14 February 2022
GFA BOV Gozo Football League Division I (MD 13) Gozo Stadium
SK Victoria Wanderers : 1
Nadur Youngsters FC : 2
60’ (1-0) Aud-Gustine James Obaje
63’ (1-1) penalty Marcelo Barbosa
80’ (1-2) Lucas Moreira
SK Victoria W:
M. Kukrika, A. Refalo, A. Agyeman, A.J. Obaje, O. Curmi, N. Grech. K. Grima, F. Rozkiewicz (O. Fenech), G. Cardona (J.W. Meilak), A. Touarha (E. Zammit), N. Vella.
Nadur Y:
S. Sultana, M. Tabone, L. Moreira, I. Xuereb, J. Zammit, M.J. Barbosa, E. Bruno Domingos, G. Hili, G. Farrugia, J. Parnis (G. Muscat), J. Flor Da Silva (L. Atzori).
Nadur Youngsters found it more difficult than expected to obtain the three points at stake for their match against bottom-placed SK Victoria Wanderers. The current leaders dominated over the Wanderers throughout the encounter and produced several scoring opportunities but could not find a way to find the net mainly because of an impressive defensive performance by the Wanderers where goalie Mladen Kukrika distinguished himself with a series of difficult interventions.
The Wanderers were in contention for a positive result for more than an hour and managed to take the lead on the hour mark, but the Citizens did not manage to defend their lead as the Youngsters increased their efforts after conceding the goal and staged a reaction until they turned the result ten minutes away from the end of the encounter. With this result, Nadur consolidated their sole leadership while the Wanderers remain at the bottom of the table. This was a particular match for Nadur’s coach Branko Nisevic as there were serious rumours that he could leave the Gozitan club after this match to become the coach of the reigning Premiere champions Hamrun Spartans.
The two sides had some regular players missing for this match as Nadur’s Stefan Cassar and Joseph Mario Vella, together with Victoria’s Neil Camilleri were suspended; while Victoria’s David Udo Monday was missing due to an injury. However, the two sets of players in this match produced a determined performance which led to an exciting encounter and at the end Nadur left the pitch relieved that they got away from an embarrassing result, while the Wanderers ended the match proud of the challenge which they performed against a much more quoted opponent.
Timeline
Nadur as expected produced continuous pressure on Victoria’s defence from the very beginning and created various scoring opportunities but Victoria’s goalie Mladen Kukrika distinguished himself with a series of difficult saves and denied the more quoted opponents to take a comfortable lead at an early stage of the encounter.
1’ Nadur could have scored an early goal when Ederson Bruno Domingos came face to face with goalie Mlalden Kukrika but the striker saw his low drive blocked to a corner.
5’ (crossbar) Nadur’s Marcelo Barbosa had an attempt from an angled position that was stopped by the crossbar.
10’ Victoria’s goalie Mladen Kukrika was called to make a good save to turn to a corner a low shot from outside the area by Marcelo Barbosa.
11’ The same goalkeeper made another good save following a header by Marcelo Barbosa.
19’ Nadur’s Joseph Zammit had a shot from close distance that was again saved by Victoria’s keeper.
21’ Victoria’s skipper Nicholas Vella denied Judivan Flor Da Silva from scoring when he blocked a first-timer from a good position by Nadur’s striker.
22’ Nadur’s Ederson Bruno Dominogs had a good strike that was saved in two attempts by goalie Mladen Kukrika.
32’ Marcelo Barbosa passed through Victoria’s defence with a personal action but his low shot aimed to the far post ended just wide.
34’ The same Barbosa produced another personal action within Victoria’s territory but his low shot got a deflection by the defence and earned a corner.
38’ Nadur could have capitalised better but a strike from a good position by Ederson Bruno Domingos missed the target.
42’ In another good action by Nadur, Gennaro Hili delivered a good cross from the left flank but Joseph Zammit’s header ended away from goal.
43’ (protests for penalty) Nadur’s Ederson Bruno Domingos entered Victoria’s area with a personal action but ended on the floor as he was challenged by an opponent but the referee did not notice any infringement.
HT (0-0)
Second Half
Nadur continued to express territorial supremacy over their opponents after the break but during the opening minutes of the second half Victoria’s defence managed to retain composure and their goalkeeper was not called to make difficult interventions.
10’ Victoria’s defence cleared with some difficulty the ball from the small area and at the end, Victoria’s keeper was at the right place and neutralised the danger.
11’ Victoria’s goalie Mladen Kukrika made another difficult save to turn to a corner a close-ranged header by Jordi Parnis following a cross from the right by Ederson Bruno Domingos.
12’ Nadur’s Marcelo Barbosa produced a good action but at the end, Jordi Parnis’s shot from a good position ended wide.
15’ (1-0) The Wanderers surprised their opponents and took the lead in their first approach within Nadur’s area when Nicholas Grech produced pressure on Nadur’s goalie, the latter cleared badly and Fabricio Rozkiewicz took the ball and passed to an unmarked Aud-Gustine James
17’ (1-1) (penalty) Nadur had an immediate reaction and levelled the score when they were awarded a penalty for a foul by Victoria’s goalie on Marcelo Barbosa and the same striker converted from the spot-kick.
19’ The Wanderers took an immediate restart and Fabricio Rozkiewicz lobbed into Nadur’s goal from the midfield but the goal was not valid since the referee did not whistle the restart among protests by Victoria’s players.
22’ Nadur’s Judivan Flor Da Silva had a strike that was blocked by the defence and from the rebound, the shot by Gennaro Hili ended just over the crossbar.
30’ A header by Nadur’s Manwel Tabone following a cross by substitute Gianluca Muscat was neutralised by Victoria’s goalie.
35’ (1-2) Nadur turned the result in their favour through a header by Lucas Moreira following a corner kick by Ederson Bruno Domingos
41’ Victoria’s goalie Mladen Kukrika made another good save to block a first-timer by Ederson Bruno Domingos after receiving from Marcelo Barbosa.
45+1’ The same goalkeeper once again denied Nadur from adding another goal when he blocked a close-ranged strike by Marcelo Barbosa.
FT (SKVW 1 – NY 2)
Referee: Slobodan Petrovic
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