by The Owls got back to winning ways with a 6-0 victory over Lija Athletic. Salamatu Abdulai and Mariah Sciberras netted two goals apiece, while substitute Maria Vella and Rafanny Abache Mendoza completed the scoring. Sciberras and Jessica Dimech grab two assists each, with substitute Michaela Cachia also marking her appearance with an assist.
Team News
Christiana Pisani continued to occupy the goal, protected by the back four of Rachel Mifsud, Nell Zarb Cousin, Sarah Caruana and Shakira Bugeja. Captain Simone Buttigieg started against her former team alongside Amy Galea Gingell and Mariah Schembri in midfield, with Galea Gingell often dropping deep into the defence. There was just one change in the line-up for Jethron Azzopardi’s side, as Edera Marmara returned to the starting eleven, in replacement of Vanessa Honorio Carneiro. She started on the left wing, while Leanne Micallef occupied the central striker role. Katryna Grech started on the right wing.
Meanwhile, for Swieqi United Patricia Araujo continued to occupy the space between the posts, fronted by a back-four. Emma Xuereb returned to the starting eleven on the left-flank of the defence, while Jade Schembri started on the right. Rafanny Abache Mendoza partnered Tammy Falzon in centre of the defence. Captain Dorianne Theuma made her first start in a midfield trio together with Shona Zammit and Jessica Dimech. Salamatu Abdulai was the central striker while Mariah Sciberras and Karima Abdulai occupied the wings.
Swieqi Churn Attacks To Open The Scoring
Adorned in blue, Swieqi United took hold of possession early on. Five minutes in, the side were getting dangerously close, as Salamatu Abdulai drifted on the left wing and crossed towards Karima Abdulai. She played a quick combination with Dorianne Theuma, before launching the strike but Lija Athletic’s defence stood strong.
The Reds had a rare opportunity to trouble Swieqi United with a free-kick from midfield six minutes in. However, Shakira Bugeja’s delivery into the box was read by goalkeeper Patricia Araujo. She quickly launched the side into a counter-attack finding Dorianne Theuma, but Swieqi’s captain was blocked by Nell Zarb Cousin.
The Owls started to push further afield, with their midfield trio taking it in turns to make runs into the attacking line. Mariah Sciberras came close to putting her team into the lead close to the quarter hour mark after latching onto a pass from Shona Zammit. However, her attempt to place into the far corner was blocked by the Lija Athletic defence.
Christiana Pisani also did well to snuff out a cross from Jessica Dimech and was quickly off her line to meet Salamatu Abdulai after the forward was released by a dinked ball from Dorianne Theuma.
However, Lija’s defence finally came undone in the 27th minute as Salamatu Abdulai was released behind the defence by a perfectly weighted ball from Jessica Dimech. The forward placed a low finish into the net past Christiana Pisani who came to meet her.
Swieqi almost made it two shortly after. Karima Abdulai forced a save from Christiana Pisani, who parried for a corner. Dorianne Theuma delivered into Salamatu Abdulai whose header was blocked and her rebound effort was off-target. The side kept up the pressure, with Emma Xuereb also making more frequent runs up the wing, but Lija’s defence were doing well to anticipate. When Swieqi got behind, they could not quite find the finishing touch.
At the other end, Lija had a few attempts for a counter. Close to the 35th minute mark Katryna Grech attempted to chase a long-ball but was marshalled by Emma Xuereb and goalkeeper Patricia Araujo. A long ball from Simone Buttigieg into Edera Marmara forced Tammy Falzon to clear for a corner in the 43rd minute, which led to a rare opportunity to pile players into the box. However, the team almost caught Swieqi United napping with a short-corner toward Simone Buttigieg. She fired from the edge of the box toward the far corner, but it flew just off-target.
Having had a warning shot, Swieqi upped the intensity for the second which they got in injury time. In a similar attack to the first, Jessica Dimech released Mariah Sciberras behind the defence, who beat the goalkeeper with a placed shot to the left side of the goal.
Half-Time Score: Lija Athletic 0 – 2 Swieqi United
Make It Rain
Lija Athletic’s Jethron Azzopardi switched to a back-five at the break, with Shakira Bugeja slotting in defence alongside Sarah Caruana and Nell Zarb Cousin. At times it shifted into seven in defence with Katryna Grech and Mariah Schembri also helping out. The changes led to Edera Marmara being the sole striker, with Leanne Micallef and Simone Buttigieg in the centre of midfield. However, having such a defensive shape meant that there was little outlet for the team which exposed the side to increasing pressure.
Swieqi United needed no second invitation and matched their attack creation with the necessary finishing quality. Mariah Sciberras netted her second two minutes into the restart with a strike from the edge of the box that found the far top corner.
Three minutes later, Sciberras teed up Salamatu Abdulai with a low cross, which the Ghanaian tapped home from close range. Jessica Dimech continued her good work in midfield, having skipped past a challenge in midfield before playing a diagonal ball to Sciberras in the lead-up to the goal.
Lija Athletic attempted a counter-attack a few minutes later but Rafanny Abache Mendoza dispossessed Edera Marmara. Cheaply squandered play from the throw-in drew some frustration from the Lija defensive line.
The two coaches started making changes shortly after. Jethron Azzopardi flinched first in the 55th minute, replacing Edera Marmara with Elisa Xuereb who slotted into the wide left role. Leanne Micallef returned to the central striker role. Meanwhile, Saviour Darmanin responded three minutes later with two straight swaps. Gabriella Tonna replaced Emma Xuereb, while Michaela Cachia replaced Dorianne Theuma, with Shona Zammit taking on the captain’s armband in the process.
A few minutes later, Shona Zammit attempted to place a shot into the top left corner, but Christiana Pisani denied her by palming it over the goal. At the other end, Simone Buttigieg appeared to get something on the corner delivery against Rafanny Abache Mendoza but the officials deemed it a goal-kick.
Lija Athletic attempted to fashion an attack soon after. Simone Buttigieg linked with Mariah Schembri who launched it along the wing for Elisa Xuereb to chase. However, Jade Schembri stuck to her and won the goal-kick to see off any danger. The Swieqi full-back ventured up the pitch and struck from distance a few minutes later but Christiana Pisani was equal to the strike.
Saviour Darmanin made another change in the 66th minute as Maria Vella took to the pitch instead of Karima Abdulai. Mariah Sciberras almost netted the hat-trick close to the 70th minute mark. The wide forward was fed by Shona Zammit before striking from distance, but the shot lacked the necessary curve to sneak into the net.
Lija responded once more as Shakira Bugeja launched a free-kick into the box but Patricia Araujo made it hers. A few minutes later Leanne Micallef played a dinked pass for Katryna Grech to chase but Swieqi’s defence was alert to the danger once more.
Maria Vella was next to come close for Swieqi United, with Salamatu Abdulai cutting back to the number twenty-one who arrived in the box, but she got just underneath it. However, Vella did not need to wait for too long. She was shortly released by fellow substitute Michaela Cachia with a precise through ball that Vella tapped into the net for the fifth of the afternoon in the 72nd minute mark.
Having seen enough, Jethron Azzopardi brought on Daniela Camilleri in replacement of Leanne Micallef immediately after. The team switched to a back four, with Nell Zarb Cousin moving into midfield and Daniela Camilleri slotting in the central attacking role.
Despite this, Swieqi United netted the sixth a minute later from a corner. Mariah Sciberras delivered onto the head of Rafanny Abache Mendoza who was precise with the finish into the far corner of the net.
Saviour Darmanin made two final changes in giving Jade Schembri and Jessica Dimech an early rest shortly after. They were directly replaced by Thea Ida Scicluna and Leanne Frendo. The youngsters slotted into play quite well, with Scicluna also managing a strike a few minutes into her appearance which skimmed wide of the mark. Despite this, Lija Athletic managed to limit any further damage.
Full time Score: Lija Athletic 0 – 6 Swieqi United
Next Matches
The strong victory boosts Swieqi United who will have a short time to recover before they will face Birkirkara on Tuesday 7th November at the Centenary Stadium (20:00). The Stripes will head into the match buoyant after downing Mgarr United to lift themselves into second place with two games in hand and just one point below current leaders Hibernians.
Lija Athletic will face another tough test next time out as they return to Dingli Ground to meet Birkirkara on Saturday 11th November (15:30).
Lead Image: Michael Azzopardi
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[…] the Centenary Stadium (kick-off 20:00). Both teams will go into the match high on confidence after Swieqi United also beat Lija Athletic by 6-0 earlier in the […]
[…] Athletic come into the match following an encounter against Swieqi United, who dealt a loss of 6-0. During the match there were instances were Azzopardi’s side dropped into a rather […]