by San Gwann won the fixture against fellow struggling team Mtarfa, thanks to a lone goal from striker Egging. The yellows looked well prepared for the fight after Mtarfa had beaten them earlier in the season. It was a hard-fought match, but Mtarfa could not recover the goal despite periods of good play.
San Gwann’s Early Strike
The home team looked to be on the front foot from the start, commanding possession and getting a steady stream of passes to get into the Mtarfa box. The press worked on Mtarfa, who were caught dawdling on the ball in midfield, and in fact San Gwann registered their first chance at around the 9th minute, but the shot was weak and was easy enough for keeper Dorienne Grech.
The goal was on the horizon, and in fact came soon after, when striker Julia Egging cut inside from the wide position and struck a low shot into the bottom right corner after just a quarter of an hour of play..
San Gwann could have had more, however when going down the central channels Mtarfa defender Darya Attard was often aware of the danger and quick to marshall it away. Going down the wings proved fruitful for the yellows, but often the ball into the box left much to be desired. Egging was willing to make runs and showed good technique to dribble away from opposition to link with Yasmin Attard, but the two could not extend the lead.
The hosts were much quieter in the second half, choosing to counter at times but often individualistic play hindered the team from getting a second goal. As Mtarfa poured more players towards the opposition box, a clear opportunity for the counter-attack arose in the final minutes, but Grech was quick off the line to sweep with a well-timed sliding tackle.
Mtarfa Punished for Starting Slow
The blues started the game slower than their opponents and were made to pay for it as the only goal of the match came early. Coach Simon Spiteri brought on Maria Abdilla in the centre of the pitch at the 26th minute of play, which gave the away team some presence in midfield. Using Abdilla’s height, the team grew into the match as they controlled the midfield more, but could not convert at the final third.
Mtarfa fashioned a good counter-attack as Slavina Peneva recovered the ball deep in the defence and the blues transitioned well through the midfield to find Angele Fenech on the left wing whose attempt to cut into the box was thwarted by the San Gwann defense.
The best chance of the match for Mtarfa came into 50 minutes of play, as San Gwann were whiskers away from conceding the equalizer. Shania Spiteri did well to put through Peneva who cut loose from the defence, but Justyne Caruana stayed big and parried the ball away. Angele Fenech was well positioned for the rebound, but the ball was cleared off the line by the San Gwann defense, denying Fenech.
Set Pieces
Both teams had chances to capitalize from set-pieces but did not use them well enough. Corners left much to be desired, whilst free-kicks could have been used more creatively. Often players left un-marked by the defending team were not utilised, and the element of surprise could have resulted in better opportunities overall.
Tensions Run High
The referee had quite a bit to do as the both teams desperately wanted the win. Players were not the only ones getting yellow-carded as the Referee booked members of the Mtarfa bench twice in the second-half. Up in the stands the banter between the two sets of fans was rampant, with both sides frustrated by decisions and making their voices heard.
It was a hard-fought match between two sides who now find themselves level on points at the bottom of the table, however San Gwann lead because of less goals conceded.
Photo by Joppe Spaa on Unsplash
