Qormi-Tarxien R 1-5

What was expected to be a balanced encounter between two of the top teams in the First Division, resulted into an easy cruise for Tarxien Rainbows as Qormi failed to put up a decent challenge.

The absence of striker Chima Dozie proved a handicap for Qormi who lacked punch up front and were mostly aenemic going forward. Qormi were also bereft of Bellia but these absences were no excuse for Qormi’s below par performance yesterday.

The Rainbows were a more determined side, playing direct football with some clinical finishing and there was no doubt about the final outcome.

Tarxien scored two goals in as many minutes midway through the first half to pave the way to an emphatic victory. Simon Shead was allowed to nip in behind Qormi’s defenders to connect on Bencini’s sailing free kick from the left and beat keeper Galea with a low shot.

Then, Simon Muscat won possession in midfield, advanced on the left flank and again beat Galea with a diagonal shot.

Qormi looked shell shocked and failed to make a reaction as Tarxien remained composed. The Rainbows added their third goal on the half hour. Grech put Shead through. His low cross from the byeline was met by the advancing Luke Vella Critien who shot in low at the near post.

Tarxien continued to bask in their superiority and scored a fourth five minutes before the break. Angus Buhagiar’s pace took him past his opponent on Mbong’s through pass and beat the keeper with a low drive to give his side a comfortable lead by halftime.

Qormi put in Borg Olivier and Debono for the second half, but still found it hard to make inroads inside the Tarxien blanket defence.

In fact the Rainbows threatened further, soon after the restart, as Mbong hit the bar. But Qormi pulled one back on 65 minutes when Michael Borg Olivier volleyed Farrugia’s cross at the top of the net from close range, only for Tarxien to restore their four-goal margin two minutes later. Grech put Simon Muscat through as he intelligently lobbed the ball over the grounded keeper who had rushed out to block.

Qormi’s efforts looked unlikely to reap dividends as the match wore on and the closest they went was 15 minutes from time when Formosa’s header on Farrugia’s cross forced keeper Cini into a difficult save. At the end another Farrugia free kick was turned into a corner by the alert Tarxien keeper as the Rainbows advanced into the next round.

* * *

Qormi: J. Galea, K. Zammit, J. Saliba, J. Francica, A. Galea, C. Camion (C. Vella), J. Farrugia, P. Camilleri (A. Debono), J. Chetcuti (M. Borg Olivier), C. Formosa, L. Grima

Tarxien: S. Cini, M. Caruana (S. Sadowski), M. Buttigieg, G. Bencini, S. Muscat, E. Mbong, S. Shead, A. Buhagiar (A. Mangion), R. Schembri, R. Grech (O. Grech), L. Vella Critien

Referee: J. Attard asst.refs: A. Camilleri, E. Spiteri

Scorers: S. Shead, S. Muscat (2), L. Vella Critien, A. Buhagiar, M. Borg Olivier