Sannat leave it late to turn a defeat into a win

by | Oct 26, 2023 | 23/24, GFL 2nd Div, Match Report, News

21 October 2023

GFA BOV Gozo Football League 2nd Division (MD 1) Kercem Stadium

Sannat Lions FC: 4

St Lawrence Spurs FC: 2

10’ (0-1) Jurgen Mario Portelli

20’ (penalty missed – saved) Ayesller Carvalho (SLS)

43’ (1-1) Boubacar Kanta

80’ (2-1) Paul Said

84’ (3-1) Paul Said

87’ (4-1) Boubacar Kanta

90+1’’ (4-2) penalty Ayesller Carvalho

Sannat L:

K. Attard, J. Cassar (C. Dingli 58), G. Portelli G. Debrincat, E. Gauci, N. Grima (D. Borg 46), P. Muscat (M. Mifsud 77), J. Bonnici (P. Said 46), A. Azzopardi, C. Buttigieg, B. Kanta (M. Farrugia 87).

St. Lawrence S:

S. Muscat, J.K. Farrugia, N. Haber, J.M. Portelli (D.P. Rapa 84), C. Grima, A. Carvalho, J. Grima, V.J. Saliba, A. Attard (J. Formosa 87), C. Azzopardi, M. Dingli.

In the opening match of the BOV Gozo Football League of the second division, Sannat Lions came from behind and scored three late goals to defeat St Lawrence Spurs with a score of 4-2.  The match was well contested for more than an hour where St Lawrence Spurs shared play with their more quoted opponents and at some point they were seriously in a position to win the encounter.

The Spurs probably missed their best chance to obtain a positive result when they missed a penalty which could have given them a two-goal lead so in the rest of the match they ended up conceding Sannat’s reaction.  Sannat made good use of their experience throughout the ninety minutes as they realised they had a soft approach to this encounter and made the necessary changes to recover the score.  Sannat imposed their superiority during the final stages and scored the decisive goals of this match. 

Timeline:

St Lawrence was more aggressive during the opening stages and surprised their opponents, so Sannat was forced to defend with many players.  The Spurs were punished for missing an opportunity to score a second goal from a penalty and other scoring opportunities, as Sannat recovered from a difficult start and levelled the score before halftime.

10’ (0-1) St Lawrence opened the score with a goal that arrived following a good move where Ayesller Carvalho released Jurgen Mario Portelli with a back heel and the latter netted with a fine curling shot towards the upper far corner of Sannat’s goal.

19’ St Lawrence was again dangerous when Mark Dingli entered Sannat’s area but his shot from a good position ended wide.

20’ (penalty missed – saved) St Lawrence could have doubled their lead when they were awarded a penalty for a foul by Joseph Bonnici on Ayesller Carvalho. Still, the same Brazilian striker saw his shot from the penalty spot that was saved to a corner by goalie Kyle Attard.

41’ Sannat’s goalie Kyle Attard was called to make another important intervention to turn to a corner an attempt directly from a free kick by Ayesller Carvalho.

42’ (crossbar) From the resultant corner action, a header by Ayesller Carvalho was stopped by the crossbar.

43’ (1-1) Sannat scored the equaliser when Boubacar Kanta entered St Lawrence’s area and placed in goal with a low shot from an unmarked position.

45+2’ (crossbar)  Sannat could have entered to the break in the lead but a shot from a free kick by Aaron Azzopardi hit the crossbar.

HT (1-1)

Second Half

The match became much more interesting after the break as the Spurs tried to regain the lead, while Sannat tried to keep their momentum in the last minutes of the first half.  However, Sannat increased their efforts as time passed by and managed to obtain the win with three goals scored during the final stages of the encounter.

1’ Sannat could have turned the result in their favour when Boubacar Kanta took the ball following a mishap by St Lawrence’s defence but the striker saw his low with an open goal at his mercy that ended over the crossbar.

12’ (post) St Lawrence went very close to score the second goal but an attempt directly from a free kick by Ayesller Carvalho was saved by goalie Kyle Attard with the aid of the post.

14’ Sannat missed a good scoring opportunity when Boubacar Kanta entered St Lawrence’s area but was overconfident as he arrived face to face with goalie Samuel Muscat as the latter kept his position and cleared the ball to deny the striker from concluding towards goal.

21’ St Lawrence’s goalie Samuel Muscat once again denied Sannat from scoring when he turned to a corner a shot from a free kick by substitute Paul Said.

35’ (2-1) Sannat took the lead with a goal that arrived through a shot from an angled position by Paul Said that surprised St Lawrence’s goalie Samuel Muscat.

39’ (3-1) St Lawrence was demoralised and Sannat added another goal through a shot directly from a free kick by Paul Said.

42’ (4-1) Sannat made sure of the win with the fourth goal that arrived through a low shot by Boubacar Kanta who entered alone inside St Lawrence’s area.

45+1’ (4-2) penalty St Lawrence was awarded a second penalty for a foul by Aaron Azzopardi on substitute Dylan Paul Apap and on this occasion, Ayesller Carvalho concerted from the penalty spot to make the score more respectable.

FT (SL 4 – SLS 2)

Referee: Kankaras Igor

Asst. Referees: Luca Formosa, Jean Pierre Mifsud

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