HAPPY Valley's prayers were answered when a goal from new striker Kris Trajanovski earned them a precious 1-0 victory over Michelotti in a Hongkong League First Division match at a rain-swept Shamshuipo Sports Ground last night. Valley, with only one win in 14 league and cup matches this season going into last night's match, conducted a bai san ceremony before the game to seek luck from the gods. But their saviour came from Geelong, Victoria, in the sturdy figure of Trajanovski, who was making his debut along with midfielder David Clarkson, previously with Brighton in the English League but more lately of Heidelberg United in Melbourne. These are the two players the Valley management have hired to lift the club away from the relegation zone after their policy of recruiting Chinese mainlanders as their overseas players resulted in only six points from their first 12 league games. The three points they picked up last night moved them on to nine from 13 matches, five points behind Kui Tan, who occupy the safe eighth spot in the 10-team table. Valley also have a game in hand on Kui Tan and the two sides meet on April 15 in what could be a relegation decider. Trajanovski, 21, from the Preston Macedonia club in Australia's National Soccer League, struck in the 36th minute, smashing in a loose ball after Michelotti's reserve 'keeper, Kan Shun-cheong, failed to collect a left-wing cross. Said Trajanovski: ''I've been in Hongkong for four weeks building up to this game. It's a great feeling to win and score on my debut. ''It should be a good confidence booster for the rest of the season. The chance fell nicely for me and you've got to stick them away in the six-yard box.'' Although Michelotti had a lot of possession, particularly in the second half, they failed to make any clear-cut chances and Valley could have run out winners by a more comfortable margin. Trajanovski hit the angle of post and bar with a diving header to a Wong Fuk-wing cross and centre-half Lam Chi-wah saw a thundering drive from 40 yards shake the goal frame. Soon after, Lam's weakly struck penalty was turned aside by Kan, who had conceded the kick with a needless trip on Trajanovski.
