200 MPL games for Jurgen Pisani

2023/24 BOV Premier League Match Day 6 Statistics

1 – Valletta introduced another youngster from their youth development scheme in their match against Hamrun Spartans as Klose Azzopardi Conti made an 82^nd minute substitute appearance for the Citizens last Saturday. The nearly 19-year-old is a pure Valletta FC youth nursery product, going through all their age categories.

4 – The goalless draw with Naxxar Lions on Saturday afternoon meant the fourth consecutive match for Hibernians without finding the net. The last time Hibernians failed to score four Premier Division matches in a row was during season 2010/11, between 31 October and 27 November 2010, with matches against Vittoriosa Stars (0-2), Qormi (0-0), Tarxien Rainbows (0-2) and another goalless draw against Sliema Wanderers. This negative streak is a real rarity for the Paolites, as the last goalless streak of four consecutive league games before that was recorded between 21 January and 25 February 1984 with three defeats against Rabat Ajax (0-1), Valletta (0-1) and Hamrun Spartans (0-3), before a goalless draw with the Magpies. Should Hibernians fail to score against Gudja United next Sunday, they will equal their negative club record in the top flight, as they failed to score for five consecutive league games between 14 April and 1^st November 1974 against Valletta (0-1), Zebbug Rangers (0-0), Gzira United (0-3), Marsa and Floriana (both 0-1).

5 – The odd goal in five victory of Mosta over Marsaxlokk was their fifth consecutive win over the seasiders in the Premier Division. This sequence started with an emphatic 5-1 result on 1^st April 2012, followed by another large score (5-0) in the 2^nd round of the 2011/12 Relegation Pool. Last season, Marsaxlokk returned to the Premier Division after an absence of ten seasons but had to bow twice to Mosta, a 4-1 defeat in the 1^st round, followed by a 2-1 Mosta victory in the 2^nd round.

5 – Hamrun Spartans’ victory over Valletta was their fifth consecutive competitive win over the Lilywhites. This sequence started on 12 December 2021 with a 1-0 victory thanks to a Haris Dilaver own goal, followed by another two similar 1-0 victories in the Premier Division. Last season, both teams clashed in the 2^nd round of the FA Trophy as well (2-1), which was the fourth win in a row for the Spartans, followed by Saturday’s 2-1 result. The Spartans sharpened the record of four consecutive competitive wins against Valletta between 4 March 1982 and the 28^th May 1983, three 1-0 victories in the Premier Division and a 3-0 victory in the Final of the FA Trophy.

20 – Last Sunday, Birkirkara beat Balzan 3-0 which was the 20^th victory in history of the Stripes over Balzan in history. It was the 35^th official competitive match between the two neighbours, 33 in the Premier Division and two in the FA Trophy, with Balzan winning seven while eight encounters ended in a draw.

100 – Daniel Agius’ substitute appearance with Sirens in the game with Santa Lucia was the 100^th Premier Division match for the winger. Agius, aged 26, is on loan with the St Paul’s Bay side this season from Floriana, who introduced him as a 17-year-old youngster in the first team on the last match day of the 2013/14 season against Rabat Ajax (24 April 2014, 2-1). Agius experienced two loan periods with Sirens in the 1^st Division as well as in the Premier Division with Marsaxlokk and Santa Lucia. He made most of these hundred appearances in the Floriana colours (58), followed by 21 for Marsaxlokk and 17 for Santa Lucia while Sunday morning’s match was his fourth for Sirens in the MPL.

200 – Jurgen Pisani of Santa Lucia played his 200^th match in the Premier Division in their goalless draw against Sirens on Sunday morning. The 31-year-old defender is a Pieta’ Hotspurs academy product who made his senior debut with the Blues sixteen days after his 18^th birthday in a 1^st Division Knock Out Cup match with Mqabba on 19 September 2010. Four years later he won promotion to the Premier Division with Pieta’ and made his debut in Malta’s top flight on 16 August 2014 against Birkirkara. After 121 senior appearances for Pieta, of which 32 in the MPL, Pisani joined Floriana the following season, were he stayed six seasons up to 2021, appearing in 111 MPL games for the Irish before joining his current club Santa Lucia. The match last Sunday was his 57^th in the MPL for the Lucians. Apart from three European Cup games with Floriana, Pisani collected one cap for the Malta national team so far as well. He played a little over 300 official domestic and international career games.