Focus on goalkeepers – Bonello tops the charts in 2017/18

BOV Premier League clubs used a total of 32 goalkeepers last season who, between them, conceded 505 goals in 182 matches.  Valletta goalkeeper Henry Bonello was clearly instrumental in his club’s league and cup double success as he had by far the best record in the top flight. A reassuring figure in City’s goal, Bonello instilled confidence in his defenders as Valletta ended the season with the most impressive defensive record. Bonello, who showed excellent reflexes and great consistency, only conceded 11 goals last season, the pinnacle of his career so far. He started 24 league matches (out of 26), and was never substituted for a total of 2,160 minutes played. The 11 goals conceded mean that he had an average of 0.46 goal conceded per game. Bonello has also kept 16 clean sheets and had a run of 488 minutes, between 13th October and 10th December 2017, without conceding a goal. This sequence began in the 55th minute (13/10/2017) when he was beaten by the Lija Athletic forward Erjon Beu and ended in the third minute (10.12.2017) when Gżira United striker Amadou Samb found the net against Valletta. Only nine players managed to beat Bonello last seaso: Erjon Beu (Lija A.) 3 goals – (penalty, action, freekick); Alex De Paixao Alves (Balzan) 1 goal – (action); Uros Ljobomirac (Balzan) 1 goal – (action); Amadou Samb (Gzira U.) 1 goal (header); Juan Corbalan (Gzira U.) 1 goal – (action); Mark Scerri (Sliema W.) 1 goal – (header); Jurgen Degabriele (Hibernians) 1 goal (long shot); Enzo Ruiz (Floriana) 1 goal (header); Andrew Cohen (Gzira U.) 1 goal – (penalty). Valletta won four of the eight matches in which they conceded – versus Lija A. (4-2) (3-1), vs Hibernians (2-1) and Gżira United (2-1); drew two – vs Sliema W. (1-1) and Floriana (1-1); lost 2 – vs Balzan (2-1) and Gżira United (2-1). The first goal conceded by Bonello last season came from Brazilian Alex De Paixao Alves, at the age of 28 years, 11 months, 11 days and the last one was from Andrew Cohen’s penalty with the Malta goalkeeper aged of 29 years, six months, 8 days. Who were the youngest and oldest goalkeeper ever to concede last season? The youngest to concede was Mosta goalkeeper, Andreas Vella, at the age of 18 years, 10 months, 5 days, from the Italian Claudio Pani (Valletta) penalty on the stroke of half-time, at the Centenary Stadium, on 19th August, 2017. The age of the scorer was 31 years, 5 months, 8 days. The oldest goalkeeper to concede a goal was Naxxar Lions’ Omar Borg at the age of 36 years, 9 months, 27 days. He was beaten by a header from Senglea Athletic’s Italian striker Nicola Palmieri, in the 30th minute at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, on 9 December, 2017. Palmieri’s age was 18 years, 9 months, 15 days.  STATISTICS COMPILED BY JESMOND MOORE