Valletta-Msida SJ 1-1
Valletta: S. Darmanin, J. Bondin, M. Grima, S. Bezzina, R. Forace, D. Camilleri, U. Edafe, D. Falzon, D. Zarb, I. Zammit (K. Magro), R. Siberie
Msida SJ: O. Borg, P. Sciriha (D. Cachia), S. Grima, S. Vella, J. Mifsud, O. Zongo, T. Farrugia, S. Bajada, R. Baldacchino (A. Farrugia), D. Nwoke, I. Babatunde (K. Ebejer)
Referee: C. Lautier Asst.refs: J. Camilleri, I. Spiteri 4th official: K. Azzopardi
Scorers: W. Gomes, S. Kondev, D. Kokavessis, K. Formosa og
Yellow card: D. Nwoke, R. Siberie
Player of the match: Dylan Zarb (Valletta)
TMI top three: 1. S. Bezzina 2. O. Zongo 3. M. Grima
This third drawn result between Valletta and Msida St Joseph this season, did little to boost both team’s low ebb at present.
Both sides wanted to improve on their recent dismal results. Before this match, Valletta were winless in the previous three outings while, even worse, Msida had lost all four.
Valletta were missing the inspiration of the suspended Gilbert Agius in attack and the injured Branco Nisevic in defence but Msida were also bereft of the suspended Paul Fenech as Cachia was relegated to the bench.
The teams showed physical endeavour in the process but the football was of low quality and hardly inspiring. While Msida overtook Hibernians in fifth place, Valletta dropped to fourth place, with their chances of a top-three finish severely dented.
The first half was utterly unremarkable, producing very few shots on target. Both goalkeepers effected a couple of good saves to preserve a goalless stalemate. Valletta’s Darmanin was the first to turn Bajada’s shot into a corner in the early minutes. Equal to task was Msida’s custodian Borg, holding out Siberie’s shot from close range after nine minutes.
Msida went closest on 18 minutes with a fast break involving their three foreigners, Zongo, Babatunde and Nwoke, whose final shot was deflected into a corner.
Valletta’s best chance fell shortly before the break when Zammit, put clear by Falzon, was blocked by the grounded Borg and after a defender blocked again Zarbs’ effort on the loose ball, Siberie was judged to have fouled Msida’s keeper although Zarb himself might have been fouled inside the area in the process.
Msida made the breakthrough five minutes into the second half. Baldacchino’s cross from the left was cleared by a Valletta defender with a back header, the ball falling straight in Daniel Nwoke’s path to beat Darmanin with a blistering first timer.
Valletta drew level hardly a minute later. Grima’s low free-kick from the left was parried by the grounded keeper Borg and Vella’s clearance on the loose ball was deflected just right for Richmar Siberie to toe-poke the ball from a close distance.
After that, play was often interrupted by niggling fouls from both sides, capitalising on the referee’s lenient mood. There were more half chances on both ends, as Siberie ran down the right flank but had his shot blocked by Borg. On the other end, on Mifsud’s long pass, Babatunde chested the ball down to Nwoke, who alone in front of goal, contrived to loft the ball over the bar.
As the match wore on and play became frantic, both sides were unable to unlock the opposing defences as the respective strikers were culpable of profligacy. In the final analysis, the draw was just right, but little beneficiary.