Victoria Hotspurs Obtain Second Win in the Championship

Oratory Y       :           1          (B. Perello Palou 54’)

1. Camilleri, J. Polo Longarela, M. Gauci, K. Farrugia, B. Perello Palou, A. Debrincat (K. Grima), J. Attard (J. Bonnici), D. Azzopardi (P. Said), E. Felipe Da Silva Santos, M. Buttigieg.

Victoria H       :           2          (D. Sytnik 12’, H. Maciel 28’)

1. Parnis, J. Pace (J. Tabone), J.P. Grima, M. Bamba, O.I. Guibadia, K. Farrugia, J. Bajada (C. Mercieca), H. Maciel, D. Sytnik.

Victoria Hotspurs obtained an important win over Oratory Youths with the odd goal from three and with the points obtained they moved over the same Oratory on the table.  The Hotspurs are now in a comfortable mid table position and with a good lead over the teams in the relegation zone.  This was a direct clash between two teams aiming for the fifth place on the standings and as a result the two teams had good reasons to aim for the victory.  During the match each side prevailed over the other for a half each.  The Hotspurs dominated paly during the first half and opened a deserved two-goal lead.  However, Oratory produced a determined reaction after the break but they only managed to score on one occasion and therefore failed to save the result.

The Hotspurs took command of play from the early stages of the encounter and opened the score on 12 minutes through a fine header by debutant Denis Sytnik following a cross by Henrique Maciel.  Oratory continued to suffer Vivctoria’s pressure and on 17 minutes a direct free kick by Shaun Attard was deflected by the defence on the post.  One minute later a shot by Henrique Maciel was partially saved by goalie Leonard Camilleri and from the rebound the same goalkeeper blocked a close ranged attempt by Shaun Attard.  The Hotspurs doubled the score on 28 minutes through a direct free kick by Henrique Maciel that was out of the reach of the goalkeeper.  On 33 minutes Victoria’s Denis Sytnik had a close ranged shot following a cross by Henrique Maciel that was blocked to a corner by the defence.  From the resultant corner kick by Henrique Maciel, Osa Icecream Guodabia had his shot from close distance stropped by the post.  Oratory’s goalie Leonard Camilleri denied the Hotspurs from scoring the third goal with another good intervention on 40 minutes when he saved to a corner a shot from long distance by Daniel Farrugia.

Oratory came out for the second period determined to recover the deficit and on 48 minutes they produced a good scoring opportunity but Borja Polo Longarela failed to connect to an inviting cross by Bartomeu Perello Palou.  The Youths however re-opened the issue with a goal that arrived on 54 minutes through a direct free kick by Bartomeu Perello Palou that surprised Victoria’s keeper.  Oratory kept insisting and on 56 minutes they were dangerous through a strike by Andrea Debrincat that was saved to a corner with difficulty by goalie Adrian Parnis.  On 64 minutes Javier Polo Longarella recovered the ball in the area following a corner action and from his low cross Everton Felipe Da Silva Santos and substitute Joseph Bonnici both had their attempts at goal blocked in front of the goalmouth and at the end the ball hit the same Bonnici and ended wide.  The Hotspurs could have regained the two-goal lead on 72 minutes but Denis Sytnik had his shot from close distance saved by gaolie Leonard Camilleri. On 84 minutes |Oratory were reduced to ten players when Borja Polo Longarela was sent off or a second bookable offence and on 86 minutes the Youths could have saved the result but Bartomeu Perello Palou had a low shot when he was alone in the area that was saved by goalie Adrian Parnis

Referee: Massimo Axisa