FLORIANA  1
PEMBROKE ATHLETA  0

Pembroke’s start of the season ended in horror. An own goal committed by defender Brandon Muscat past the half hour decided the match in favour of Floriana who, although they were the better side for long stretches, they lacked enough penetration.

Pembroke also finished the match with nine men as first Siraj Arab was sent off 20 minutes from tiem and Luke Montebello followed suit in added time to add to Pembroke’s misery.

 

Floriana gained an early advantage through Mario Fontanella but Pembroke drew level soon after, until Muscat committed an own goal.

Pembroke had five newcomers in their starting line-up and need more time to gel as a team. Clifford Gauci and Ukrainian Oleksandr Maksymov were the advanced central midfielders in front of anchor man Barbetti. Defenders Adrian Borg, Brendon Muscat and forward Luke Montebello also joined up this season.

Floriana had a familiar look about them with very few changes from last season. Only that goalkeeper Justin Haber returns to his home town, togetherr with Amadou Samb and coach Giovanni Tedesco in their second spell with the Greens. Defender Alex Cini joined from Pembroke with new recruit the Italian central midfielder Maurizio Vella.

Samb immediately made his mark as Florianatried to exploit uncertainties in the Pembroke newly-assembled formation. He chested a good Chiesa cross but shot over from a promising position. Floriana took an early lead short of the quarter hour. Samb went past Brandon Muscat down the left, sent a low cross for Mario Fontanella to slot the ball in at the near post from inside the eight-yard box.

Hardly a minute later Pembroke keeper Mario Muscat had to rush off his line to reach for the ball before Fontanella, put through by Samb.

To their credit Pembroke were not demorilised and levelled matters after 18 minutes. Luke Montebello chased a long pass from Barbetti and lobbed the ball over the onrushing keeper Haber after beating Pepe’s challenge.

At this point Floriana looked to have lost their eraly rhythm. On 28 minutes Pembroke should have gone in front. Haber fumbled the ball as he tried to thwart Montebello on a cross, but Siraj Arab skied the loose ball.

Instead, Floriana regained the lead four minutes later. Samb fell inside the area in a aerial tussle as he tried to reach for a high cross but the loose ball hit Brandon Muscat who beat his own keeper as he instinctively outstretched his leg.

Floriana responded by taking control of possession, but failed to pose any attacking threat. With eight minutes still to go to halftime, Pembroke had a goal disallowed for an offside position by Borg who had headed in Micallef’s freekick.

Pembroke introduced new Brazilian Mateus Regis soon after the restart and they looked like offering more threat. The game came to life towards the hour.On a Vella freekick from the left, Pepe’s firm header brough a smart save form keeper Muscat.

On 69 minutes, Pembroke were down to ten men. Siraj Arab hit oppoenent Pepe after losing possession and rightly received his marching orders.

Pembroke coach Winston Muscat attempted to get back into the gane by replacing Manolito Micallef with new striker Jonathan Mariano but Floriana mustered enough pressure to hold them defending grimly. It became almost a shooting practice for the Greens with keeper Muscat kept busy to hold several close shots from Monticelli, Vella and Samb.

As frustartion grew and tampers flared, Luke Montebello was also sent off for a reckless tackle on Andre Scicluna to complete Pembroke’s misery.

Floriana: J. Haber, A. Scicluna, A. Monticelli, E. Pepe, C. Borg, M. Vella, J. Pisani, A. Cini, A. Amadou, N. Chiesa, M. Fontanella (G. Amadio)

Pembroke: M. Muscat, C. Gauci (M. Regis Da Silva), O. Maksymov, L. Montebello, S. Arab, Z. Levnaic, P. Barbetti, B. Muscat, M. Micallef (J. Mariano), M. Attard, A. Borg

Referee: T. Farrugia Cann

Asst.refs: J. Spiteri, T. Debono

4th official: E. Azzopardi

Scorers: M. Fontanella 12, L. Montebello 18, B. Muscat og 32

Yellow cards: P. Barbetti, M. Attard, Z. Levnaic, M. Vella

Red cards: S. Arab, L. Montebello

Player of the match: A. Samb (Floriana)

TMI  top 3: 1. A. Samb  2. P. Barbetti  3. M. Muscat

Photos Domenic Aqulina

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BALZAN  3

MOSTA   2

Balzan started their committments into the new season with a hard fought win against Mosta.

That Balzan got the job done and found a way to win can be taken as a major positive – a reminder of how much the club has done to put themselves in the top four – but there will need to be significant improvement if Balzan are to make a leap in quality. Yesterday, there was a disjointedness about them, a lack of fluidity, for which Mosta are due some credit for their discipline and organisation.

Mosta can take heart from a spirited performance that kept them on their opponents’ tails throughout the 90 minutes. They are a completely new and young side this season with five new foreigners making the initial line-up and Yenz Cini back in goal. Club products Kyle Frendo, Adrian Caruana and Zachary Brincat also made it to the starting line-up of coach of Edmond Lufi. They look full of dynamism though and some solidity plus a high-class striker can take the side quite some way.

Balzan, for all their hype in the summer transfer market, did not present any new faces. Only holding midfielder Anderson De Barros made his league debut although he has played with Balzan in European competition.

This was a quiet game bereft of many goalmouth action and played at a rather slow pace.

Balzan’s goals were the only highlights of a mundane first half. The first was scored by Terence Agius, who ran in from the blind side to meet  Kaljevic’s low cross from the left after 34 minutes.

The second, seven minutes later came from a Grioli free kick from outside the area on the left, headed in by Alfred Effiong.

This goal was conceded when Mosta had ten men on the field. Unluckily for them, their injured central defender Tristan Grant was receiving treatment and the substitution had not yet been effected.

Mosta stunned Balzan when reducing the arrears nine minutes into the second half. New recruit Martin Vlcek from Slovakia was allowed space after taking the ball in his stride, advanced in the area and beat keeper Janjusevic.

Balzan were becoming increasingly frustrated in their struggle to create chances but were handed a lifeline on 64 minutes when awarded a soft penalty after Mosta defender Caruana and Balzan’s forward Micallef clashed for the ball inside the area. Bojan Kaljevic tucked it away in style.

Nafti made his appearance for Balzan on 73 minutes, with Kaljevic making way.

But Mosta could again reduce the arrears when themselves awarded a penalty on 77 minutes after Paul Fenech was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area. Victor Oseghale cooly sent the Balzan keeper the wrong way to keep Balzan on their toes.

Balzan defended their slender lead with some sense of anxiety but managed to hold on to their first three points of the season as Mosta could not threaten further.

 

Balzan: I. Janjusevic, B. Kaljevic (A. Nafti), C. Brincat, S. Bezzina, A. De Barros, P. Fenech, A. Effiong, J. Grioli, L. Micallef (S. Arab), E. Serrano, T. Agius

Mosta: Y. Cini, K. Magro, K. Frendo (D. Xuereb), T. Grant (E. Beltre’), J. Repa, L. Oseghale, F. Onwudinjo, Z. Brincat, A. Caruana, M. Vlcek, D. Djouffack

Referee: F. Zammit

Asst.refs: L. Portelli, S. Attard

4th official: G. Tonna

Scorers: T. Agius 34, A. Effiong 41, M. Vlcek 54, B. Kaljevic 64 pen, L. Oseghale 77 pen

Yellow cards: A. Caruana, F. Onwudinjo, P. Fenech, T. Agius, J. Grioli

Player of the match: B. Kaljevic (Balzan)

TMI top 3: 1. D. Djouffack  2. J. Grioli  3. B. Kaljevic

Attendance: 543

Photos Domenic Aquilina