by Mgarr United and Birkirkara will finish off the penultimate round in the Top Four this evening at the Charles Abela Stadium at 20:30. Ryan Vella & Vince Galea gave their take on the approach needed to shift things in their favour.
Unlocking The Spark
Mgarr United head into this final encounter of the penultimate round swinging following a 2 – 0 victory against Swieqi United last Sunday. It was one which shot the Greens to equalise Swieqi United and Hibernians further tightening things at the top following matchday 19.
Ryan Vella did not negate that the brand of football may have lacked in entertainment value, but ultimately was proud of the team’s discipline to secure the result, “The main objective for the game against Swieqi was to get the three points and that’s what we did. Even though we could have played more entertaining football and be better in certain areas especially in possession, we made our offensive moments count. At the same time we showed great discipline and organisation without the ball and managed to get another clean sheet as well.”
The Mgarr United coach was also probed on his thoughts regarding cynical fouls that continue rear their heads in these final battles and the roles officials play in protecting players involved. He said, “I think that in these high stake games, it’s normal that the game has some more physical tackles than usual. The most important thing is that the officials are consistent with the decisions from start to finish – and not let the “heat” of the game influence them.”
On the other had, Birkirkara are yet to restart following the international break. The defending champions are five points off Mgarr United, with not much room for error if they are to defend the title.
Vince Galea was upbeat about the work carried out over the international break, “I really like to work with my team during international windows because it give us the chance to polish some aspects of the game especially those technical and individual tactics while involving young players in our training. The break went well, with no injuries.”
Birkirkara have dominated the women’s game in the past years, and have been a dominant force in the women’s game alongside Hibernians for the majority of its lifetime. Galea was questioned on the chance of being a dark horse in this title race despite the gap to the other three teams.
Echoing several of his counterparts, the Birkirkara coach is maintaining a focus on a match by match basis, “We always play every game to win. We are aware of the challenges we have but also of our strengths and therefore without focusing on the table, we aim to go for every game with a mentality to fight for every point available. At the end of the season, we will see were we will end up.”
Relishing The Challenge
Tonight’s match presents the opportunity for another crucial tilt in the story of this season. Mgarr United have been battered by injuries but are the only team unbeaten in the final phase yet. A victory tonight will enable them to equal Swieqi United at the top, whom they meet for a final time in the league the following week.
On the other hand, Birkirkara are yet to clinch a victory in this final phase. Doing so would push them to close the gap to Hibernians to two points, following the latter’s defeat to Swieqi United yesterday. However, it would also enable Swieqi United to carve a three point lead in the table, with a direct confrontation against each team to go.
Questioned on the approach of the match, knowing that the onus is on Birkirkara to close the gap but also its bearings on the title chase, it appears that Ryan Vella’s side is focused on making life as difficult as possible for the defending champions.
Discussing tonight’s match, he replied, “As always, even though our first objective will be to go out and attack and get the three points – we know that we will be playing against a very good team and the current champions. So, once again, we will be ready to adapt to the circumstances of the game and try to make life for our opponents as difficult as possible during the ninety minutes of the match.”
Meanwhile, Vince Galea credited the Greens for their effectiveness in getting the points on the board, “Mgarr are managing their games very well and they deserve to be where they are now. We should focus on our game plan and make sure to not repeat certain mistakes from our previous games. We trained well and are ready to go.”
The two teams will be rearing to go as things continue bubbling up in the Assikura Women’s League. The match will be played at the Charles Abela Stadium, starting at 20:30.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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