by Mgarr United will be seeking a victory against Birkirkara this evening to capitalise on the draw between Hibernians & Swieqi United and extend their lead at the top. Ryan Vella and Billy Mock weighed in on contrasting experiences in the squad as the two faired differently in the Jubilee semi-finals, while setting the scene for tonight’s match.
Tight Margins & Bold Decisions
Birkirkara will be ready to face a high-flying Mgarr United, with the Greens on course to extend their lead to eight points at the top, should they continue their perfect record in the league.
The Stripes head into it after having fallen to a 3 – 0 defeat to Hibernians, courtesy of three goals conceded in the second half in the Jubilee Cup. Billy Mock rejected he’s been bold in his first-eleven choices, choosing youngsters ahead of foreign signings, “Not bold at all. The committee backed my vision. It’s useless for the club to play foreign players that are not better or worse than the Maltese players. At least some young players will start gaining experience, which Birkirkara will find useful in the future.”
Mock admitted that the team paid the price of experience, in struggling to find the winning goal in crucial moments or falling to costly mistake, but was steadfast in his response on the necessary evil in view of the long-term, “Exactly. We must be patient until we find a suitable replacement of some present foreigners, to help these young players grow.”
In contrast, Mgarr United hold plenty of experience in their ranks and are fully capitalising. The Greens made it through to the final of the Jubilee Cup, staring down the barrel of a penalty shootout. Ryan Vella was questioned whether he felt the team ultimately merited the result even based on the opportunities created. The Mgarr coach replied, “It was a very balanced game, but I feel the best chances fell to our team. At the end of the day, the team kept pushing until the last second and that same belief brought us over the line in the penalty shoot-out.”
Vella deployed Patricia Ebejer in goal for the match, with the gamble paying off after a positive display from the goalkeeper to save three penalties in the shootout. Considering the string of positive performances shown by also Giulia D’Antuono, Ryan Vella was probed about picking between the two.
The Mgarr coach admitted the headache but praised the professionalism, “Having to pick either or every week is really tough. While Giulia had brilliant performances so far in the league, Patricia was really professional in training during the time she wasn’t starting and supported Giulia all the way in the games. I am really happy with both and I couldn’t ask more of them.”
The Prospect Of Eight Points
The Assikura Women’s League is shaping up to be a one-horse race in stark contrast with last season. Tonight’s match could be another pointer in favour or against that direction. Following Hibernians & Swieqi United’s draw on Thursday, a win for the Greens would extend their lead to eight points at the top. A win for Birkirkara would allow the Stripes to reduce their own gap to the two, but the Greens would still enjoy a five-point lead.
Assikura Women's League - Standings
Billy Mock was questioned on the impact of that draw between Hibernians & Swieqi on Birkirkara’s own motivations in the match, and the impact that a small pitch has on their play. He backed his side to show up stronger than the first match where a second-half resurgence was not quite enough, “I remember the first game we played at Dingli. We really gave them a good challenge, and we could have won the game, too. We only lost 2-1, and we still had several young players on that day. In fact, their players told us that they found it very hard to beat us, and a draw would have been no surprise.”
Meanwhile, Ryan Vella is not getting carried away just yet, but is calling on his team to put full focus into securing the win irrespective of the conditions, “The pitches are never an excuse. These are weekly adaptations we need to do in preparing for the upcoming game. We have an opportunity to extend the gap, but we need to have the right attitude to deal with all conditions the game will throw at us.”
“It will be a tough game, but we’ll make sure we’ll be fully focused and prepared to get another three points on the board,” he finished.
The two sides will conclude the Assikura Women’s League weekend at the Charles Abela Stadium, kick-off at 18:00.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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