Nadur Youngsters FC | Youngsters First Win

Youngsters First Win

Sunday, 07 December 2008 09:04

Nadur Youngsters -2- Victoria Hotspurs -1

First Victory for Nadur

07.12.08 Gozo Stadium

                Finally the jinx has been broken. This time another good performance by Nadur Youngsters, in their first match of the second round, produced the first win of the season for the Champions. It was also a very well deserved victory, which matured during the later stages of the match. Victoria Hotspurs, one of the trio of league leaders, had a player sent off for 2 yellow cards and this was felt more after they managed to open the score early in the second half. Nadur were the better side throughout the match but they were afraid to all out in full force. It was sweet revenge also for the whites, having lost their first round match against the Red’s with a goal in injury time. This time it was the other way round.   So after three defeats and 3 draw, Nadur have their first win and one hopes they will continue to build on it.

                The Citizens opened the match trying to take advantage of the slight wind blowing behind their backs. Their first shot at goal was a try by A. Koci that was nicely punched away by young Sultana, and soon after the same player had a try that ended well over the bar. P. Buttigieg deflected a cross shot by Koci into a corner. It was all Hotspurs, and P. Buttigieg was again the savior for Nadur when he was on the right spot at the right time to clear off the line a shot by M. Cordina from a very favorable position. Nadur’s first action on the Hotspurs goal was an attempt by J. Buttigieg, but A. Portelli couldn’t connect to it. J. M. Portelli won the ball just outside the Red’s area and was heading for goal when he was brought down inside the area, but the referee waved play on. The same player went close on another two occasions but twice his efforts just missed the target. A minute before half time Victoria Hotspurs were reduced to 10 men, when Noel Borg was giving his marching order by referee A. Zammit, following his second yellow card.

                Nadur were the first to go close when an A. Simoncic’s try went high, and on the other side, Koci’s free kick provoked havoc in the Youngsters area before it was cleared.   On the 53rd minute Victoria Hotspurs were awarded a penalty following what seemed a normal tackle by S. Attard on Fabiano Bassi, and the same player had no difficulty putting the ball on the other side of Sultana. Nadur’s reaction was slow as the Citizens were trying to control the match ones they went ahead. But the Youngsters, encouraged by a more vociferous support, were making ground and a through pass by A. Portelli to J. M. Portelli, deep in the penalty area, with the ball clearly making contact with his marker’s hand with the referee again waving play on amid the Youngsters protest for a penalty.   J. M. Portelli should have done better when he was brought into a favorable position by Simoncic. On the 69th minute Nadur leveled the score, when Joseph M. Portelli   controlled well a cross by Simoncic and placed his raising shot into the back of the net, beating Vella, who might have been deceived by a fellow defender’s deflection.   Nadur were all over the Reds, and A. Gseaa cross unmarked J. Buttigieg, but the latter shot wide with only Vella to beat. Sultana had to make a difficult save from a direct free kick well taken by Koci. But two minutes from time, Nadur got what they really deserved, the winning goal. Joseph M. Portelli, again receiving from Simoncic, this time beat Vella with a bullet of a shot from a much angled position.   And the Youngsters main striker opens his account with a double. There was no denying victory again for Nadur, who should have scored more goals in the dying moments, first when J. M. Portelli had three consecutive tries saved with difficulty by Vella and Tramboo off the fatal line. There was time enough for the referee to shown the red card to the nervous Jason Portelli, following a heavy foul on A. Gseaa.   The Youngsters and their faithful supporters greeted the final whistle with great satisfaction.

Referee: Anton Zammit

Nadur Youngsters Formation: Steve Sultana; Jeffrey Meilak; Saviour Attard (Jonathan Said); Peter Buttigieg; Aleksandar Simoncic; Akran Gseaa; Josef Buttigieg; Branislav Timotic; Joseph Portelli Said; Anthony Portelli; Joseph M. Portelli.

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