Ħamrun Spartans 2 : 4 Lija Iklin
H.T.: 0 : 1
14 Oct 2008 - Luxol St. Andrew's Stadium
Match
Report
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Lija/ Iklin today played the first match of the 2008 - 2009 season. A major change in this year’s league is that we are among the eight teams that were placed in the second division and will thus not have to face the more experienced teams that shall be playing in the first division. Even though most of the girls have played in last year’s league, the excitement for this first match against Ħamrun was very tangible.
Following the coach’s advice, the girls entered the match with enthusiasm and determination, which resulted in some very good chances for goal during the first fifteen minutes of the game. These near-misses encouraged the girls to keep on pressing until on the 17th minute, newcomer Sharon Zahra scored the first goal of the match. The girls were overjoyed by this and continued to play a steady and determined match until the referee’s half-time whistle.
During half-time, there was a substitution where Esther Schembri substituted Mirella Caruana. Soon after the beginning of the second half, a slight distraction in our defence left space for Amanda Muscat, the Ħamrun forward, to kick a ball in the net making the result equal. Not even a minute passed, and Tiziana Fenech scored Lija’s second goal. Soon after this second goal, Fenech struck again after she scored a perfectly placed free-kick thus making the result 3-1.
Lija continued to press with shots coming from all directions mainly by midfielders and strikers. These attempts to goal were not futile until in the 56th minute Esther Schembri scored the fourth goal. In the last thirty minutes there were three further substitutions, being Chanel Sciberras instead of Zahra, Elaine Formosa instead of Chetcuti and Roberta Said instead of Scicluna. During the dying minutes of the game, the Ħamrun skipper Janice Kokavessis, managed to take another ball into the net thus making the final score-line 4-2.
At the referee’s final whistle, our girls were extremely happy for this positive result which is the first win of the team since last year’s enrollment in the women’s competitive league. The girls were mostly happy at the fact that their efforts have finally been rewarded, but are also conscious that there is still a long way to go and that they have to prepare themselves as best as they can for the other matches which will prove to be quite challenging. Despite this, however, this win shall undoubtedly contribute a lot to the girls’ self-esteem and all are hoping that we shall keep up this good work.
Starting Formations »
ĦAMRUN: Natasha Davis, Charmaine Ciappara, Raisa Mangion, Kyle Maria Cauchi, Bernice Spiteri, Janice Kokavessis (c), Amanda Muscat, Graziella Mifsud, Donna Agius, Chanelle Agius, Amanda Buhagiar.
LIJA: Amanda Formosa, Sharon Cassar, Rodienne Vassallo, Erika Xerri Mallon (c), Mariella Chetcuti, Mirella Caruana, Jessica Fenech Adami, Lorraine Abela, Tiziana Fenech, Sharon Zahra, Sylvana Scicluna.