by Birkirkara finished with a 5–0 win over San Gwann, as Izabella Stringer opened the scoring, Momo Ueda struck a hat-trick and Ruth Steer-Chetham added a fifth, despite a missed penalty. Late bookings followed rising tensions, before a worrying injury to captain Stephania Farrugia cast a shadow over the result.
Team Selections
Maleni Morales started in goal for Birkirkara, behind an unchanged defence in Lara May Azzopardi, Haruhi Sekura, captain Stephania Farrugia and Stella Francalanza. Ana Mercieca and Amelia Vassallo started out wide in midfield, with Gabriella Zahra and Ylenia Grech in the centre. Momo Ueda and Izabella Stringer led the attack.
Geona Muscat continued her stay in goal for San Gwann, behind the trio of Mariama Kasim, captain Rhea Borg and Fatma Al Girbi. Alicia Mifsud and Thais Muscat operated as wing-backs, while Maria Isabel Otalvarez Rubio and Rocio Figueredo held the midfield. Morena Fanega started further forward, while Rodianne Zerafa partnered Estelle Borg in attack.
How It Unfolded
Birkirkara closed their league campaign with a 5–0 victory over San Gwann at Dingli Ground, capitalising on a dominant first-half performance shaped in part by difficult wind conditions.
Playing with the wind in their favour, Birkirkara started aggressively, immediately applying pressure through set-pieces and second balls. Early deliveries from Momo Ueda proved difficult to control in the conditions, but the intent was clear, with Birkirkara looking to test San Gwann’s defensive structure from the outset.
The breakthrough arrived in the 5th minute, as Izabella Stringer finished from close range to give the Stripes an early lead. The goal marked the youngster’s maiden strike in the senior league.
San Gwann struggled to progress the ball against the wind, often forced deep into their own half, with Birkirkara winning possession high up the pitch and attempting efforts from distance.
Despite this, the visitors created a moment of danger in the 18th minute, as Rodianne Zerafa’s long-range strike forced a strong save from Maleni Morales, before Morena Fanega fired over on the follow-up.
Birkirkara responded strongly. Momo Ueda struck from distance into the top corner in the 19th minute, doubling the advantage before the forward added two more before the break.
Her second came after Izabella Stringer capitalised on San Gwann’s attempt to play out from the back, providing the assist for a close-range finish, while her hat-trick was completed in the 42nd minute after Ana Mercieca delivered a low diagonal ball into the box, with Ueda reacting quickest to make it 4–0.
Despite San Gwann gradually pushing higher up the pitch, Birkirkara retained control, though their early intensity began to taper off as the half progressed.
Half-Time Score: Birkirkara 4 – 0 San Gwann
With very lean number of substitutes available on either bench, the second half saw a noticeable shift in tempo. Birkirkara thought they had added a fifth in the 46th minute through Ana Mercieca, but the effort was ruled out for offside — a decision that reflected growing frustration among the home side.
San Gwann attempted to take advantage of the wind, with Rocio Figueredo firing over from distance in the 48th minute, while direct balls toward the forward line began to find more space.
Birkirkara’s Charlene Zammit introduced Ruth Steer-Chetham for Amelia Vassallo in the 59th minute, with the veteran forward looking to add a focal point in attack and the only available option for the side from the bench.
A key moment followed in the 65th minute, when Stephania Farrugia surged through midfield, linking play before arriving in the box to meet a corner delivery from Ueda, though unable to direct her header on target.
Despite that spark, the match gradually drifted, with both sides appearing to play out the closing stages of the campaign despite pushes from individuals on either side.
Birkirkara had the opportunity to extend their lead further in the 70th minute after a handball in the box earned by Gabriella Zahra. However, Momo Ueda fired wide from the penalty spot, with Geona Muscat diving the right way.
San Gwann introduced Megan La Rosa for Alicia Mifsud in the 74th minute, as they looked to inject fresh energy.
However, Birkirkara’s fifth goal arrived shortly after in the 76th minute, as Ueda kept the ball alive following an initial delivery from Ana Mercieca, allowing Ruth Steer-Chetham to finish into an empty net. It marked the second goal in as many appearances for the veteran this season.
Tensions began to rise as the half progressed, initially sparked by an altercation between Fatma Al Girbi and Lara May Azzopardi, which required intervention from referee Jake Farrugia.
As the match wore on, bookings became more frequent, with Morena Fanega, Gabriella Zahra and Estelle Borg all shown yellow cards in separate incidents as frustrations grew across both sides.
The match ultimately took a concerning turn in the closing stages as Birkirkara’s captain, Stephania Farrugia, was forced off after sustaining an injury in the 88th minute, requiring assistance from both benches. With no substitutions remaining, Birkirkara were left to finish the match with ten players.
Final Score: Birkirkara 5 – 0 San Gwann
Final Standings & Eyes On The Knockout
For Birkirkara, the victory confirms a positive end to the league campaign, even if the closing moments shifted the focus to the condition of their captain — a reminder that, even in victory, the game can leave questions that extend beyond the result. San Gwann will hope to take lessons as they mull their future, with the match concluding commitments in the league for the two sides.
All eyes will now shift toward the Assikura Women’s Knockout which kicks off on the 4th April with the Preliminary Round as San Gwann take on Mgarr United, while Birkirkara face Swieqi United. The exact fixtures are yet to be announced. Hibernians & Valletta received a bye to the semi-finals.
Assikura Women's League - Standings
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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[…] Elsewhere, Birkirkara overcame San Gwann by 5 – 0 to finish off their own commitments. […]