Melita First Division League - Matchday 16

Nadur Youngsters FC - 2 vs Ghajnsislem FC - 1

 -  by Saviour Attard

Joseph Portelli scored a dramatic goal to earn Nadur a 2-1 victory against fellow title rivals Ghajnsielem as he headed in from a corner five minutes from time at the Gozo Stadium yesterday . Portelli's goal completed an impressive comeback for the Whites who equalised through Milos Stojanovic after going behind early in the match. The victory keeps Nadur Youngsters well placed to challenge Sannat and dashed Ghajnsielem's hopes of winning the title. 

The win which extended Nadur’s winning streak to five games means that if Nadur beat Sannat in the next match they will cut their lead to only two points with one round of matches left to play. It also gives the squad further confidence ahead of such an important match that they will have to play without Josef Buttigieg who picked up his fourth yellow card yesterday and was one of the best players on the pitch. 

Matches between Nadur and Ghajnsielem always draw a considerable crowd at the Gozo Stadium and yesterday it was of no exception despite the rain before and during the match. Both teams went into it knowing that anything but a win will keep their title hopes alive. Alex Simoncics’s side started brightly and after dominating play in the initial moments of the match and missing a good chance through Mark Camilleri, they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Thiago Dos Santos after 15 minutes. The same Brazilian striker placed to the left of Muscat and gave his team the lead. 

The Blacks buoyed by scoring kept Nadur under pressure but as we approached to the half time whistle Nadur started to gain more confidence in their build up. They managed to recover from the shaky start and created their first real goal scoring opportunity after 22 minutes when Antunes controlled well in the area but his shot was intercepted in time by Ossok. Nadur’s equaliser came few minutes later. Again it was Antunes whose shot was deflected by Ghajnsielem’s big defender and landed in the area where an unmarked Anthony Portelli passed towards Milos Stojanovic who blasted the ball in the net from close range. Now it was Nadur who looked firmly in control and just after the equaliser they lost a great opportunity to take the lead. In one of his many surging runs Josef Buttigieg’s cross found Stojanovic unmarked on the far post but his header somehow bounced off the ground and went high over the bar. The Youngsters were again unlucky few moments later when Saviour Attard hit the foot of the post from a free-kick by Buttigieg. Nadur’s tempo however had to be interrupted by Chris Lautier’s half time whistle but out of the two sides it was Nadur who looked brighter and in a better position of getting the three vital points out of it. 

But despite what happened at the last minutes of the first half, Nadur seemed a different side in the second half and Ghajnsielem started to re-gain confidence with their opponents rarely threatening. Just three minutes into the second period Matthew Muscat came out in time to block a run by Dos Santos and later on a shot by Mark Camilleri went only inches wide. Goal scoring opportunities were rare and play started to be played mainly in the midfield. It seemed clear that despite both teams were looking for the win, no one wanted to end up on the losing side. And Fifteen minutes from time the Blacks had another good chance of score when Dos Santos pounced on a loose ball in the area and was denied from a last-ditch intervention by Muscat that forced him to shoot on the side netting. On the other end Nadur went close of taking the lead when Antunes unmarked Joseph Portelli who saw his effort blocked by goalie Joseph Grech. The Blacks had a goal disallowed moments later when Yanick Ossok headed in from a Jason Portelli corner. The referee’s decision seemed the right one as the Cameroonian defender looked to have pushed his marker when he rose for the header. 

And when it had looked to be a frustrating afternoon for both Nadur and their opponents, the Youngsters found the goal that sent their fans into raptures. It looked to be a stupid decision to appoint Antunes to take the corner kicks knowing his ability in the air but finally this paid off. On the 86th minute mark his curling corner found Joseph Portelli unmarked on the far post who despite being in angled position headed the ball in the net. There was no way back for the blacks and as the referee blew the final whistles the celebrations on the stands and the pitch kicked off and continued at the Nadur Youngsters’s club. 

Portelli’s last gasp strike allowed Nadur the three points that put them five point behind Sannat and two behind Ghajnsielem with two matches left to play. The Blacks however have only a game to play against Sannat who Nadur will take on the 3^rd of April. It was pleasing to see a great number of supporters for the game so another appeal goes for the upcoming match that can keep all Nadur dreaming of adding yet another title to the many that they already have.

Sunday 20th March 2011 at 15:00 pm.
Referee: Chris Lautier
Scorers: Milos Stojanovic 29’, Joseph M. Portelli 86’ (N), Thiago Dos Santos 16’ pen (GH)
Nadur Formation: Matthew Muscat, Jeffery Meilaq, Josef Buttigieg, John Paul Grima, Darko Stojanovic, Milos Stojanovic, Saviour Attard, Charles Hili (Joseph Grima), Claudio Antunes, Anthony Portelli, Joseph M. Portelli
Coach: Frank Muscat.