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Women’s league leaders Birkirkara return in action against Swieqi

Published: 07-03-2022 18:25
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Malta FA Women’s League pacesetters Birkirkara will return in action this week when they rub shoulders with third-place Swieqi United in the highlight clash of the week. In the other fixtures, Kirkop United and Raiders Lija will meet at the Centenary Stadium whereas San Ġwann and Mġarr United will take on each other at the Mġarr Ground. Last week, Birkirkara were not in action as they were serving their Matchday 13 bye during which Swieqi claimed the spoils against second-place Mġarr. The Stripes are currently leading the standings with 31 points after 10 wins in 11 games. So far this season, Melania Bajada’s side have scored a record 52 goals with Alishia Sultana leading the club’s scoring charts with 10. In their recent league game, before the women’s international window, Birkirkara eased past Mtarfa 8-0 with Mariah Sciberras scoring a hat-trick and Sultana finding the net twice. The Stripes defeated Swieqi 3-1 in the corresponding fixture, with youth player Lexine Farrugia scoring a hat-trick. Farrugia, though, won’t be available for selection as she is currently recovering from an injury. On the other hand, Swieqi are at the back of a 3-2 win against Mġarr. The Oranges are third with 22 points, with 47 goals scored in 11 games. American-born forward Alexis Espitia was one of the scorers last week, recording her first goal since joining the club during the winter transfer window. The other goals were registered by Dorianne Theuma, who is third in the league’s scoring charts with 9 goals. Occupying second place are Mġarr who have 25 points and will be looking to bounce back from the Swieqi defeat. While trailing leaders Birkirkara by six points, Mġarr are now just three above Swieqi and therefore it will be important for them to secure three points to preserve their second spot. Despite falling to Swieqi, Mġarr can take positives from the game including Juliana Onnudottir’s first goal with the Greens. The Icelandic winger joined Mġarr during the winter transfer window. Mġarr have the third best attacking record with 36 goals with more than half grabbed by Francesca Chircop and Brenda Borg (23 in total) – they lead the top two places in the league’s top scorer list. San Ġwann, on their part, are still looking for their first win of the season. They lie bottom of the standings with just one point to show for their efforts. They are at the back of a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Raiders Lija. Mġarr defeated San Ġwann in the first round thanks to a Chircop brace and Rebecca Bajada goal.In the other game of the week, Raiders Lija will be looking to extend their positive run when they face Kirkop United. Seven points separate the two teams as Raiders sit fourth while Kirkop are in fifth place. Both teams are at the back of victories, with Raiders winning 4-1 against San Ġwann and Kirkop beating Mtarfa 7-0. Under coach Denis Guerra, Raiders have become the revelation team of the season with 19 points chalked up. They have the fourth best attacking record with 30 goals and with just 12 goals conceded, they have the third best defensive tally together with Swieqi. Club’s top scorer Leah Ayres sit fifth in the league’s scoring charts with eight goals. With 12 points in the standings, Kirkop are striving to improve their record in the league. The seven goals scored last week have lifted the Reds’ scoring tally to 16 goals in 11 games. In the first round, Raiders won 2-0 with goals from Laura Muscat and Ayres. THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES TUESDAY – 20.30 Kirkop United vs Raiders Lija, Centenary StadiumSan Ġwann vs Mġarr United, Mġarr Ground WEDNESDAY – 20.30 Birkirkara vs Swieqi United, Centenary Stadium MD14 bye: Mtarfa.