As the proverb says “luck favours the brave” and this time all went to Gudja as Balzan saw their goalkeeper Vukasin Vranes beaten by a lucky shot by Aidan Friggieri which hit the crossbar and then hitting bouncing back into the net.
A win that puts Gudja in seventh place, five ahead of Valletta and six ahead of ninth-placed Balzan. For Gudja, this was their fifth win in six matches and, on the other hand, Balzan suffered their sixth defeat in seven matches.
During the first half, there were very few actions to report as most of the play was carried out in midfield with both goalkeepers rarely tested.
However, in the 25th minute, Gudja took the lead with a fluke goal when AIDAN FRIGGIERI saw the goalkeeper out of his position and tried his luck with a shot from outside the box which hit the crossbar and with the ball bouncing onto the back of goalkeeper Vukasin Vranes and into the net for an own goal.
After Gudja’s goal, Balzan took the initiative with Glenn Zammit being the busiest of the two goalkeepers. Uros Ljubomirac burst forward and then sent a shot straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.
After the break, Balzan adopted a more attacking formation replacing Augustine Loof and Bojan Kaljevic with Alvin Kevin Daniels and Aleksa Andrejic to play in front of Uros Ljubomirac.
Milan Duric was very near to getting Balzan an equaliser, when he pounced on a through ball and hit a fierce shot that finished against the post before bouncing off Glenn Zammit’s hands. This time the ball finished out.
In the 58th minute, Following a cross from the right by Milos Mijic, Alvin Daniels headed the ball past goalkeeper Glenn Zammit but it finished wide of the far post.
In the 85th minute, Balzan’s frustrations continued when Alvin Daniels wasted a good chance. Following an inviting pass by Milan Duric from the left flank, Alvin Daniels virtually passed the ball into Glenn Zammit’s hand.
Gudja were less potent as an attacking force in that second period, but when Ahinga Bienvenu Selemani popped up in the Balzan box, his fierce drive tested Vukasin Vranes.
In the added time, Glenn Zammit handled the ball outside of the box as he rushed off his lines to close on Ljubomirac. But from the ensuing free-kick, Gudja’s defenders blocked Aleksa Andrejic’s effort to set up Ljubomirac.
GUDJA UNITED : Glenn Zammit, Roberti Matias Muchardi, Aidan Jake Friggieri (Farid Zuniga Romero 86’), Rodolfo Soares, James Arthur, Gabriel Mensah (Girogi Nikabadze 59’), Ahinga Bienvenu Selemeni, Ramires Juan Bolanos, Nika Dzalamidze (Llyelyn Cremona 74’), Neil Anthony Micallef, Marcelo Dias.
BALZAN : Vukasin Vranes, Augustine Loof (Aleksa Andrejic 46’), Marcus Grima (Neil Frendo 72’), M. Duric, Paul Fenech, Michael Johnson (Gary Camilleri 86’), Uros Ljubormirac, Milos Zlatkovic, Milos Mijic, Bojan Kaljevic (A. Daniels 46’), Sean Cipriott.
Referee: Alex Johnson.
BOV Player of the match: Uros Ljubomirac (Balzan).