MELITA 1ST DIV LEAGUE

NADUR DROP TWO PRECIOUS POINTS

  Contenders for the title Nadur Youngsters were held to a draw by SK Victoria Wanderers so that they could possibly loose further ground in their attempt to reach the top positions.  The match was well contested as SK Victoria Wanderers also needed the three points not only to get away from the red zone but also to move over the same Nadur on the table.  The Wanderers had the better chances during the first period but Nadur held territorial command of play after the break.  All in all the two sides produced enough scoring opportunities that victory could have gone either way.

  Play was balanced at the beginning as the two sides were worried not to concede an early goal.  The Wanderers were dangerous on 14 minutes but a header by Mark Buttigieg from a free kick by Simon Gatt bounced in front of goal and ended over the crossbar.  Two minutes later Nadur’s skipper Anthony Portelli had a shot on the run that missed the target and one minute later a free kick by Victoria’s Ige Adesina hit the wall and the ball ended up on the crossbar.  On 20 minutes a free kick by debutant De Souza was neutralized by goalie Adrian Parnis.  Victoria opened the score in the 25th minute through a free kick from an angled position by Joseph Vella that surprised goalie Steve Sultana.  Victoria gained some confidence and on the half hour Ajibade Adesina headed high from an ideal position following a free kick by Joseph Vella.  Two minutes later Victoria’s goalie Parnis saved another attempt from a free kick by De Souza and the same goalkeeper had good timing on 36 minutes to take the ball of Claudio Antunes who was in an ideal position following a cross from the left flank.  Five minutes form half time Victoria were again dangerous through Ige Adesina who entered the area but had his shot that ended on the side of the net.

  Nadur came out very aggressive after the restart and managed to score the equalizer after just two minutes of play through a direct free kick by Andre De Souza that ended at the corner of the far post.  The Wanderers had an immediate reaction and one minute later Ige Adesina entered the area with a solo action but his low shot was cleared off the goalmouth by goalie Steve Sultana.  Nadur started to put pressure over Victoria’s rearguard as time passed by while Victoria started to operate with counter breaks.  However actions at the two goals were quite rare and it was Victoria who had two good scoring opportunities just after the 75th minute.  Kin the first occasion Ajibade Adesina headed wide a free kick from the right flank and in the other occasion Mark Buttigieg crossed in the area following another free kick but Ige Adesina headed wide from close distance.  On 82 minutes it was Victoria’s Mark Buttigieg who headed over the crossbar a corner kick by Joseph Vella.  Two minutes later Nadur’s Claudio Antunes released Josef Buttigieg in the area but the latter concluded wide form a good position.  In the 89th minute Victoria’s goalie Adrian Parnis saved the result for his side when he turned in corner with difficulty a spectacular shot on the run by Claudio Antunes addressed to the top corner of goal.

Referee: Andre Arciola

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