Valletta Earn First Points Against Mtarfa

Valletta Women scored nine past Mtarfa to earn their first win of the season. Francesca Bartolo netted City’s first goal in the Assikura Women’s League. Anna Aloisio grabbed a hat-trick, while debutant Marcelle de Oliveira Julio rounded off her appearance with a brace. Suzanne Farrugia Sacco scored her maiden senior goal, while Monique Sultana and Sarah Vella Barberi completed the scoring.

Team News

Mtarfa’s Simon Spiteri kept Maria Abdilla in goal, who was protected by a back-four. Captain Rebecca Zammit partnered Paula Ciappara, while Angele Fenech took the right-back role and Corine Deguara occupied the left. Shania Spiteri stood just in front of the defence while Slavina Peneva made her first appearance of the season alongside recent signing Oumayma Jelili further forward. Eliza Csik was also kicking off her first start of the campaign and took the right wing role, while last week’s goalcorer Laura Echeverri Tobon occupied the left wing. Estelle Borg started as the central striker.

Meanwhile, Valletta’s Denis Guerra opted to give Kayleigh Vella Barberi her senior debut in goal, while Sabrin Blihi took a position on the left of a back-three, together with Georgiana Mifsud and Michela Bonello Ghio. In front of them, captain Monique Sultana partnered Francesca Bartolo, while Ylenia Grech was often the furthest forward. Miriana Conti took the left wing-back role, while Suzanne Farrugia Sacco slotted on the right in what was her first senior start. Anna Aloisio partnered debutant Marcelle de Oliveira Julio in a two-pronged attack.

Valletta Go Through The Gears

It did not take long for City to earn their first chance, as Miriana Conti released Anna Aloisio behind the defence who crossed toward the unmarked debutant Marcelle de Oliveira Julio. Unfortunately, she had to wait a bit longer for her debut goal as she got underneath the strike.

The Blues kept their head for the first twenty minutes, throwing blocks in several corners, while Valletta were growing to rue the missed opportunities and appeared to be still getting their intensity to its usual levels. As the twenty-minute mark approached, Ylenia Grech and Francesca Bartolo linked neatly to allow Bartolo to get into the box. She dropped her marker but scooped the shot wide.

However, it was enough to encourage her, which saw her break the deadlock just two minutes later to delight of the City support who trickled in as the match progressed. There was good play between Suzanne Farrugia Sacco and Georgiana Mifsud, with the latter driving forward to support the attack on the wing. Valletta’s number four laid the pass back to Farrugia Sacco who found Bartolo on the edge of the box. Bartolo struck sweetly toward the far corner and although Maria Abdilla got something on it, she could not deny Valletta’s number twenty-one her goal.

The Blues appeared to have struck a good combination in attack five minutes later, with Estelle Borg and Laura Echeverri Tobon linking well on the left wing. However, Borg’s cut-back was just ahead of the target and though Shania Spiteri attempted to salvage the attack, City managed to regroup. Valletta flooded forward and found their second goal through debutant Marcelle de Oliveira Julio, who found herself unmarked and struck low on the turn into the left side of the goal.

The floodgates had opened and Suzanne Farrugia Sacco completed her first start with a maiden goal in the senior league three minutes later. She was well positioned to hit the rebound after Maria Abdilla had saved Marcelle de Oliveira Julio’s shot.

City kept marching forward but Mtarfa steadied themselves for the next latter portion of the half. Sabrin Blihi had a good strike but was denied by Maria Abdilla, as was Marcelle de Oliveira Julio. Meanwhile, the Blues attempted to press Valletta high up the pitch which did result in some trouble at the back for City, particularly through Eliza Csik who managed to get the ball back from the defence. However, captain Monique Sultana rushed in to recover possession and relieve the pressure.

The Blues grew in confidence toward the 43rd minute which saw Eliza Csik drive forward and link well with Laura Echeverri Tobon, but goalkeeper Kayleigh Vella Barberi was off her line to collect as Csik tried to release the Colombian. Almost elation turned into nightmare for the Blues as Valletta immediately set off on the counter attack, which saw Anna Aloisio race behind the defence and strike into the near bottom left corner to extend the lead.

Half-Time Score: Mtarfa 0 – 4 Valletta

Aloisio Completes the Hattrick

There were no substitutions at the break, but Valletta came out with a clear intent to continue extending their lead. Ylenia Grech came very close in the fifty-fifth minute as she attempted to head Francesca Bartolo’s delivery from a corner, but was denied by the crossbar.

However she was involved in the build up to the fifth goal which came a couple of minutes later. Grech laid it for Marcelle de Oliveira Julio whose strike was saved by Maria Abdilla, and though the first rebound was blocked by the defence, Anna Aloisio struck a second rebound which would not be denied.

Denis Guerra opted to make his first substitution after the goal, bringing on Sarah Vella Barberi for her first appearance of the season, while Ylenia Grech made way. Anna Aloisio completed her hattrick on the sixty-fourth minute. Vella Barberi showed great skill to dribble past three markers toward the byline in the penalty area, before crossing across the face of goal. Once again although Maria Abdilla saved the first shot, Aloisio was well positioned to blast the rebound into the far top corner and grab her match ball.

Valletta Extend The Lead

Following the goal, Guerra looked to his bench once more which saw some positional shifts develop. Suzanne Farrugia Sacco was replaced by Larissa Debono in a like-for-like change. Meanwhile, Francesca Bartolo made way for debutant Megan La Rosa, who slotted in the right centre-back role. It shifted Michela Bonello Ghio centrally, while Georgiana Mifsud moved in front of the defence instead of Bartolo.

Simon Spiteri also freshened things up with three substitutes. Paula Ciappara was replaced by Pamela Schembri, while Angele Fenech made way for Elisa Azzopardi. Meanwhile, debutant Oumayma Jelili was substituted by Rachel Sultana in the midfield role.

Mtarfa played themselves into trouble for the seventh goal, which saw Anna Aloisio recover possession from the defence, before immediately crossing toward Marcelle de Oliveira Julio who tapped in the seventh. Play stopped for some time as Rebecca Zammit received some treatment following the tackle by Aloisio. The eightieth minute saw Mtarfa look to their bench as Katya Camilleri took to the field in the striker role instead of Laura Echeverri Tobon.

Valletta continued extending by capitalising from a free-kick. Captain Monique Sultana took charge of the kick on the left wing and saw her strike bounce in front of the goalkeeper to find the back of the net. Sarah Vella Barberi rounded off the spree as she latched onto a pass by Marcelle de Oliveira Julio before dribbling past her marker and slotting into the far left corner from six-yards.

Mtarfa managed to get themselves a corner to try to earn a goal back but a miscued shot saw them leave empty-handed. Things turned sour after a last-minute clash between Marcelle de Oliveira Julio and Shania Spiteri at the other end saw Spiteri end up on the deck, while play was allowed to go on to dismay of Mtarfa. Once play was stopped, it led to Mtarfa’s coach to walk onto the pitch alongside the first-aider, with the former getting booked for complaints to the referee. The official blew the whistle shortly after as the player was walked off from the pitch, allowing no injury time to the jeers of the Mtarfa crowd.

Full-Time Score: Mtarfa 0 – 9 Valletta

Next Matches

The Assikura Women’s League continues today with matches at the Dingli Ground, starting off with the clash between Lija Athletic and San Gwann at 18:30, which will be followed by Mgarr United against Hibernians at 21:00.

Meanwhile, Mtarfa will return to action in search of their first points on the fourteenth of September against Mgarr United. Valletta will meet Lija Athletic on the fifteenth of September.

Mid-week will set up a unique encounter in Malta as last year’s league winners Birkirkara will be facing Breznica in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. The match will be played next Wednesday 6th September at the Centenary Stadium (18:00). Tickets may be purchased here.

Lead Image: Valletta FC Women

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