Floriana 4
Senglea 1
Floriana: I. Akpan, E. Ruiz, S. Pisani, I. Varela, M. Vella (P. Wleh 80', J. Cabral, C. Failla, J. Pisani, A. Cini, A. Oyama (C. Borg 63') , E. Marcellina (D. Agius 70')
Senglea : M. Farrugia ( P. Schranz 70'), B. Muscat, F. Salvati, L. Grech, I. Gonzalez Benac, Z. Cassar, F. Bramati (S. Amabile 46') , M. Garcia, A. Caseres, K. Cutajar (D. Micallef 61') , R. Tcanturia
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann
Asst refs: William Debattista, Ivan Galea
4th official: Slobodan Petrovic
Scorers: Juninho Cabral 3', Augusto Caseres 32', Ignacio Varela 40', Emerson Marcellina 54', Mauricio Vella 66'
Yellow cards: J. Pisani
Player of the match: Juninho Cabral (Floriana)
TMI Top 3: 1. J. Cabral 2. S. Pisani 3. C. Failla
Floriana registered their third win of the campaign when they easily disposed of Senglea condemning them to their fifth defeat. The Greens dominated all along and were worthy winners scoring at regular intervals.
The going seems to be very tough for Senglea who are now languishing at rock bottom in the standings. Their defence was at shambles once again and though these are still early days the future looks bleak.
Floriana had won two out of the five games played so far and they were in a must win situation in order to climb further up the table. In their last outing they defeated Qormi by a 3-1 scoreline. Senglea, on the other hand, were coming from a 5-1 defeat to Valletta. They had gained their first and only point so far drawing with Pietà in the previous game.
Floriana took an early lead when on 3 minutes off a Steve Pisani cross the Senglea rearguard failed to clear with the ball falling into Juninho Cabral's direction who slotted home. The Greens kept piling on the pressure and in the 14th minute Failla's cross was met by Cabral who after rounding off a defender saw his acute shot across goal miss out.
Senglea came into the picture in the 21st minute when a Salvati free kick was cleared by the Floriana defence with Leighton's Grech drive from just outside the area ending inches wide. And six minutes later it was once again Grech who this time found Tcanturia only for his acrobatic shot to sail well over the bar.
The Cottonera outfit drew level in the 32nd minute with Augusto Caseres heading past Akpan off a Muscat cross. But five minutes from the break Floriana once again in the lead with Failla being the supplier with a cross from the left and Ignacio Varela onto the upright and behind Farrugia.
On resumption Floriana went near in the 47th minute when a Cini cross was met by a sliding Oyama but his shot rocketed over the bar. And in the 54th minute Floriana increased their tally when this time it was Steve Pisani whose cross found Emerson Marcellina's head with the latter converting from close range.
Now it was Floriana all the way with Senglea throwing in the towel and constantly on the receiving end. In fact on 66 minutes they found the net once again this time through Mauricio Vella who headed at the far post a Cabral cross from the right flank.
Eight minutes from the end Salvati tried his luck with a long range effort from the distance but his shot just missed the target. And in the 85th minute Senglea had two consecutive efforts by Amabile and Tcanturia blocked by the Floriana defence.
Till the end the Greens controlled without too much sweat cruising to another win which was much desired after a rather bumpy start to the season.
