Hotspurs Moves To The Top After Beating Gharb Rangers

Hotspurs Moves To The Top After Beating Gharb Rangers

GFA BOV Gozo Football League 2nd Division (MD 7) – Sat 20 Jan 2024 – Kercem Stadium
Gharb Rangers FC – FT (0-1) – Victoria Hotspurs FC
Referee: Ranald Portelli

5’ (0-1) Wellington Valentim De Souza

. Sammut, L. Grima, L. Atzori, S. Attard, D. Farrugia, C. Grima, J. Grima, D. Mercieca, J. Tabone, J.G. Vella, W. Valentim De Sousa.

Victoria Hotspurs took advantage of the outcome of the top-of-the-table clash and earned the full points at stake from a close win over Gharb Rangers so that at the end of Match Day 7, they are now sharing leadership with Sannat Lions.

The two sides came out for this match with an ambition to obtain the win as Gharb obtained five points from their previous three matches while the Hotspurs had various new players who joined the team in January who needed to live up to the expectations to retain the status of their side as the hot favourites for promotion. The match therefore turned out to be quite interesting as Victoria’s territorial supremacy was not converted into good open scoring opportunities, particularly during the second period, and therefore Gharb remained in contention to save the result until the dying moments of the encounter. In the end, the match was decided with a goal that arrived at the beginning of the match following a personal initiative by Victoria’s striker Wellington Valentim De Souza.

Timeline:

The Hotspurs took command of play from the early stages and managed to put their heads in front with a goal scored after five minutes but as time passed by Gharb consolidated their defence and denied the Citizens from increasing their lead.

5’ (0-1) The Hotspurs had an excellent start and opened the score in their first serious offensive action that arrived through a personal initiative by Wellington Valentim De Souza who entered Gharb’s area and lobbed over the goalkeeper to put the ball into an open goal.

8’ Gharb’s goalie Andre Micallef was well placed and blocked with some difficulty a good effort by Lorenzo Atzori.

15’ Gharb replied with a counter break but the lob by Carlos Cutajar ended wide.

18’ Victoria’s Wellington Valentim De Souza went close to add another goal but his effort from a good position was neutralised by goalie Andre Micallef.

25’ The Hotspurs were again dangerous through a close-ranged effort by Joseph George Vella but the ball ended wide.

35’ Wellington Valentim De Souza passed through Gharb’s defence inside their area but his shot was well saved by goalie Andre Micallef.

45+2’ (crossbar) Victoria was also unlucky when a strike from outside the area by debutant James Grima was saved to a corner with the aid of the crossbar by goalie Andre Micallef.

HT (0-1)

Second Half

After the resumption, the Hotspurs failed to maintain effective pressure on Gharb’s defence as the latter were well organised while the Citizens were often erratic in their final pass. As a result, the serious actions on goal were very rare.

30’ The Hotspurs went very close to double their lead when a backheel by Lorenzo Atzori missed the target but Dylan Mercieca recovered the ball inside Gharb’s area and from his low inviting cross Shaun Attard had his close-ranged attempt blocked on the fatal line by Gharb’s defence.

45+2’ Gharb when closest to level the score when Victoria’s defence seemed surprised from a corner action but the strikers failed to capitalise from the resultant melee and in the end Victoria cleared the danger from their area.

45+2’ The Hotspurs transformed the danger in their area into a fast counterbreak by Wellingon Valentim De Souza but from his pass the shot by Lorenzo Atzori was cleared from the goalmouth by Gharb’s defence.

FT (GR 0 – VH 1)