Reports: Silvio Vella
Photos: Domenic Aquilina
TARXIEN RAINBOWS 0
FLORIANA 2
Tarxien R: A. Chetcuti, A. Mitrev, E. Baker, M. Spiteri (A. Agius), M. Dieye (M. Traore), A. Azzopardi, J. Brincat, A. Scicluna, E. Calin, R. Faria, S. Cipriott (M. Desira Buttigieg)
Floriana: M. Grech, S. Nayar (B. Sciberras), E. Pepe, S. Pisani, C. Borg, M. Vella, J. Cabral (L. Grech), A. Cini, A. Oyama, D. Grima, M. Fontanella (J. Pisani)
Referee: J. Utulu
Asst.refs: J. Spiteri, W. Debattista
4th official: P. Farrugia
Scorers: M. Fontanella 44, M. Vella 82
Yellow cards: E. Baker, M. Spiteri, R. Faria, S. Nayar, M. Vella
Player of the match: S. Pisani (Floriana)
TMI top 3: 1. S. Pisani 2. J. Brincat 3. E. Baker
Floriana win but fail to impress
Floriana skipped back into the top four in the Premier League, maintaining their momentum, despite a false start to the second round with defeat against Birkirkara before the break.
Yesterday they beat struggling Tarxien Rainbows, showing that they can win when playing below their best.
Their 2-0 victory was not much more than efficient, earned by goals from Mario Fontanella and Maurizio Vella towards the end of each half.
Floriana started well, took a first half lead but then lost a bit of edge in their game in the second part.
In truth it was a poor quality affair.
Tarxien remain rooted in the relegation zone after only one win in their last eight matches.
They often gifted Floriana possession, made unforced errors and that left them exposed, contemplating a difficult winter spent struggling against relegation.
The Rainbows had Luke Grech missing through suspension but introduced young Macedonian centre back Antonio Mitrev.
Sebastian Nayar, who rejoined Floriana last week, was included in their starting line-up yesterday.
In the absence of the suspended Enzo Ruiz, the Greens shuffled their defensive set up, with Arthur Oyama playing as centre back alongside Pepe, and Alex Cini and Dylan Grima the wide backs.
As expected, Floriana produced most of the flourishes and Cabral had put the ball in the Tarxien net, after Nayar had hit the post, after four minutes, only to be denied by a tight offside call.
Pisani's ballooned header floated over the Tarxien keeper and rebounded off the post before Chetcuti turned the ball into a corner.
Chetcuti was again called to turn Pisani's low drive into a corner after 10 minutes.
After surviving that brief wobble, Tarxien settled well but showed lack of thrust in the final third. Shots from Azzopardi, Dieye and Brincat from a distance hardly troubled keeper Matthew Grech. Midway through the half Brincat raced into open space in the middle to hit first time straight on the Floriana keeper.
Grech was also forced to turn into a corner Azzopardi's long drive, aided by the bar, before Floriana finally made the breakthrough one minute before halftime.
Vella played a through pass for Mario Fontanella to hit the ball low past the grounded keeper Chetcuti.
Tarxien played with more heart in the second half, but there were spells when the pattern threatened to degenerate.
Floriana never really threatened the Tarxien goal. Tarxien could move the ball around more freely. The feeling nagged that Floriana could live to regret their failure to capitalise more fully on their lead.
In fact keeper Chetcuti was hardly extended in the second 45 minutes, until beaten by Maurizio Vella's defiant strike from the edge of the area, eight minutes from time, to seal three deserved points for the Greens.
HIBERNIANS 0
HAMRUN SPARTANS 0
Hibernians: A. Hogg, D. Vella, M. Kreuzriegler, R. Gomes, M. Dias (T. Tabone Desira), J. Lima, B. Kristenesen, R. Soares (J. Mbong), A. Agius, Jorginho, J. Moreira (J. Degabriele)
Hamrun S: S. Sultana, T. Souza, D. Zerafa, K. Micallef, G. De Castro, J. Galea, D. Succi, T. Espindola, T. Caruana, D. Camilleri, L. Micallef (M. Criaco)
Referee: E. Grech
Asst.refs: M. Scerri, R. Vella
4th official: T. Farrugia Cann
Yellow cards: T. Souza, D. Camilleri, J. Lima, T. Caruana
Red card: T. Souza
Player of the match: A. Hogg (Hibernians)
TMI top 3: 1. T. Caruana 2. A. Hogg 3. L. Micallef
Attendance: 935
Frustration grows as Hibernians draw a blank
SILVIO VELLA
Desperately short of quality, Hibernians failed to win for the third consecutive time as they fall further behind the leading pack.
This scrappy goalless draw against Hamrun Spartans confirms their problems in front of goal.
The champions were supposd to carry more firepower in attack with Jorginho returning to the fold after quitting last season and Portuguese striker Joao Moreira handed a debut start after signing for the Paolites recently. He showed good attacking credentials until he hobbled off past the hour to be replaced by Jurgen Degabriele.
But they missed the industry of the suspended Clayton Failla and Johan Bezzina as well as Sahanek, who left the club. The harsh truth was that Hibernians ran out of ideas in the final third, with Kristensen, Lima and Vella producing below par performances.
Hamrun, who have the habit of strangling life out of opponents, again showed steely character and made it an awkward night for Hibernians. Having a fluid look, they also had their own chances to win the game in the first half. They only were reduced to huffing and puffing in the second.
They remain basking in mid table, one point behind Hibernains, after taking 11 points from a possible 18 in their last six matches.
Hamrun had Cristian Zaccardo missing through injury as Agatino Sacali and Marco Criaco were named among the substitutes, with Julian Galea handed a start.
The Spartans were the first to threaten after ten minutes. An Espindola effort was superbly held out by the stretched keeper Hogg and Succi's shot on the loose ball was blocked by the Hibernians' defence.
The Paolites responded with a Moreira effort that narrowly missed the target. It was tit-for-tat on 21 minutes when Lydon Micallef tried to chip the ball over the onrushing Hogg, who covered himself by tipping smartly over the bar into a corner.
Towards the end of the half, Succi arrived fractionally late on a Camilleri low inviting cross from the right and then the Italian was guilty of a bad miss, hitting Galea's inviting cross over from close range.
It showed how the Spartans were edging the half but had to stay alert.
In the half's added time, Moreira's firm header on a Kreuzriegler cross, flashed wide.
The sense at halftime was that the match could go either way.
The second half was characterised by hesitancy and lack of composure from both sides and offered little in terms of goalmouth action.
With creative deficit haunting the side, Hibernians struggled to show cohesion or personality as they tried to break down Hamrun's resistance. They only looked menacing with the delivery of several crosses by Dias from the right but headers from Vella and Lima failed to find the target.
Hamrun were also lacking the energy and enterprise shown in the opening 45 minutes, only threatening with a Galea rasping shot that went wide and a Caruana central shot that was well saved by keeper Hogg.
In the late stages, Dias was stretchered off and on the stroke of full time, Hamrun even ended up with ten men after their central defender Souza was sent off for two bookable offences.