Tarxien R 1
Balzan 3
Tarxien R: A. Cassar, M. Botta, J. Wemmer, M. Brincat (M. Ciantar 68'), M. Paolucci, G. Aquilina, D. Falzon (O. Francalanza 78'), A. Agius (M. Spiteri 63'), A. Scicluna, S. Radovanovic, A. De Barros.
Balzan: S. Sultana, J. Grioli, D. Camilleri (S. Arab 68'), N. Sljivic, A. Da Paixao (G. Camilleri 78'), M. Johnson, A. Effiong (A. Majdevac 62'), U. Ljubomirac, I. Bozovic, E. Serrano Valero, C. De Fiori Mendes.
Referee: Ishmael Barbara
Ass.referees: Edward Spiteri, William Debattista
Fourth official: Glenn Tonna
Scorers: M. Johnson 23', A. Effiong 27', U. Ljubomirac 47', M. Paolucci 82'
Yellow cards: A. De Barros, A. Effiong, M. Johnson
Player of the match: A. Da Paixao (Balzan)
TMI Best three: 1. A. Da Paixao, 2. C. De Fiori Mendes, 3. U. Ljubomirac
Attendance: 319
After suffering two defeats in their last two outings, Balzan returned to winning ways yesterday, easily disposing of Tarxien in a one sided affair. The match failed to live to its expectations, as Tarxien fresh from two wins on the trot were expected to give at least a fight.
But it was not to be. From the early stages it was evident that Tarxien's fate was set as Balzan from the initial whistle, were in full control, playing with relative ease. Balzan were dominant on the flanks with Lecao on the right and the in-form Ljubomirac on the left.
De Fiori Mendes was a delight to watch with some some good touches, even though it was not that easy to express good football yesterday in adverse weather conditions. Tarxien's only good patch came late in the first half with Sultana making a great save off Paolucci.
Balzan starting on the accelerator and Tarxien had some lucky eascapes inside the first fifteen minutes of the match. After three minutes a Grioli rising shot slightly missed the crossbar. Some minutes later Tarxien's Wemmer almost committed an own goal in an attempt to clear.
On nine minutes Effiong missed a good chance following a Lecao initiative, but his header from an ideal position left much to be desired. Three minutes later Effiong was unlucky when his header finished against the crossbar.
Half way through the first half Balzan broke the edeadlock when a De Fiori Mendes corner was partially cleared by the Tarxien defence and Michael Johnson was on hand to fire low into the net.
Four minutes later Balzan doubled the score. Lecao was again outstanding on the right flank and passed to De Fiori Mendes. His cross was nodded down by Ljubomirac and from two meters Alfred Effiong simply could not miss.
Balzan's flowing football continued as Tarxien wera at sixes and sevens in defence and after another good move, started from the polished De Fiori Mendes, Ljubomirac blasted over the bar when well placed.
In the last fifteen minutes of the first half Tarxien started to move better especially on the left flank and Paolucci, well served by Gabriel Aquilina was denied by Sultana's only save of the first half. Six minutes from the break another chance for Tarxien with Radovanovic's good run on the left but Falzon failed to connect to his inviting cross.
Two minutes into the second half Balzan put the game to bed when Uros Ljubomirac dribbled his way past a couple of defenders before firing low into the net from the edge of the area. Balzan eased their hold and Tarxien had some glory on 65 minutes when Aquilina's drive was blocked by Sultana and Paolucci's rebound was blocked by Serrano Valero.
On 69 minutes Tarxien were saved by Cassar who managed to stop the ball from the top corner following a De Fiori Mendes freekick. Tarxien pressed for a consolation goal and managed to obtain one on 82 minutes when a De Barros shot was blocked by a defender and from the rebound Paolucci first timed low into the net.