Woods lifts Pietà's spirits

Profile...
Name: Ivan Woods.
Nationality: Maltese.
Date of Birth: 31-12-1976.
Role: Striker.
Former Clubs: Valletta, Sliema.

Ivan Woods was widely acclaimed as a bright prospect of Maltese football in his teens. A move to Valletta, one of the most illustrious clubs on the islands, was widely viewed as the best decision he could possibly make to fulfil his great potential.

With the all-conquering Citizens, Woods enjoyed his fair degree of success but did not quite make the impact expected of him as first-team chances were not easy to come by at a club replete with thoroughbreds.

That situation was not to Woods' liking as the striker was keen on playing regular first-team football. After spending one season on loan with Sliema Wanderers in 1998-99, Woods then opted to join the up-and-coming Pietà Hotspurs. This was in season 1999-2000.

Fours seasons on, Woods, who celebrated his 26th birthday last month, has established himself as a key player in the Pietà team, one who epitomises the commitment expected of all players who wear the club's blue kit.

Pietà being a relatively new club striving to make their mark on the Premier League, Woods' performances are unlikely to attract the same amount of attention he would receive if he was still playing for a bigger club like Valletta.

But this season, the vibes coming out of the Pietà clan have been very positive and Woods has been at the forefront of their revival with his typically gallant performances, netting seven of his team's 19 goals.

On Sunday, Woods was again the toast of Pietà, scoring a goal at the death to give his side an invaluable 3-2 victory over neighbouring rivals Hamrun Spartans.

"It was fairytale stuff," Woods said of his match-winning contribution on Sunday.

"If, two minutes before the end of the regular 90 minutes, someone told me that we could win this match, I would have taken his comments with a pinch of salt.

"But it happened and I was happy not only for myself but for the club. Derby matches are always special but this was also a decisive game for both sides, given their aim to secure a place in the top six. So to achieve such an important victory in such a dramatic way and against our rivals made it all the sweeter," Woods said.

Although Pietà are not yet mathematically sure of a top-six berth, their victory over Hamrun has certainly inched them closer to their objective.

"Victory over Hamrun gave us a lift. Everyone has worked so hard this season. We had an intense pre-season training camp in Italy and the commitment has always been great. In spite of our efforts, we were in danger of missing out on the top-six pool. Now our chances of making it are very bright," Woods said.

Pietà were regarded among the main favourites to ensure a spot in the top six after a strong start to the season but they failed to maintain their consistency in the second round.

"The results in the first part of the season were very good. That probably was down to the excellent form of every member in our squad. In the second round, we struggled a bit but in making any sort of assessment on Pietà, one has to take into account our limited squad. That made it difficult for coach Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia to replace like with like whenever we had certain players missing because our resources are not so strong."

Despite their limitations, Woods believes that the current Pietà team is one of the best he has played for.

"This side compares well with that of four years ago when Pietà also made the Championship Pool under Georgi Deanov. I see a lot of similarities between Deanov and Farrugia.

"They both preach a mantra of discipline and work a lot on physical fitness in training. What we lack in strength-in-depth, we make up for in commitment which, on many occasions, has been mistaken for aggression by certain teams," Woods said.

Woods is now reaching the peak of his career and this season he has been one of the most consistent players in the top-flight but he has hardly been given any credit for that.

"I think every player likes to earn recognition from the media when he is doing a good job," Woods said.

"Having said that, all that matters to me now is to earn the respect of your colleagues rather than pay too much attention to what the media are saying about you."

Asked if life as a father - Woods is married to Giselle and they have a daughter, Nicole - has helped him in his football career, the former Valletta striker said: "I have always had a stable family life even when I was living with my parents. I think it's only natural for a person to mature with the passing of time. In my case, I think that family life has accelerated that process," Woods remarked.

Ambition

Like most footballers, Woods' dream is to represent his country at international level but he also wants to help Pietà reach a milestone.

"Playing for one's country is every player's ambition. I also wish to help Pietà achieve a landmark in their history, like qualification to a European competition," he said.

The Hotspurs' fans would certainly be in seventh heaven should their team claim one of the four Euro berths come May but Woods urged them to be more understanding.

"My appeal to the fans is to be more realistic. There were times when I thought that no one was appreciating our efforts.

"I also take this opportunity to thank my team-mates for their co-operation and contribution," Woods said.