Tarxien R. 0
Valletta 7
Tarxien R.: A. Cassar, M. Botta ( M. Spiteri 46' ), J. Wemmer, D. Zerafa, M. Paolucci (D. Vassallo 81' ) , A. Agius, A. Scicluna, S. Radovanovic, A. De Barros, R. Faria, J. De Paixao (G. Aquilina 46' )
Valletta: H. Bonello, J. Caruana , S.Borg (Z.Soussi 57' ), S. Malano (S. Dimech 80' ), M. Piciollo, J. Borg , I. Saleh, E. Pena Beltre, R. Muscat, B. Kaljevic ( K.Nwoko 68' ) , M. Fontanella.
Referee: Andi Koci ( Albanija)
Asst refs: Endrit Veseli, Erind Burgu
4th official: Blerim Siri
Scorers: B. Kaljevic 8' , 59' (p) , M. Fontanella 12', 42' , 87' , M. Piciollo 26' , I. Saleh 35'
Yellow cards: J. De Paixao
Player of the match: Matteo Piciollo (Valletta)
TMI Top 3: 1. M.Piciollo 2. M.Fontanella 3. B.Kaljevic
Attendance: 560
Valletta climbed temporarily on top of the table when they demolished Tarxien Rainbows with a first half display of flowing football, scoring five times without response. Their attackers were all on song scoring at regular intervals and making a miserable life out of their direct opponents.
This was their ninth win out of their last ten matches with their last win being their hard fought one against St. Andrew's. But this time around it was an easy assignment for the men in white.
On the other hand Tarxien after wins against Pieta in the League and Vittoriosa in the FA Trophy had to face reality and this test was too much for them. They were forced to defend from the first minutes and rarely ventured forward.
Joseph Zerafa and Ryan Camilleri were notable absentees for Valletta.
Valletta started brightly and as early as the second minute went near when Fontanella shot wide bringing to an end a Piciollo cross. Two minutes later Piciollo tried his luck from the edge of the area but his shot just missed the target.
On 8 minutes Valletta forged ahead. It was Bojan Kaljevic who concluded from just inside the box finding the corner of the net. Valletta could have added a second in the 10th minute but Cassar turned onto a corner Saleh's fierce drive.
And in the 12th minute Kaljevic forced Cassar saving his shot into a corner from just beneath goal. Valletta increased their lead in the 14th minute with an overhead kick by Mario Fontanella which left Cassar stranded.
Valletta were now in total control and in the 19th minute a Piciollo shot ended inches over the bar. In a rare Tarxien attack Scicluna played the ball towards De Paixao but his diagonal shot from the right side missed the target.
The Citizens increased their lead in the 26th minute when following efforts by Saleh and Fontanella, both blocked by the Rainbows rearguard, the ball came into Matteo Piciollo's path who fired home from just inside the area.
Just past the half hour Kaljevic found Saleh in the area but his shot was well saved by Cassar. But Ibrahim Saleh was not to be denied when ten minutes from the break he found the net following a good solo run.
And their was no mercy from Valletta when three minutes from the end of the first half Mario Fontanella scored Valletta's fifth and his second of the day.
On the change of ends nothing changed with Valletta dictating matters and Tarxien failing to mount a reaction after a disastrious first forty five minutes.
In the 51st minute Piciollo crossed towards the unmarked Fontanella but his shot was blocked by Cassar's feet. So it was no surprise when Valletta hit the tennis mark in the 59th minute. Scicluna brought down Saleh in the area and from the resultant penalty Bojan Kaljevic converted.
In the 70th minute a Piciollo free kick was palmed into a corner by Cassar. And the latter saved a Pena Beltre free kick eight minutes from the end. With Valletta adding their seventh goal three minutes from the end through Mario Fontanella who thus bagged his personal hat trick.