Stripes foiled by battling Hotspurs
Birkirkara 1Pietà Hotspurs 1\nBirkirkara's title aspirations suffered a hiccup yesterday after they were held to a 1-1 draw by a battling Pietà Hotspurs side at the National Stadium. Chucks Nwoko's first-half goal seemed to have been enough for the...
Birkirkara 1
Pietà Hotspurs 1
\nBirkirkara's title aspirations suffered a hiccup yesterday after they were held to a 1-1 draw by a battling Pietà Hotspurs side at the National Stadium.
Chucks Nwoko's first-half goal seemed to have been enough for the Stripes to lower the Hotspurs' colours. However, Ray Farrugia's lads kept fighting till the end and were rewarded for the endeavour with a hard-earned point, Ivan Woods hitting the equaliser from the penalty spot 14 minutes from time.
The frustration on the Birkirkara faces was evident as the referee blew the final whistle. A win could have added more pressure on Sliema in the next match, they thought. At the end of the day, however, the leaders were beaten by Hibs and the Stripes are now two points away from the summit after the point 'won'.
Against Pietà, Birkirkara failed to make the most of their first-half dominance as their profligacy in front of goal had kept the Hotspurs in the game.
The return of Nwoko from suspension was a great fillip for coach Stephen Azzopardi who had to do without striker Michael Galea and midfielder Roderick Briffa.
Branko Nisevic was the only absentee for Farrugia who had forward Alain Ekwe back from suspension.
Birkirkara were awarded an indirect free-kick, just inside the Pietà area, early on as referee Anton Zammit ruled that Saviour Darmanin had handled a Gareth Sciberras back pass. Antoine Zahra's shot finished wide. Then, from another Zahra set-piece, Nwoko almost made contact with the ball which flew wide.
Birkirkara's early pressure finally reaped dividends on 14 minutes. Justin Haber's long clearance caught Gareth Sciberras and Sharlon Pace on the wrong foot and in came Nwoko who headed past the onrushing Darmanin.
The Stripes almost made it 2-0 four minutes later when Camenzuli's low cross from the left found Haruna Doda whose tap-in was deflected to corner by Di Lello.
Darmanin was being kept busy in the Pietà goal as he was called into action twice in a space of a minute. First he punched away a dangerous Nwoko free-kick and then dived to his right to block Doda's volley.
The Hotspurs' first opportunity arrived on 26 minutes and they should have drawn level. Woods retrieved possession in midfield and wisely unmarked Ekwe with a throughball. However, the Cameroon player's low drive was blocked by Haber.
Birkirkara went surging forward again. Zahra sent in another inviting cross that was headed goalwards by Nwoko but Darmanin blocked in time. In added time, Nigerian-born Nwoko was close again but his free-kick sailed just over.
The Stripes maintained the initiative after the break. On 48 minutes Calascione dashed down the wing but his teasing cross from the right was not connected by Doda and the Hotspurs could clear.
Six minutes later George Mallia was first on Zahra's pass but his header was deflected to corner by Sciberras.
Farrugia then roped in William Borg in place of a subdued Cleaven Frendo. On 58 minutes, the Pietà mentor was forced into a second substitution when Digger Okonkwo limped out injured. He was replaced by Pierre Aquilina.
The game now lost much of initial flair as Birkirkara eased their pressure, enabling the Hotspurs to get more into the picture.
Fourteen minutes from time, the Hotspurs were practically gifted with the equaliser when Ekwe profited from some hesitant defending from the Birkirkara rearguard and was upended in the area by the Lucian Dronca.
The referee immediately pointed to the spot... Woods cooly slotted the ball home.
The Stripes were stunned and Azzopardi immediately drafted in Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza in lieu of Adrian Ciantar in his bid to add more firepower to his forward line.
Seven minutes from time, Camenzuli powered his way inside the Pietà area but his sizzling drive finished out of target.
Mifsud Triganza forced Darmanin to a superb save but, at the other end, the Stripes were almost stunned again four minutes from time. Woods was picked in the Birkirkara area by Okoh's free-kick but his header skimmed the bar.
As the 90th minute ticked away, the fourth official incredibly signalled that seven minutes of added time had to be played. But, Birkirkara's chances of a late winner were dealt a blow three minutes later when Camenzuli was sent off for a double booking after a challenge on Woods.
In the last frantic minutes, Birkirkara protested for a penalty when Zahra fell to the challenge of Sciberras. Right on the stroke of time, Zahra almost hit a dramatic winner but he volleyed over after a pass from Mifsud Triganza.
Birkirkara: J. Haber-6, P. Monye-7, W. Camenzuli-6, M. Calascione-5 ('63 M.A. Bonnici-6), H. Doda-6, C. Nwoko-7, A. Zahra-7, L. Dronca-5, K. Scicluna-6, G. Mallia-6, A. Ciantar-6 ('79 J.P. Mifsud Triganza).
Pietà: S. Darmanin-6, M. Di Lello-7, C. Okoh-6, D. Okonkwo-6 ('59 P. Aquilina-6), G. Sciberras-6, I. Woods-7, K. Fenech-6 ('71 E. Azzopardi-6), S. Pace-6, A. Ekwe-6, A. Debono-6, C. Frendo-5 ('51 W. Borg-6).
Referee: Anton Zammit.
Scorers: Nwoko 14; Woods 76 pen.
Yellow Cards: Okonkwo, Fenech, Zahra, Pace.
Red card: Camenzuli 90.
MIA Player of the Match: Chucks Nwoko (Birkirkara).