Kercem Ajax Held to a Draw

GFA BOV GFL Division I
Kercem Ajax Stadium

Victoria H       :           0
Parnis, M. Bamba, D. Farrugia, J. Vella, S. Attard, L.R. Zome, O.I. Guobadia, J. Tabone (J. Portelli), K. Farrugia, M. Bezzina (C. Mercieca), J. Bajada.

Kercem A       :           0
Vella, P. Kyumyurdzhiev, O. Spiteri, M. Mifsud, L. Grima, P. Taylor, J.P. Mizzi, N. Bahiya, A. Mizzi, E. Vella (J. Buttigieg), T. Grozev.

Kercem Ajax lost an opportunity to move to just one point behind the leaders when they were held to a goalless draw by Victoria Hotspurs.  The final score is quite just as both teams seemed determined to obtain a positive result and victory could have gone either way.  With the point obtained Kercem are now at the fourth place on the table with a gap of three points from the top position.  On the other hand the Hotspurs registered their second consecutive draw from two matches in the second round of the championship and are now in the third place from the bottom of the table so that they just moved away from the red zone.

The Hotspurs seemed more confident in their play during the opening stages of the encounter but Kercem produced the better scoring opportunities.  On 15 minutes a good shot by Elton Vella ended wide and two minutes later the same player had an attempt directly from a free kick that was saved to a corner by Victoria’s goalie Adrian Parnis.  On 25 minutes the Hotspurs had a shot by Daniel Farrugia that ended wide and on 37 Kercem’s goalie Franklin Vella partially saved an attempt by Osa Guobadia following a corner action and Moussa Bamba concluded in goal from the rebound but the goal was disallowed for an offside position.  Two minutes later Kercem had a shot by Trayo Grozev that was well saved by Victoria’s goalie Adrian Parnis.

Play became more interesting after the resumptions as the two sides produced more offensive play.  After few seconds of play into the second period Kercem’s Andrew Mizzi had a low shot that ended wide and on 48 minutes Victoria’s Jonathan Bajada had his attempt neutralised by goalie Franklin Vella.  On 53 minutes Petar Kyumyurdzhiev had a free kick that ended high and two minutes later the Hotspurs replied through an effort by Michael Bezzina that was weak and easily saved by Kercem’s keeper.  On 66 minutes Kercem created a promising scoring opportunity when Phil Taylor released Trayo Grozev within Victoria’s territory, the latter turned around his direct opponent but his low shot was saved by goalie Adrian Parnis.  Two minutes later Owen Spiteri had a cross shot that ended not far away from Victoria’s goal and on 75 minutes a free kick from long distance by Kercem’s Philip Taylor was saved by keeper Adrian Parnis.  In the following minutes the Hotspurs created a series of good scoring opportunities but failed to capitalise.  On 78 minutes Victoria’s Shaun Attard had his shot that ended wide and two minutes later the ball arrived to an unmarked Louis Rene Zome from a cross by Joseph Vella but the former headed wide from close distance.  On 82 minutes Kercem’s defender Mario Mifsud saved his goal when he cleared from the goalmouth a low cross by Joseph Vella and five minutes later a header by Osa Icecream Guobadia ended just over Kercem’s goal.  The Ajax replied on 88 minutes through an attempt by Andrew Mizzi that ended wide and on the stroke of regular time Victoria’s substitute Christian Mercieca had his low shot well saved by goalie Franklin Vella.  In the first minute of stoppage time Kercem had Mario Mifsud sent off for a second caution but the score remained unchanged until the final whistle.

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri