Malta
Premier League
Sunday 3rd March 2024
Kick Off 16.15 On Time!
Floriana 5 Gudja United 1, attendance 700
26’ 0-1
33’ 1-1 (pen)
36’ 2-1
47’ 3-1
55’ 4-1
69’ 5-1
@ Tony Bezzina Stadium
Telgha Ta Ras Hanzir
Paola
PLA 3000
€10 Admission
No Programme.
The taxi ride from the earlier game saw us arrive here at the Tony Bezzina Stadium around ten minutes before kick off, dropped off about 50 yards from the ground. We went to the first ticket booth we saw, on the corner nearest that car park, which turned out to be the Gudja United section. No problem choosing a seat once inside as the number in this end just about reached 30. The ‘home’ end looked quite full, with plenty of flags being waved and singing and chanting for the majority of the game.
Yet again it was a one sided ground, with 11 rows of seats, which are fully covered and has a capacity just short of 3,000. It was opened in 1986 and was originally known as The Hibernians Football Ground, as it is home to Hibernians and was the first time a club had owned their own ground in Malta.
The match was 2nd versus 14th (bottom) in the league table. From a neutral point of view, it was good to see Gudja take the lead after twenty six minutes, when a cross from wide on the right touchline saw the ball sail high over the ‘keeper from around 35-40 yards and nestle in the far corner. It only took Floriana seven minutes to equalise, converting a penalty and three minutes later they were in front, curling into the far corner from just inside the angle of the 18 yard box.
Two minutes into the second half it was 3-1, finishing at the far post from a cross from the right and eight minutes later it was 4-1 and game over. The scoring was rounded off when they made it 5-1 with just over twenty minutes left, finishing one on one against the ‘keeper having been played through on goal.
The win sees Floriana close the gap on leaders Hamrun Spartans to a single point, with a seven point cushion over third placed Sliema Wanderers, whilst Gudja United remain bottom, still winless after 19 games, three points adrift of second bottom Sirens and a further ten points behind third bottom Valletta.
Another Uber picked us up after the game and soon had us back at our Valletta hotel. So, a successful first trip to Malta had gone as planned. All five grounds used in the ‘professional’ levels had been visited (1 on Gozo, 4 on Malta) and the weather had been very favourable. Even our return flight with Air Malta back to London Gatwick on Monday morning left within a few minutes of its scheduled departure time.
