Hotspurs Suffer Massive Defeat

Hotspurs Suffer Massive Defeat

GFA BOV Gozo Football League 2nd Division (MD 5) – Tue 19 Dec 2023 – Kercem Stadium
Munxar Falcons FC – FT (4-1) – Victoria Hotspurs FC
Referee: Glen Tonna

84’ (2-1) Welington Valentim De Sousa

K. Barbara, L. Grima, O. Cremona, L. Farrugia (E. Xiberras 53), L. Atzori (J. Grech 53), S.
Attard, D. Farrugia, S.F. Bajada, D. Mercieca, J.G. Vella, W. Valentim De Sousa.

In the last match of the first round of the BOV Gozo Football League of the second division
Munar Falcons obtained an impressive 4-1 win over Victoria Hotspurs so that the Falcons ended
up the first third of the campaign at the top position, with a three-point lead over their closest
rivals Victoria Hotspurs and Sannat Lions and are the only undefeated side of the category.

This match between Munxar Falcons and Victoria Hotspurs was a direct clash for the leadership
as the two sides were on equal points before the encounter. The Hotspurs were hot favourites
to obtain the win but Munxar surprised their more quoted opponents with an early goal and
gained confidence as time passed. Munxar’s goalie Joel Micallef was undoubtedly a main
protagonist in Munxar’s win as he denied the Hotspurs from scoring on more than one occasion.

The turning point of the match was probably the episode of a penalty awarded to Victoria just
before halftime when Munxar’s goalie saved the shot from the spot kick by Victoria’s Joseph
George Vella and the Falcons took the break with a two-goal lead. Munxar’s win takes more
credit when considering that during the final moments, as soon as the Hotspurs re-opened the

issue, they managed to produce a reaction and made sure of the win by scoring two more goals
during stoppage time, when there was no more time for the Citizens to recover.

Timeline:
The Hotspurs tried to take command of play from the first minutes but Munxar defended well
and managed to put their heads ahead in the first action towards Victoria’s area. The Hotspurs
produced a determined reaction but they found it very difficult to create danger on
Munxar’s goal so that Munxar gained confidence and doubled their lead with a second goal that
arrived minutes before halftime.
7’ (1-0) Munxar surprised Victoria’s defence when Vitor Gabriel Soarez Souza ran away from
Victoria’s defence entered the area, turned around the goalkeeper and placed easily in goal.
9’ The Hotspurs went close to level the score but a good shot from a good position by Lucas
Farrugia was well saved by goalie Joel Micallef.
32’ Victoria was again dangerous through an effort by Wellington Valentim De Souza who
entered the area with a personal action but his strike was well blocked by goalie Joel Micallef.
37’ Victoria’s striker Wellington Valentim De Souza could have created more danger but he
failed to connect to a through pass from the midfield and goalie Joel Micallef left his position in
time to neutralise the danger.
39’ (2-0) Munxar increased their lead when Neil Said ran away from the midfield into Victoria’s
territory and placed in gal with a low drive as the goalkeeper left his position in an attempt to
block the danger.
45+1’ Munxar’s goalie Joel Micallef was at the right place and saved without difficulty an
attempt directly from a free kick by Shaun Attard.
45+2’ (penalty missed – saved) The Hotspurs could have reduced the deficit when the referee
ordered a penalty for handling by Munxar’s defender Paul Parnis following a cross by Lorenzo
Atzori but the shot from the penalty spot by Joseph George Vella was saved to a corner by
goalie Joel Micallef.
HT (2-0)

Second Half

After the resumption, the Hotspurs increased their efforts in an attempt to re-open the issue and
produced pressure on Munxar’s rear guard. Munxar tried to resist and operated sporadic breaks
so that the match continued to be quite interesting and with an outcome that remained
uncertain.
14’ Victoria could have created more danger but a shot by substitute Ettiene Xiberras following a
corner kick by Joseph George Vella was blocked by the defence.
17’ Munxar’s goalie Joel Micallef was called to make an important intervention to neutralise a
low shot by Etienne Xiberras.
24’ Munxar could have capitalised better when Victoria played badly with a free kick within their
territory and the ball arrived to Vitor Gabriel Soarez Souza who had his low shot that was well
saved by goalie Kyle Barbara.
26’ Victoria’s goalie Kyle Barbara was well placed and neutralised an attempt from a free kick by
Nathaniel Mercieca.
29’ Victoria went very close to reducing the score but an effort from a prolonged action within
Munxar’s area was cleared off the fatal line by central defender Keith Borg.
30’ The Hotspurs had an attempt from outside the area by substitute Joey Grech that missed the
target.
39’ (2-1) The Hotspurs reduced the score when Joseph George Vella delivered the ball in front
of Munxar’s goalmouth from a corner and Wellington Valentim De Souza’s header ended n
goal despite the attempts by the defence to clear the ball from the goalmouth.
40’ (red cards) After the goal many players from both sides litigated to recover the ball and the
two sides ended up with a player as the referee showed the red card to Victoria’s Oliver
Cremona and Munxar’s Eman Bugeja.
45’ Victoria’s goalie Kyle Barbara kept his side in contention when he left his area to clear the
ball to deny Vitor Gabriel Soarez Souza from entering the area.
45+2’ (3-1) Victoria Hotspurs could have created more danger from a corner action but they only
ended up protesting for a penalty when Munxar cleared the ball from the resultant melee. From
the same clearance, the Falcons surprised their opponents and re-established the two-goal lead
as the ball arrived in the midfield to Nathaniel Mercieca who took advantage of a situation
where Victoria’s goal was unattended and concluded in goal with a low shot from a long distance.

45+3’ the Hotspurs went close to reducing the deficit but an effort by Wellington Valentim De
Souza was well saved by Munxar’s goalie Joel Micallef.
45+3’ (4-1) Munxar sealed the win by scoring the fourth goal which arrived through a personal
initiative by Vitor Gabriel Sourez Souza who passed through various defenders, turned around
the goalkeeper and placed easily into an open goal.