by Mgarr United and Swieqi United kick-off today’s top-four double-header at Mgarr Ground (14:00). Mgarr’s coaching team is earnest to build on positives toward a first victory, while Swieqi United’s captain Dorianne Theuma warns against a tougher challenge from the Greens this time out.
Swieqi’s Title Challenge & Mgarr’s Defeat To Hibs
The two teams opened 2024 with a match against each other and have since gone down very different paths on the pitch. Swieqi United backed up the 5-1 victory over Mgarr United with a win over Hibernians and another draw against Birkirkara. Meanwhile, the Greens have since struggled to pick up any points.
However, despite the defeat, Mgarr’s camp appears to be buoyed by the improvements shown against Hibernians, “Our recent match against Hibernians showcased a significant improvement in our performance, and we’re steadily progressing towards achieving the results we aim for.”
As to the question of appearing reluctant to put more offensive personnel on the pitch, the coach responded, “Those who watched the match would agree that our team demonstrated dominance and a strong offensive stance, particularly in the second half where we maintained an attacking front for the full forty-minutes. Despite our efforts, we were unfortunate in not securing an equaliser. Our approach did expose us to counter-attacks, but this was a calculated risk we were willing to take in our pursuit of scoring. It’s a testament to our commitment to not just playing safe but actively seeking to turn the game around.”
Meanwhile, Swieqi United could not hold on to their lead against Birkirkara, but emerged with a draw. Coach Saviour Darmanin was not available for comment, fuelling speculation about his future. Captain Dorianne Theuma spoke about the performance and the bearing of the result on the title challenge in the absence of the coach. She said, “A win would have been ideal to close the gap, but with a draw we are still within the chance to fight for the title in the final two rounds. Certainly avoiding defeat was crucial to avoid the gap growing. In terms of the performance itself, we were stronger in the first half, then we perhaps dropped off a bit in the second, so I think a point is fair.”
Long-Term Injuries & Match Expectations
The two teams confirmed that they are battling additional long term injuries when asked about the absence of Mgarr United’s Kelsey Vella and Swieqi United’s Gabrielle Tonna. Meanwhile, the Greens’ response suggests that Rebecca Bajada will likely miss today’s match following the injury sustained against Hibernians.
Considering the league standings, the onus will be on Swieqi United to earn a victory. At the least, dropping points exposes Swieqi United to be pipped by Hibernians should they win against Birkirkara or enables Birkirkara to widen the gap to the top, depending on the result in the afternoon. However, Mgarr United appear to be eager on doing their best to spoil the party.
It will be the first time that Mgarr United’s new coaching staff will be preparing for a match against Swieqi United. Despite still searching for their first points under the new coaching staff, the team got a point against the Owls in the first encounter of the season, which could propel the belief that earning points against the Owls is within reach, despite the recent form.
Asked about tilting the result to their favour, the Mgarr camp responded, “We have seen consistent improvement in our performances, with each game building on the last. Our focus is now firmly on the upcoming match against Swieqi United. Reflecting on our first encounter, where we managed a draw and were on the cusp of a victory, I firmly believe that a positive result is well within our reach. This upcoming match presents an opportunity to shift the momentum and instil a more positive outlook for the team. We are focused and ready to confront the challenge ahead.”
On the other hand, despite a big victory over the Greens at the start of the calendar year, Dorianne Theuma suggests that Swieqi United are not taking the encounter lightly despite the poor run of form that the Greens have been on since then. “You cannot underestimate Mgarr United, they’ve got good individuals and so I think even if they are currently going through a rough patch, there’s quality in the team. ”
On the other hand, the victory came at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, while the two teams played out a goalless stalemate at the Mgarr Ground, which is today’s venue and has proven a tricky location for the Owls in the past.
However, Swieqi United’s captain still backed her team to earn a result despite expecting an improved resistance from the Greens, “The match at Mgarr was a draw, while that at Victor Tedesco was a different match altogether. However, I think if we are disciplined, we can take the three points. On the other hand, I believe that we will face an Mgarr United team who has a very different preparation and mentality in the match. So, we are surely not taking it lightly or expecting it to play out in the same way as the last match.”
The two teams kick-off today’s double-header at Mgarr* Ground which will play out both top four encounters. Mgarr United and Swieqi United start at 14:00, followed by the encounter between leaders Birkirkara and Hibernians (16:30).
*Edit: Match location was amended.
Lead Images: Lara Schembri
Stay up to date by following The Sporting Fan on social media: Instagram ~ Facebook ~ X
