Gzira United cruised to a tennis score 6-0 victory against bottom place Pieta Hotspurs, to conclude yet another weekend in second place in the BOV Premier League standings. Following, this Match Day 18 round of matches, Gzira have increased their margin over third place Birkirkara to three points, have opened a six-point gap over fourth place, now occupied by Mosta and an eight-point margin over fifth place, jointly occupied by Balzan and Hibs. These results also ensure that at the end of next week’s Match Day 19, Gzira will still be occupying second place.

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With this victory, the Maroons have continued their unbeaten run of seven matches in all competitions, registering three consecutive victories in the League and keeping six clean sheets from the last seven matches. Another positive statistic for Gzira United this weekend was, that with the hat trick achieved by Jefferson De Assis in the match, he continues leading the top scorers’ chart in the BOV Premier League this season, with 15 goals to his credit and a margin of four goals over the second placed scorers.

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Moreover, the margin of this victory has ensured that Gzira United are now the Premier League’s top scorers with 35 goals and the team in the League with the highest goal difference, with a plus of 25 goals. Also, the 6-0 score line was the highest joint score registered this season in the League.

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The early goal scored by Gzira dictated proceedings for the rest of the match. From then onwards Gzira took control and dominated. Pieta tried to offer some resistance especially in the first half and kept the score to a respectable 2-0 deficit. However, in all the match Pieta had only one attempt on target and their feeble challenge in the second half could do nothing to hold back Gzira’s floodgate of goals. Gzira’s Coach, Darren Abdilla, introduced five substitutes in the second half, which ensured the maintenance of consistency in their dominance throughout the whole match and also contributed towards further goals by Gzira.

The match started with David Cassar in goal instead of the regular Darijan Zarkov. In the 3rd minute, a cross by Gzira’s Scerri was intercepted by the opposing keeper.

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Gzira opened the scoring in the 7th minute. A corner by Steven Pisani, was flicked in the small box of the penalty area by Gzira captain Nikolai Muscat, which found Jefferson De Assis heading in off the far post, giving Pieta’s goalkeeper no chance

From then onwards Gzira started creating a string of further attempts on Pieta’s goal, in the 9th minute by a Bohrer shot, in the 13th minute by a Mendoza shot, in the 20th minute by Maia just failing to conclude, in the 21st minute by a Pisani freekick, in the 22nd minute by a Dias low header , in the 27th by a Bohrer freekick, in the 28th minute with a shot on target by Maia, in the 29th minute following a Pisani corner, De Assis failed to conclude and in the 35th minute by a Kolega cross shot going just over the bar.   Pieta’s only real chance in the first half came in the 31st minute when Hovhannisyan’s shot went just wide to the right of the post of Gzira’s goalkeeper Cassar, who had it well covered.

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Gzira’s pressure paid off when on the stoke of half time in the 45+1’ minute, Gzira concluded the half with the second goal. An assist by Steve Pisani found Toni Kolega, entering the penalty area and after a challenge from a Pieta defender, Kolega placed the ball into the top right-hand corner of Pieta’s goal, with the ball scrapping the goal bar on its way in.

The second half followed the pattern of the first half with Gzira adding a third goal in the 52’minute. A long cross by Nikolai Muscat from Gzira’s half, found Jefferson De Assis beating the last Pieta defender, and with a low shot in the right corner, beating the Pieta keeper Moschin, who had come out of his post to block Gzira’s attack.

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In the 58th minute the Maroons scored their fourth goal. A ball intercepted by Toni Kolega well into Pieta’s half, found substitute Andrew Borg at the left of Pieta’s penalty area, who crossed into the small box of the penalty area, for the rushing in Maxuell Maia driving in first time past Pieta’s back stopper.

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In the 61st minute, Pieta had their only attempt on target of the whole match, with Gzira’s custodian David Cassar saving well following a hard driven shot by Hovhannisyan. However, the Hotspurs miserable afternoon continued to compound further, when in the 69th minute Gzira scored their fifth goal.

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De Assis intercepted a ball close to the centre circle and found substitute Thiago Espindola, who with a bomber beauty of a shot rattled the net in the top right corner of Moschin’s goal.

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In the 71st minute, Gzira’s Espindola tried his luck again with his freekick going wide and in the 76th minute, his teammate Kolega, had his attempt sailing just over the cross bar after a series of Gzira passes.

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In the 84th minute Pieta’s keeper Moschin collected the ball from his net for the 6th time. A freekick by Nikolai Muscat from the centre of Pieta’s half, found Toni Kolega on the right edge of Pieta’s penalty area. Kolega’s cross right in front of Pieta’s goalpost, found Jefferson De Assis scoring with a back heal, therefore securing his hat trick and match ball and also earning him the Player of the Match Award.

This brought to an end Gzira’s easy afternoon stroll and now the Maroons look forward to making further progress in the IZIBET FA Trophy in midweek.

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PLAYER OF THE MATCH:Jefferson De Assis

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Claude Cuschieri

Club Editor