Satariano’s late strike secures Birkirkara last 16 spot

Birkirkara secured their place in the Meridianbet FA Trophy Last 16 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over local rivals Balzan at the Tony Bezzina Stadium. Just days after a dominant 5-2 win over the same opponents in the Premier League, Birkirkara were made to work significantly harder in this encounter, with Alex Satariano delivering the decisive goal.

The match started with Birkirkara on the front foot, and they nearly took the lead in the 16th minute when Paul Mbong, set up by Lucas Lacunza, fired over the crossbar. However, Balzan responded well and came close to opening the scoring in the 24th minute, as Oluwatobiloba Awosanya unleashed a low drive that narrowly missed the target, much to the relief of Birkirkara goalkeeper Gianluca Volpe.

Birkirkara eventually broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when Alex Alves found Agostin Sandona on the edge of the area. The midfielder coolly slotted a well-placed shot past Balzan goalkeeper Daniel Ciappara, giving the Maroons a deserved lead.

Early in the second half, Maxuell Maia had a golden opportunity to double Birkirkara’s lead on a counterattack, but the Brazilian failed to hit the target, leaving Balzan within striking distance.

Balzan capitalised on that missed opportunity in the 64th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Sandona was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. Udo Akpan saw his penalty saved by Volpe, but Jan Busuttil reacted quickest to the rebound, driving the ball into the net to level the score.

As the game seemed destined for extra time, Birkirkara found the winner in the 75th minute. Alex Satariano, showing his quality, unleashed a curling shot from outside the area that left Ciappara with no chance, securing Birkirkara’s spot in the next round.

Team Line-ups

Birkirkara: G. Volpe, I. Morello, L. Cordova (71’ N. Cross), A. Sandona, P. Mbong (71’ G. Gnamien), A. Satariano, L. Lacunza, N. Micallef, S. Makoma (87’ S. Dimech), A. Alves, M. Maia.

Balzan: D. Ciappara, S. Arab, T. Caruana (82’ M. Grima), J. Busuttil, O. Awosanya, H. Stanic, L. Jankovic (82’ J. Grech), L. Lukovic (74’ R. Malepe), A. Akpan, R. Floro, E. Kamsoba (36’ B. Hili).

Referee: Ishmael Barbara.

Birkirkara
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