Mqabba: K. Calleja, M. Bonnici, I. Nogueira, M.A. Psaila, M. Briffa (J. Mintoff), F. Silva (J. P. Muscat), M. Pereira, C. Calleja, M. Cocks, C. Gatt Baldacchino, D. Zarb
Valletta: S. Darmanin, J. Grioli, K. Scicluna, B. Agius (K. Magro), S. Bezzina, I. Zammit, K. Fenech (C. Mattocks), H. Backhaus, D. Falzon, G. Agius, F. Temile (S. Monesterolo)
Referee: A. Arciola asst.refs: A. Camilleri, E. Spiteri 4th official: P. Caruana
Scorers: K. Scicluna, I. Zammit, D. Zarb
Yellow cards: F. Silva, C. Calleja, G. Agius
Player of the match: Ian Zammit (Valletta)
TMI top three: 1. D. Falzon 2. I. Zammit 3. D. Zarb
As expected, Valletta beat bottom side Mqabba to re-open a four-point lead over nearest rivals Floriana, although they have played a game more.
But the Citizens, who had Hogg, Mifsud, Camilleri and Giglio missing from their side, and Monesterolo going in as a substitute, had to sweat hard to clinch victory.
Scicluna and Zammit broke the stalemate in the second half to give the league leaders
some relief, but Mqabba were never outplayed and even managed to reduce the deficit with a quarter of an hour remaining.
Vastly superior to their brave opponents for almost the entire game, Valletta struggled to break down Mqabba’s organised defence in the first 45 minutes although they created some good opportunities. Inaccuracy and some good goalkeeping resulted in a barren first half. Zammit twice went close, shooting off target a well played ball Gilbert Agius and then again took possession on a Gatt Baldacchino slip but shot tantalisingly wide.
Temile also squandered a couple of chances midway through the half. When keeper Calleja missed the ball on Grioli’s long cross from the right, he clipped his header against the bar. Soon after the Valletta Nigerian striker turned well on Falzon’s pass but shot horrendously over.
On 35 minutes the Mqabba keeper produced a top save, diving to his left to hold Gilbert Agius?firm header on a Zammit cross.
Mqabba, who had been penned inside their own half for long stretches, threatened at the start and end of the half. In the opening minutes a Grioli hesitation in defence allowed Zarb to lob the ball narrowly over the bar and two minutes from the break, Zarb’s free kick from the right nearly surprised keeper Darmanin, who saw the flight of the ball late, but recovered in time to turn into a corner.
Valletta substituted Fenech, who had received a hard knock in the first half, with Mattocks for the second period, but hard as they tried to increase the pressure, Mqabba held out for another quarter hour until they collapsed to concede Valletta’s goal, on Kenneth Scicluna’s glancing header towards the hour.
That brought some relief to Valletta who brought in Monesterolo five minutes later for the innocuous Temile. The Argentine fluffed a chance himself when put clear by Nogueira’s erratic clearance and after grounding the keeper, he mishit the ball completely off target.
On 72 minutes, Valletta doubled their lead. Ian Zammit made his way inside the Mqabba area through the middle and twice beat his opponents?challenge on the ball before burying it past the helpless Calleja.
With 15 minutes remaining, Mqabba pulled themselves into the game when Dylan Zarb capitalised on a misunderstanding between keeper Darmanin and defenders Grioli and Scicluna, to shoot the ball low into an unguarded goal.
The goal frustrated Valletta for the remaining minutes as they continued to miss half chances through Monesterolo and Mattocks but defended their lead with minimal difficulty till the very end.