by San Gwann and Valletta will conclude Round 2 today at Mgarr Ground with kick-off at 16:30. Valletta go into the match seeking to extend their five-point margin, but the Yellows will seek to keep them within their grasp.
Bouncing Back From Defeat
The two teams come into the match on the back of tough defeats against the top-four teams, with neither able to back-up their first-round showing against the same teams. San Gwann succumbed to a 5-0 loss against Hibernians, in a match played out in every possible weather condition from sunny to being pelted by hail. Valletta could not hold off Birkirkara, this time being outmanouvered to a 4-0 defeat.
Despite this, they will look at this fixture with an eye on points. Valletta won the first round battle between the two, with a convincing 3-0 victory. The two teams will meet a further three times before the end of the league season, meaning that eyeing goals and three points today will be crucial for San Gwann to overturn the tide.
However, San Gwann’s coach Julian Camilleri is not calling this one, “It is a different game, different players and certainly more pressure considering that now we are in a more crucial stage of the season. However, I think that it will be a balanced match and the team who does the least mistakes will win.”
San Gwann were without players who usually form the back-bone of the starting eleven, including the likes of Tourki Chaimaa, Rabab Mhalli and Kirstie Vella. Coach Julian Camilleri was reluctant to comment on their availability for this match but confirmed that Justyne Caruana’s injury in the Assikura Women’s Youth League match during mid-week is not serious and will not keep out the goalkeeper from the match.
Valletta’s coach Denis Guerra pondered when asked whether he believes that the team made a step back against Birkirkara or if it is a reflection of Birkirkara going into another level. He said, “It’s always difficult to play against Birkirkara. You have to be at your best and very attentive. We are still lacking in some moments of the match and we commit silly mistakes that cost us a lot.”
Looking at the upcoming match, Guerra praised the improvement of San Gwann and like his counterpart was reluctant to call the result, “San Gwann improved a lot and the coach is doing a good job. I’m happy to see other teams improving and the level of the league goes up as a result. It’s an open match with every possible result.”
Heading Into The Final Phase
The two teams will forget the sight of the top four contenders for the upcoming matches. Julian Camilleri is not too bothered about the fact that they will be facing a direct rival before going into the final phase, as opposed to one of the title challengers, but noted it may have an effect on the moral.
He said, “As a coach it does not affect me too much because I always head into matches with the same mentality and principles. However, as a team I think it sets a more positive moral. We know that the upcoming games will be finals for us.”
On the other hand, Valletta find themselves heading into the final phase caught a bit in between. As noted above they are five points ahead of San Gwann, but eleven adrift of Mgarr United in fourth.
Probed about his thoughts on the effect of the split on the team’s development, Valletta’s coach Denis Guerra said, “It’s our place at the moment, it reflects exactly what we showed during this season until now. Improving, but not good enough to be in the first four places. We still commit too many mistakes and we pay a lot for them. We have to grow up in the mental aspect of the matches.”
They will start by seeking a victory against San Gwann, who on their part will be eyeing to close the gap. The match kicks-off at 16:30 at Mgarr Ground, following the encounter between Mtarfa and Hibernians (14:00).
Lead Images: Lara Schembri
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