Xaghra United earn a precious point from a draw against Ghajnsielem

6 March 2020
GFA BOV Gozo Football League Division I – Match Day 15 Gozo Stadium

Ghajnsielem FC : 0
Xaghra United FC : 0

Ghajnsielem FC:
F. Vella, P.Nunez Del Castillo (N. Stojanovic), A. Agyeman, K. Farrugia, Al. Xuereb, An. Xuereb, C. Dingli (K. Grima), J. Arboleda Valencia, I. Behadj, N.I. Belhadj, I. Nedeljkovic.

Xaghra U:
L. Xuereb, J. Bajada (E. Xiberras), K. Martins Robeiro (R. De Souza Ferreira), N. Biculjevic, S. Galea, K. Hili, J.G. Vella, J. Buttigieg, R.O. Dos Santos, M. Mamo, L.A. De Melo Lima.

In the first match from the third and final round of the BOV Gozo Football League of the first division for this season, Ghajnsielem and Xaghra United shared the spoils in a goalless draw. The outcome of this encounter rewards mainly Xaghra United as they earned an important point which puts them at the third spot form the bottom and just outside the relegation zone. On the other hand with this result, Ghajnsielem lost an opportunity to keep their close challenge to the third position on the standings.

Ghajnsielem earned two wins over Xaghra in the first two round of the championship and were, therefore, aiming to earn the full points at stake form this encounter, while Xaghra were coming from a win in their previous match and needed a positive result to move away from the red zone. As a result, the match was quite balanced during the first half but with very few scoring opportunities at the two ends of the field. After the break, Ghajnsielem increased their efforts to produce offensive play but Xaghra maintained composure and also threatened their opponents on more than one occasions so that the win could have gone either way.

Timeline:
Play for most of the first half took place in the midfield as the defensive departments were well in control of the respective strikers.
5’ Xaghra could have created mote danger but a header by Kennedy Martins Ribeiro from a corner kick by Joseph George Vella ended wide.
11’ Xaghra were again dangerous but a direct free kick by Joseph George Vella was blocked by Ghajnsielem’s keeper Franklin Vella.
33’ Ghajnsielem had their first serious attempt towards Xaghra’s goal when Jhon Arboleda Valencia passed to Naim Ibrahim Belhadj but the latter saw his effort ending away from goal.
44’ The Blacks had another scoring opportunity before half time but a header by Jhon Arboleda Valencia following a cross by Igor Nedeljkovic ended wide.
HT (0-0)

Play became much more interesting after the break as the two sides managed to create more actions that could have been converted in goals
1’ Xaghra’s goalie Lorjean Xuereb was well placed and neutralised a weak header by Ghajnsielem’s Jhon Arboleda Valencia.
2’ Xaghra protested for a penalty when Luis Andre De Melo Lima ended on the floor inside Ghajnsielem’s area following a challenge with his direct opponent.
3’ Ghajnsielem’s Igor Nedeljkovic took the ball from Xaghra’s defence entered the area but the striker was denied from concluding towards an open goal with a decisive intervention by Xaghra’s Nebojsa Buciljevic.
5’ Ghajnsielem had an opportunity from a free-kick but the attempt by Jhon Arboleda Valencia ended wide.
15’ Ghajnsielem protested for a penalty following a tackle by Xaghra’s defender on Jhon Arboleda Valencia.
19’ Xaghra replied through an attempt form a free-kick by Joseph George Vella that missed the target.
21’ Ghajnsielem’s Jhon Arboleda Valencia had a shot from a good position that ended wide.
26’ The Blacks went again close to open the score when Alberto Xuereb delivered the ball inside Xaghra’s small area from the corner kick but substitute Nemanja Stojanovic saw his first-timer well blocked by goalie Lorjean Xuereb and the defence cleared the danger.
33’ Xaghra’s Joseph George Vella had a shot that was saved in two attempts by Ghajnsielem’s keeper Franklin Vella.
34’ Ghajnsielem had a goal that was disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper when Asante Aygeman headed inside the area a free kick by Alberto Xuereb, the goalkeeper managed to block the danger but from the rebound, Kevin Farrugia rushed into the goalie while Naim Belhadj passed to an unmarked Nemanja Stojanovic so that the latter converted in goal from close distance but the action was disallowed due to Farrugia’s intervention.
38’ Ghajnsielem’s Jhon Arboleda Valencia released Nemanja Stojanovic inside Xaghra’s area but the latter incredibly concluded wide when he was in an ideal position to hit the target.
40’ Ghajnsielem had a goal scored by Igor Nedeljkovic that was disallowed for an offside infringement.
45+3’ Xaghra’s keeper saved the result for his side when he managed to clear the ball from the goalmouth with the aid of the crossbar a header by Nemanja Stojanovic following a miskick by Xaghra’s defence.
45+5’ Xaghra could have clinched a dramatic win when Ghajnsielem’s defence cleared badly a free kick by Rodrigo Ost Dos Santos, the ball arrived at Luis Andre De Melo Lima who handled the ball in an attempt to hit towards goal and substitute Rafael De Souza Ferreira placed in goal but the action was also disallowed for the handling by Xaghra’s striker.
FT (GHJ 0 – XU 0)

Referee: Daniel Casha