Balzan 1
Senglea 2
Balzan: S. Sultana, J. Grioli (A. Effiong 64), A. Kosoric, S. Bezzina, P. Fenech, U. Ljubomirac, E. Serrano Valero, C. De Fiori Mendes, R. Correa, A. Majdevac, M. Lepovic
Senglea: M. Farrugia, T. Masrukawa, Z. Cassar, L. Grech, G. Leyton, R. Silva Santos, B. Volpini (K. Cutajar 59), D. Venancio, A. Caseres (G. Camilleri 81), A. Mrsulija, C. Sammut (M. Bartolo 88)
Referee: E. Mangion
Asst refs: A. Camilleri, T. Debono
4th official: Emm. Grech
Scorers: U. Ljubomirac 1, A. Mrsulja 61, A. Caseres 67
Yellow cards: P. Fenech 36, L. Grech 39, R. Correa, E. Serrano Valero 90
BoV Player of the match: T. Marukawa
TMI Top 3: 1. T. Marukawa, 2. A. Caseres, 3. U. Ljubomirac
Attendance: 189
Relegation-haunted Senglea earned three very precious points as they stunned Balzan by the odd goal in three in a come from behind win.
It was the third victory in a row for the Athletics as they continue fighting hard to avoid the Big Drop.
Uros Ljubomirac had given Balzan a first minute lead, but goals from Arian Mrsulja and Augusto Caseres in the second half saw the Athletics through.
The win enabled Senglea to move to 11th place, one point ahead of Mosta ahead of the other weekend games.
On the other hand, Balzan remain in 5th place on 27 points.
Senglea showed considerable improvement over their first round matches and Man of the Match Taisei Marukawa, a nippy Japanese striker, was easily the man to watch as he inspired his team-mates with some deft running and neat dribbling that had the Balzan defence in trouble on several occasions.
In the first half, after Balzan took an early first minute lead, play was more or less balanced.
After such a fiery start, I expected Balzan to take complete command, but they failed to take advantage of the situation.
In fact, Senglea were never dominated and even shared the exchanges going near on a couple of occasions despite suffering that early setback.
The match had barely started as Balzan took the lead after only 27 seconds. It was Uros Ljubomirac who solved a melee inside the Senglea area to hit home into the net after an Andrija Majdevac shot had been blocked.
On six minutes, Senglea replied through a Leighton Grech low shot which was blocked by a Balzan defender.
On 13 minutes, Senglea goalie Farrugia saved a shot from De Fiori Mendes.
Three minutes later, Senglea went close to an equaliser when Marukawa made the most of a defensive lapse by Balzan's Kosoric and advanced to the edge of the area, only to see his fine inswinger just missing the target.
In the 28th minute, it was Majdevac who tested goalie Farrugia, but the latter was equal to the task. Soon after, De Fiori Mendes was denied by Farrugia who saved the Balzan striker's effort with his feet.
At the interval, Balzan were still hanging on to their slender one-goal lead.
Soon after the start of the second half, Silva Santos put Grech through, but the latter's low shot was easy prey for goalie Sultana.
The Yellow Reds insisted and from a Sammut cross, it was Braian Volpini who should have done better than hitting over the bar from an ideal position.
Soon after, in another Senglea attack, Caseres was deemed to have touched the ball with his hand, after protests from Balzan and despite the fact that goalie Sultana had saved the ball near the goal line.
Senglea meritedly equalised in the 61st minute. From a Venancio freekick, Sultana punched the ball badly onto a teammate and the ball went to Mrsulja who hit home from close in.
Six minutes later, they even took the lead. In a swift counter attack, it was Silva Santos who set Marukawa on the left flank. The latter advanced and beat a defender before his cross-shot was met by Augusto Caseres who scored from three metres.
Three minutes later, from a Correa cross, Majdevac missed a good opportunity to equalise for Balzan, hitting well over the bar.
One expected Balzan to react vehemently but their first effort after the second Senglea goal was a poor shot by Paul Fenech which ended well wide of the Senglea post.
The Yellow Reds almost added a third on 79 minutes, when a Grech cross was deviated goalwards by Correa, but Sultana dived to save and avoid an own goal.
On 85 minutes, it was Sultana who saved the Balzan fort, kicking out a shot from substitute Karl Cutajar.