Nadur celebrate their 14th title with a win

26 March 2023
GFA BOV Gozo Football League Division I: T/4 (MD 19) Gozo Stadium

Nadur celebrate their 14th title with a win

Nadur Youngsters FC : 4
Kercem Ajax FC: 1

10’ (1-0) Marcelo Jr Barbosa
19’ (2-0) Igor Nedeljkovic
49’ (3-0) Marcelo Jr Barbosa
59’ (4-0) Marcelo Jr Barbosa
64’ (4-1) Pablo Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira

Nadur Y:
S. Sultana (L. Camilleri), L.B. Da Silva, M. Tabone (M. Said), I. Xuereb, J. Zammit, M.P.
Camilleri (P.P. Camilleri), M. Jr. Barbosa, G. Farrugia, J. Xerri (N. Mifsud), G. Dourado Ferreira
(O.P. Bugeja), I. Nedeljkovic.

Kercem A:
D. Spiteri, D. Cassar, L.H. Santana Motta, J. Theuma (C. Attard), B. Da Cruz, O. Rolovic, P.
Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira, A. Mizzi, G. Cardona (D. Hili), K. Formosa, S. Azzopardi.

Nadur Youngsters, who became mathematically champions of the BOV Gozo Football League
of the first division with the outcome of the match between Xewkija Tigers and Qala Saints,
celebrated their achievement with a fine win in their match against Kercem Ajax.

For this match, Kercem needed a win to keep hoping of ending the campaign as the runners-up
position but Nadur were playing without pressure and were aiming to recover from their
previous to disappointing results and to provide the right occasion for their numerous
supporters present at the Gozo Stadium to celebrate in style. This was Nadur’s second
consecutive Gozitan championship won and it was also the 14th time that Nadur Youngsters
won the main honour in Gozitan football so they also became the team who won the most
championships in the history of Gozitan football.

Nadur paved the way to the win over Kercem matured with two goals scored during the
opening stages of each half of the encounter so that most of the time the champions
neutralised Kercem’s efforts to re-open the issue. Nadur’s striker Marcelo Jr Barbosa was the
the main protagonist of the match by scoring a hat-trick and with these goals he took sole
the leadership of the Top-scorer table with 15 goals so he is now the favourite to win this
prestigious personal honour for the second consecutive season.

Timeline:
The two sides seemed aggressive during the first minutes of play but Nadur took the driving
seat by scoring the opening goal and administering play with authority so that the actions on
goals were rare.
7’ Kercem created the first serious scoring opportunity of the encounter that arrived through a
shot by Bruno da Cruz that was saved in two attempts by Nadur’s goalie, Steve Sultana.
8’ The same goalkeeper left his position in time to take the ball before Pablo Vinicius Ferreira
could conclude towards the goal.
10’ (1-0) Nadur opened the score when Marcello Jr Barbosa passed Kercem’s defence with a
personal initiative and placed in goal after exchanging the ball at the edge of the area with Igor
Nedeljkovic.
19’ (2-0) Nadur doubled their lead when Igor Nedeljkovic entered Kercem’s territory and
netted with a low hot as the goalkeeper left his position in an attempt to block the danger.
HT (2-0)
 
Second Half

The match lost much of the interest for the second period but the two sides tried to produce
offensive play as the Youngsters were aiming to put their minds at rest from the win with more
goals while Kercem tried to reduce their gap.
4’ (3-0) Nadur added another goal that arrived through a low shot by Marcelo Jr Barbosa that
surprised Kercem’s defence and the goalkeeper.
7’ Kercem replied with an attempt by Luiz Henrique Santana Motta that was well saved by
Nadur’s keeper Steve Sultana.
10’ Nadur were again dangerous but a shot by substitute Neil Mifsud following a prolonged
action inside Kercem’s area was blocked by the defence to a corner.
14’ (4-0) Nadur practically made sure of the win with another goal scored by Marcelo Jr
Barbosa fired in goal following a personal action.
19’ (4-1) Kercem scored their consolation goal when Nadur’s substitute goalkeeper Leonard
Camilleri failed to hold a cross from the right and the ball arrived to Pablo Vinicius De Moraes
Ferreira had his first shot that was blocked in front of the goalmouth by Ian Xuereb but the
The same Brazilian striker fired in goal from the rebound.
30’ Nadur’s substitute Owen Peter Bugeja passed from the right but his attempt from outside the
area missed the target.
37’ Kercem could have scored a second goal but a strike from a good position by Bruno Da
Cruz was well blocked by goalkeeper Leonard Camilleri.
38’ The same goalkeeper once again denied Kercem from scoring when he saved to a corner a
low shot by Pablo Vinicius Ferreira.
43’ Kercem’s last opportunity to reduce the deficit arrived through an initiative by Karl Formosa
who passed inside Nadur’s area from the right and at the end his attempt from a closed angle
missed the target.
45’ Nadur could have scored another goal but an attempt by Marcelo Barbosa ended wide.

FT (NY 4 – KA 1)
Referee: Alex Johnson