20 September 2022
GFA BOV Gozo Football League Division I (MD 3) Gozo Stadium
Kercem Ajax FC ; 2
Oratory Youths FC ; 0
7′ (1-0) Marcos Vinicius Da Costa Soares Da Silva
35’ (red card) Gaetano Bugeja (KA)
81’ (2-0) Pablo Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira
Kercem A:
G. Bugeja, D. Cassar, N. Mercieca, L.H. Santana Motta, J. Theuma, B. Da Cruz, P. Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira (G. Cardona), A. Mizzi, K. Formosa (D. Spiteri), S. Azzopardi, M.V. Da Costa Soares Da Silva.
Oratory Y:
A. Brignoli, J. Tabone, J. De Souza Ferreira, K. Hili (N. Said), K. Farrugia (P. Rapa), H.H. Goncalves Barbosa, A. Xuereb (S. Curmi), N. Sutic, H. Muscat, D. Atzori, S.U. Ubuwere.
Kercem Ajax obtained three important points from a hard-earned 2-0 win over Oratory Youths so that they extended the good start in the championship. With this result Kercem remain undefeated and also remain at the top positions on the table.
The Ajax were favourites to win the three points at stake but they failed to open a comfortable lead during the first part of the encounter, when they dominated over their opponents, so that as time passed by Oratory increased their efforts while Kercem almost compromised their situation after the half hour mark when they had their goalkeeper who was sent off for denying a goal scoring opportunity. Kercem showed character for the rest of the encounter and made sure of the win by scoring a second goal few minutes away from the end of the encounter.
In this match Oratory probably expressed their best performance in their three matches of the championship. The Youths were very prudent during the opening stages but when they had an extra player on the field they produced more offensive play and could have saved the result.
Timeline:
Kercem as expected took command of play and during the opening stages they created various scoring opportunities. However they did not manage to convert their superiority in more than one goal and as time passed by, Oratory came out of their defence so that play during the second part of the first half became much more interesting. The Youths ended up the period more confident since the Ajax had a player sent off ten minutes away from the break.
2’ (protests for penalty) Oratory protested for a penalty when Goncalves Barbosa ended on the floor inside Kercem’s area following a challenge with Luiz Henrique Santana Motta.
5’ Kercem went very close to open the score but an attempt directly from a free kick by Pablo Vnicius Ferreira was saved to a corner by Oratory’s Keeper Angelo Brignoli.
7’ (1-0 The Ajax took the lead following a fine manoeuvre that started from the midfield and at the end Nathaniel Mercieca crossed form the left flank and Marcos Vinicius Da Costa Soares Da Silva headed in goal from close distance.
10’ (post) Kercem could have doubled the lead but a low drive towards the far post by Pablo Vinicius Ferreira after receiving from Da Costa Soares hit the base of the post and the goalkeeper recovered in time and saved the danger.
12’ Kercem’s Bruno Da Cruz had a good shot that ended just over the crossbar.
19’ A shot by Kercem’s Pablo Vinicius Ferreira from a good position missed the target.
21’ Oratory replied with a good break where Sundy Uforma Ubuwere released Goncalves Barbosa but the latter saw his low shot that was saved to a corner by Kercem’s keeper Gaetano Bugeja.
27’ The Youths one again threatened Kercem’s rear guard through a shot from outside the area by Nikola Sutic that was neutralised with some difficulty by the goalkeeper.
35’ (red card) Kercem were reduced to ten players when goalie Gaetano Bugeja was sent off for stopping irregularly Goncalves Barbosa just outside the area and therefore denied a goal scoring opportunity.
HT (1-0)
Second Half
After the break Oratory gained territorial supremacy in an attempt to recover the score while Kercem tried to consolidate their defensive department and operated mainly with counter breaks. The two sides found to difficult to create open scoring opportunities but the outcome of the encounter remained uncertain until the Ajax scored their second goal few minutes away from the end of regular time.
5’ Oratory’s Nikola Sutic had an attempt directly from a free kick that ended wide.
9’ Kercem could have capitalised better when Pablo Vinicius Ferreira delivered a cross from the right flank but Da Costa Soares headed wide from a good position.
16’ The Youths were again dangerous through a header by Sunday Uforma Ubuwere following a corner kick by Nikola Sutic that ended wide.
27’ (protests for penalty) Oratory once again protested for a penalty following another challenge between Goncalves Barbosa and Kercem’s central defender Santana Motta.
34’ Oratory’s keeper kept his side in contention when he blocked with difficulty a close ranged shot by Bruno da Cruz who was released at an angled position by Pablo Vinicius Ferreira.
36’ (2-0) Kercem doubled the score and practically made sure of the win when Pablo Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira exchanged the ball at the edge of Oratory’s area with Bruno Da Cruz and the former fired a fine shot that got a deflection by a defender and ended out of the reach of the goalkeeper.
39’ Oratory’s goalie denied Kercem from scoring another goal when he blocked a good shot by Bruno Da Cruz after receiving from Pablo Vinicius Ferreira.
43’ Oratory could have reduced the deficit but a strike by Goncalves Barbosa was well saved by substitute goalkeeper Daniel Spiteri.
FT (KA 2 – OY 0)
Referee: Jason Portelli
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