1 October 2023
GFA BOV Gozo Football League 1st Division (MD 4) Gozo Stadium
SK Victoria Wanderers FC: 2
Xewkija Tigers FC : 3
4’ (0-1) Aleksa Bozovic
48’ (1-1) Junior Conceicao Cabral
69’ (1-2) Josmar Vella
78’ (1-3) Stefan Tesic
83’ (2-3) Kenneth Mercieca
SK Victoria W:
A. Parnis, A. Galiano Lazarini, N. Camilleri (N. Grech 87), K. Mercieca, M.V. Claudino Ramos (Choco), J. Conceicao Cabral, E. Zammit, C.S. Souza Da Silva (J. Saliba 79), G. Farrugia, A. Touarha, L. Fenech.
Xewkija T:
N. Kosanin, J. Axiak (S. Xuereb 76), Jo. Vella, D. Bogdanovic, M. Mercieca (M. Bonnici 71), A. Debrijncat (K. Farrugia 46), R. Buttigieg, A. Bozovic, D. Andelovic, C. Abela, S. Tesic (H. Bonnici 81).
Xewkija obtained a 3-2 win over SK Victoria Wanderers in the main match of the weekend and with the points obtained they took sole leadership on the table. Before this match, Xewkija and the Wanderers were separated by one point and were both aiming to take the full points at stake to take the top spot of the standings at an early stage. This was Xewkija’s third win from four matches and they also remain undefeated, while the Wanderers conceded their second defeat in the championship and missed an opportunity to keep very close to the top positions.
The match lived up to the expectations as it was well contested and the outcome remained uncertain. The Wanderers conceded an early goal but showed character so that they produced a reaction and held more possession until the hour mark. Victoria’s play was quite effective and produced some good scoring opportunities but Xewkija’s goalie confirmed his abilities between the posts and distinguished himself with some decisive interventions so that the Wanderers did not manage to put their heads in front during the encounter. Xewkija confirmed their strong potential which puts them among the contenders for the title this season. They scored an early goal and for most of the time, they defended their area and kept pressure on their opponents through counterbreaks. Xewkija’s win matured with two goals scored midway through the second half when Xewkija seemed more experienced and capitalised from a patch where they were expressing their best offensive play.
Timeline:
Xewkija had an excellent start and took the driving seat with a goal scored during the opening minutes so that they consolidated their defensive department, resisted Victoria’s reaction and operated with dangerous breaks. The Wanderers managed to recover from the early shock and held territorial supremacy for most of the remaining minutes of the first half but they were erratic in their finishing so they failed to level the score.
1’ Xewkija almost surprised Victoria when Matthias Mercieca passed inside the area but his low shot was neutralised by goalie Adrian Parnis.
2’ The Wanderers replied with a low shot from a good position by Caique Silvio Souza Da Silva that ended wide.
4’ (0-1) Xewkija opened the score when Damir Andelovic delivered the ball towards the first post from a free kick near the corner flag and Aleksa Bozovic surprised the goalkeeper with a header from close distance.
10’ The Wanderers could have created more danger with two attempts in separate occasions within one minute. On the first occasion a shot by Caique Silvio Souza Da Silva missed the target and in the following action a strike by Marcus Vinicius Claudino Ramos, known as Choco, ended just over the crossbar.
14’ Victoria had an attempt directly from a free kick by Choco that was partially saved by goalie Nikola Kosanin and from the rebound, the effort from a good position by Alexandre Galiano Lazarini was deflected by the defence to a corner.
19’ The Wanderers missed a good opportunity to level the score but a first-timer from close distance by Junior Conceicao Cabral following an initiative by Emerson Zammit incredibly ended over the crossbar.
29’ (protests for penalty) Victoria protested for a penalty when Caique Silvio Souza Da Silva ended up on the floor inside Xewkija’s area following a challenge with an opponent.
30’ Xewkija were dangerous through a header by Matthias Mercieca following a cross by Rodney Buttigieg that was saved well by goalie Adrian Parnis.
33’ Victoria’s Caique Silvio Souza Da Silva entered Xewkija’s area with a personal action but his attempt was well blocked by Xewkija’s goalie Nikola Kosanin. The same goalkeeper denied the Citizens from scoring in the following action when he saved with difficulty to a corner a strike from outside the area by Junior Conceicao Cabral.
37’ (protests for penalty) Victoria once again protested for a penalty when Junior Conceicao Cabral ended up on the floor inside the area following a challenge by his direct opponent.
43’ Xewkija’s goalie Nikola Kosanin kept his side in contention with two important interventions. On the first occasion, the goalkeeper saved a corner strike by Choco, and from the resultant corner action goalie Kosanin blocked a header by Junior Conceicao Cabral.
HT (0-1)
Second Half
Play during the first part of the second period was more exciting. The Wanderers levelled the score early and for the following minutes, the two sides went all out to take the lead. Xewkija however, managed to score their second goal during their best patch of play midway through the second half and managed to add another goal so that they put their minds at rest from the victory
3’ (1-1) The Citiens levelled the score when Kenneth Mercieca passed to Junior Conceicao Cabral inside Xewkija’s area and the latter turned around his direct opponent and fired in goal with a curling shot.
5’ The Wanderers went very close to turning the result in their favour when Caique Silvio Souza Da Silva passed outside the area to Choco but the latter saw his attempt that ended inches away from Xewkija’s goal.
13’ Xewkija were dangerous when Carlo Abela took the ball from Victoria’s defence and released Stefan Tesic but the latter had his attempt from an angled position that was saved by goalie Adrian Parnis.
24’ (1-2) Xewkija regained the lead when Victoria’s defence failed to clear a corner kick by Damir Andelovic and Josmar Vella’s header crossed the line despite the effort of the goalkeeper to clear the danger.
33’ (1-3) Xewkija increased their lead when Damir Andelovic released Stefan Tesic inside Victoria’s area, turned around his direct opponent and deposited the ball into an open goal with a low drive as the goalkeeper left his position in an attempt to block the danger.
38’ (2-3) The Wanderers re-opened their chances to save the result when Junior Conceicao Cabral headed inside Xewkija’s area from a free kick and Alexandre Galiano Lazarini released Kenneth Mercieca who netted from close distance.
39’ (post) Xewkija went again close to adding another goal but a low shot from outside the area by Damir Andelovic hit the post.
FT (SKVW 2 – XT 3)
Referee: Fyodor Zammit
Assistant Referees: Duncan Sultana, James Muscat
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