The Malta Independent on Sunday
Second straight Gzira win eludes Stripes
Football - BOV Premier League
and rarely if ever looked like hurting their opponents, who came into this match looking for their second consecutive victory of the campaign.
Gzira hit them with two goals within 13 minutes in the second period, from Samba Tounkara and the lively Amadou Samb, following a period of sustained pressure.
Gzira deserved to triumph as they remain reliably tight. They have opened their campaign with two wins.
They might not always be exciting to watch, but plenty of Gzira’s rivals learn from their organisation. The difficulties their opponents encounter while trying to break them down explains why the Maroons are likely to be free from relegation fears again.
Both teams made changes from their first outing. Birkirkara, who had Edmond Agius suspended, dropped Luke Montebello, Jake Grech and Alex Nilsson, with Matthew Guillaumier, Carlos Alberto Concalves and Ernest N For starting instead.
Gzira gave a debut start to their new Cameroon defender Sem Kamana and coach Darren Abdilla handed starts to forward Amadou Samb and midfielder Roderick Briffa. Briffa, such a focal point and showing the sort of form to suggest he feels ready to make an impact with his new club, was a pivotal presence. Cohen played in a more advanced role behind the strikers in the opening half but when substituted by Zach Scerri, at the start of the second, Avila Perez took that role.
For all the bullying presence of Brazilian De Brito and Cameroonian N Fo in their attack, the Stripes could not make inroads as Gzira resisted and keeper Anthony Curmi remained inoperative in the Gzira goal.
The build-up play in both directions was cautious and plodding, with bot sides content to pass the ball among themselves.
Chances were few and far between prior to the interval with the only two coming from Gzira. Briffa’s shot from a distance flashed just wide in the opening minutes and before the quarter hour Samb ran in well for Tounkara’s loe cross inside the Birkirkara area but keeper Schranz blocked on the ground.
Both sides went into the second half slightly more fired up. When N Fo sent a low cross to Brito, his effort was blocked by Pulo inside the area.
Gradually Gzira began to assert themselves more on the game, producing a couple of threats by Samb and Okoye. Before the hour, a Kamana header from a corner flashed acros the Birkirkara goal.
Birkirkara, sleepy at the back as well as disjointed in attack, did not heed the warnings and on 68 minutes they fell behind.
Samba Tounkara chased a Pulo through ball inside the area from the left and hit past the helpless keeper Schranz.
The Stripes, who put in Acevedo, Montebello and Grech to put themselves back into the contest, were deflated by Gzira’s second goal nine minutes from time. Scerri delivered the cross from the right and Amadou Samb headed the ball in from close range.