15 October 2023
GFA BOV Gozo Football League 1st Division (MD 6) Gozo Stadium
Kercem Ajax FC : 1
Nadur Youngsters FC : 3
2’ (1-0) Pablo Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira
34’ (red card) Olimpio Gabriel Fernandes (KA)
50’ (1-1) Joseph Zammit
52’ (1-2) Joao Vitor De Oliveira Florencio
60’ (1-3) penalty Marcelo Jr Barbosa
64’ (red card) Marcelo Pereira Muniz (NY)
Kercem A:
D. Spiteri, J. Tabone, E. Caetano Pena, J. Theuma, O.G. Fernandes, P. Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira, A. Mizzi (D. Cassar 83), G. Cardona (C. Attard 66), K. Formosa (O.P. Bugeja 66), S. Azzopardi, E. Peters.
Nadur Y:
S. Sultana, J.A. Ferreira Dos Santos, I. Xuereb, M. Pereira Muniz, J. Zammit, M.J. Barbosa, S. Cassar, M. Said, G. Hili, G. Muscat, J.V. De Oliveira Florencio.
Nadur Youngsters recovered from two disappointing matches, where they only obtained one point, with a win over Kercem Ajax so that with the points obtained they remain very close to the top positions on the table. The two teams needed a win from this match as Kercem could have joined Nadur on the table with a win while Nadur needed to produce an immediate reaction for the difficult moment in the championship.
The match turned out to be contested and became nervous as the two sides had a player each who was sent off and also due to arguments between players and officials on the way to the dressing room for the break, where Kercem had their coach Michael Vella and his assistant who were shown a red card.
Kercem had a better start and took the lead but they compromised their possibility to resist to Nadur’s reaction when they had a player sent off ten minutes from half time. Nadur disappointing for most of the first half but they turned the result in their favour with three goals scored during the opening stages of the second period. Nadur’s two-goal cushion allowed them to maintain control of play during the last part of the encounter, when they also ended up playing with ten players, so that they earned three deserved points.
Timeline:
Kercem surprised their opponents with an early goal so that Nadur were forced to get out of their area in an attempt to produce a reaction. However, the Youngsters found it very difficult to convert their possession into good scoring opportunities so that the only serious attempts towards Kercem’s goal arrived from set-pieces.
2’ (1-0) Kercem operated a counter break when Karl Formosa released Pablo Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira within Nadur’s territory and the Brazilian striker entered the area, resisted to the challenge of his direct opponent, turned around the goalkeeper and placed into an open goal.
18’ Nadur replied with a shot from long distance by Marcelo Barbosa but the ball ended wide.
30’ Kercem’s goalie Daniel Spiteri was well placed and saved with some difficulty an attempt directly from a long ranged free kick by Marcelo Barbosa.
31’ The same Brazilian striker Marcelo Barbosa had another attempt from a free kick but on his occasion the ball ended high.
34’ (red card) Kercem were reduced to ten players as Olimpio Gabriel Fernandes was shown two consecutive yellow cards for a foul outside the area and arguments with an opponent.
36’ Nadur went very close to level the score from the resultant free kick but the low shot by Marcelo Barbosa ended just wide.
38’ Nadur could have created more danger when Marcelo Barbosa released Stefan Cassar inside Kercem’s area but the latter hit badly from a good position and the ball ended over the crossbar.
40’ Nadur kept insisting but they also continued to be very erratic in their finishing. Nadur’s Junior Adenilson Ferreira Dos Santos could have scored the equaliser but he headed badly from close distance following a free kick by Marcelo Barbosa and the goalkeeper saved without difficulty.
44’ Kercem’s goalie Daniel Spiteri was called to make the best save of the afternoon to turn to a corner an attempt by Joseph Zammit, with his back toward the goal, after receiving from Stefan Cassar.
HT (1-0)
Second Half
As expected Nadur came out for the second period more determined in an attempt to recover the deficit, while Kercem tried to re-organise themselves as they did not have their coaching staff on the bench. The Youngsters took advantage of the extra player on the field of play and managed to turn the result in their favour with two goals scored in the space of two minutes and extend their lead before the hour mark so that they were in a position to administer play for the rest of the encounter, despite the fact that they were also reduced to ten players..
5’ (1-1) Nadur scored the equaliser through a fine header by Joseph Zammit following a cross from the left flank by Gennaro Hili.
7’ (1-2) The Youngsters kept insisting and took the lead following a prolonged action by Stefan Cassar and Marcelo Barbosa, Joao Vitor De Oliveira Florencio exchanged the ball inside the area with Joseph Zammit and netted with a low shot.
15’ (1-3) penalty Nadur were awarded a penalty for a foul by Jason Theuma on Marcelo Jr Barbosa and the same striker converted from the spot kick to give his side a two-goal led.
19’ (red card) Nadur were also reduced to ten players when Marcelo Pereira Muniz was shown a red card for stopping Pablo Vinicius De Moraes Ferreira from entering the area in a counter break.
25’ Nadur could have sealed the win when Marcelo Barbosa took the ball from Kercem’s possession and released Joseph Zammit but the latter saw his attempt from a good position that ended on the side of the net.
FT (KA 1 – NY 3)
Referee: Ezekiel Barbara
Assistant Referees: Vasil Vasilev, Kurt Saliba
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