KINGSTON CITY 0
SUNSHINE GEORGE CROSS 1 ( MAGNACCA 51' )

LINE UP: JOHN, AZZOPARDI, OPAZO, NAPOLI ZILIC, KALMAR, CINI, TRPCEVSKI (FALZON 90'), MAGNACCA, SALLEY, DELIC. SUBS NOT USED: FIORENZA, SIMSEK, TSOUMERKAS, GREECHAN.

In difficult, heavy and wet conditions, the victory was registered in the 51st minute when Anthony Magnacca capitalised on a Dusko Delic long ball breaking the shackles of the City defence and rounding the out of position keeper to easily slot the ball home for his 3rd goal of the campaign.

The first half of the match was a nervous one for the Georgies as the home team took the initiative of creating the bulk of the play. Poor finishing and an ineffective forward line however proved the salvation for the Cross which itself created its own half chances through winning a series of dead ball situations around the City penalty area, although strikes by Vasko Trpcevski, Nick Kalmar and Magnacca were all either off target or comfortably cleared by the Reds defenders.

The first half wound down to a battle of attrition, as neither team wanted to enter the break a goal to the bad.

In a total transformation the second half began more positively for the Cross, with an escalated work rate and level of intensity, and it was this endeavour which led to the opening and solitary goal of the match to Magnacca. The contingent of travelling Georgie fans finally found their singing voices in the 2nd half to inspire their team to kill the game off in an effort to take away all three precious points.

The next quarter hour was all Kingston's as the home team upped their own work rate in search of an equaliser, laying siege to a desperate Georgies defence, winning a number of corners, and set pieces to stretch and test the defence both mentally and physically. Led by captain Colin Azzopardi and the seemingly faultless Jonas Salley, the defence was able to repel every City attack. A save from a set piece by keeper Martin John also kept the 1-0 score line intact.

It was during this period of the match that there was a delay for 6 minutes when Nick Tolios of Kingston collided accidentally in a challenge and broke his jaw, having to be stretchered off and sent directly to hospital. This broke the momentum of the home team and allowed the Cross some respite as the remainder of the half was just a matter of closing the game out and keeping a clean sheet

As Kingston pressed forward in the final quarter hour, the spaces in the midfield opened up allowing runners like Kalmar, Delic and Matt Cini to launch counter attacks in search of a break away goal to kill off the match. One such opportunity came from a long range Kalmar strike which the City keeper could only raise his arms at, and luckily for the home team deflect away for a corner.

With the match stretching to nearly 100 minutes because of the injury delay, the Cross just had to do abide by the simple rules of defending a lead, in clearing its lines, winning every header and every tackle in defence and midfield to win on the night.

The victory came to the delight of the vocal die hard Cross fans. The crucial win moves the club above Kingston City and out of the relegation zone into the quagmire of mid table with the top six still well within sight.

CAUTIONS: TRPCEVSKI 28', AZZOPARDI 49', NAPOLI 67' ZILIC 85'