So Near, yet so Far
by Jonathan Spiteri
20/04/2010
Last Thursday's first half annihilation of Qormi, also witnessed by some Valletta supporters (who seem to own the divine right of having the millennium stand opened just for them even when their team is not in action, while Birkirkara supporters who pay 8 euro and do not find a seating place in the enclosure have to watch the game from behind the goal), should have wiped away any residual doubts about Birkirkara's credentials as main title contenders, with only two wins away from securing the title. There is no doubt that the entire Stripes’ clan is very optimistic, and recent convincing wins justify this feel good factor. Still there are two more battles we must win in order to celebrate in Valley Road, and I am sure that these will not be easy rides.
Back to the game against Qormi, I suppose it is every coach’s dream to see that kind of performance during the first half. After Qormi threatened in the first 10 minutes, Birkirkara started to press for the opener and, once this arrived thanks to a moment of magic from Sylvano Comvalius, the team never looked back and secured the three points thanks to another brace by Trevor Cilia, who is red hot at the moment. The second half was more about controlling our opponents, who only managed to score a consolation goal thanks to a long range effort. The three points were never really in doubt though.
We had the opportunity to have a word with our captain and most representative player, Michael Galea, who had similar views to ours about this match: “Yes I agree that it was another positive performance by our team. I think that last Thursday we showed our intentions right from the start and I consider our first half display to have been one of the best of the season. In the second half we lowered the tempo slightly, which is to be expected as it was impossible to maintain the level of pressing for the entire 90 minutes. Overall I think we controlled the game well and we were worthy winners.” He also explained the less aggressive second half: “As I said, it was only natural that after such a strong first half performance the intensity of our game was going to suffer. Our coach’s instructions at half time were to try to maintain as much possession as possible to tire the Qormi players out and hit them on the break. All in all I think we managed to do this relatively well although we did drop a little bit too much in defence after we conceded the goal. We could have also held onto the ball a little bit better in the final 10 minutes to fend off their pressure, but as I said, all in all, another great performance.”
Although the crowd was not as large as in the league game against Valletta, it was surely the noisiest we had this season. Michael is pleased that finally he is seeing a packed enclosure when the Stripes play: “Yes finally we are starting to see the numbers we were accustomed to in the past. Last week’s attendance was great and gives us great confidence. What to say about the Birkirkara Ultras? I think they’re a great group of people with great love for the club. Their passion for the red and yellow colours is admirable and they are definitely leading the way this year! Keep it up!”
Outgoing champions Hibernians are our next obstacle in this march towards our final objective. Will the fact that Hibernains have nothing but pride to play for effect our players’ approach to this game? Michael Galea is sure the team will be fully focused: “Complacent? Hardly. Being so close to our coveted prize I think we have to continue approaching our last few games with the same intensity, concentration and level of preparation as we have done in all the games of the Championship Pool. The fact that our destiny is in our hands gives us a great feeling of confidence as we know that if we continue to perform at the levels we have been accustomed to in recent weeks, then we should triumph.” He then described what his personal feelings at the moment are: “At the moment I am torn between two very opposing forces. On the one hand I can feel that we are so close to clinching the title and completing a major shock in the local football scene – this would definitely be the greatest victory of all. At the same time however, I am fully aware of the dangers involved and what a sudden drop in concentration can lead to. We need to remain focused at all times and continue to work with the same humility and determination that got us in this position in the first place. In my opinion this has to be our recipe for victory!”
Hibernians come into this match having lost in their last 6 league outings and eliminated by Qormi in the F.A. Trophy. Valletta found it hard to get past their challenge, especially when going a goal down. This means that no one should take this, or any other game, for granted. I am sure Mr Zammit won’t let this happen to the players, and I also think that we should still keep our feet to the ground since nothing is sure yet. All we have to do at the moment is to keep on supporting our team with pride, something Michael Galea and the rest of his team mates are expecting at this stage: “My appeal is one: to flock to the National Stadium in great numbers and support the team from the first whistle; to concentrate on encouraging our team (even if things may temporarily turn for the worst) and to finally be able to celebrate altogether!”
We are sure that all supporters will respond to this appeal and are confident that the players will give all they have in order to achieve another important win which could lead us to the title.
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