-6, S. Cappitta-5, S. Tellus-5, M. Caruana-6, N. Filipov-6, J. Marx-6, A. Gera-5 ('60 G. Scerri), S. Zahra-5, N. Arpa-5 ('84 K. Coleiro), N. Gatt-5 ('70 S. Grima).

Msida SJ: O. Borg-6 ('88 M.A. Debono), Tan. Farrugia-6, J. Galea-6 ('68 V. Bellia), M. Boni-7, D. Cachia-6, D. Gatt-6 ('78 Ad. Farrugia), F. Cauchi-6, C. Sciberras-7, D. Nwoke-7, A. Tabone-6, O. Aganun-8.

Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.

Scorers: Boni 2; Aganun 52; Nwoke 60.

Yellow Cards: Sciberras, Tabone.

MIA Player of the Match: Olomuyiwa Aganun (Msida SJ).