Mqabba: K. Calleja, M. Bonnici, A. Busuttil, I. Nogueira (J. Mintoff), M.A. Psaila, M. Briffa (E. Navarro), M. Pereira, C. Calleja, D. Zarb (M. Onourah), M. Cocks, C. Gatt Baldacchino
Msida SJ: M. Camilleri, P. Sciriha, S. Grima, K. Spiteri, C. Brincat, D. Cachia, T. Farrugia, A. Farrugia (L. Mizzi), R. Baldacchino (A. Spiteri), G. Dos Santos, P. Dos Santos Calcado (P. Borg)
Referee: A. Arciola Asst.refs: M. Debono, E. Spiteri 4th official Ms E. Azzopardi
Scorers: A. Farrugia, M. Bonnici, M. Pereira
Yellow cards: A. Busuttil, M. Bonnici, M. Pereira, J. Mintoff, K. Spiteri, A. Spiteri, D. Cachia
Red card: T. Farrugia
Player of the match: Marlon Briffa (Mqabba)
TMI top three: 1. M. Briffa 2. D. Cachia 3. J. Mintoff
Msida St Joseph’s recent positive run came to an unexpected halt yesterday as they were beaten by bottom side Mqabba after having to play for almost a whole hour with ten men, following Tyrone Farrugia’s dismissal soon after the half hour.
This was only Mqabba’s second league win, the first under new coach Borislav Gyorev, who took over after Joe Falzon’s resignation earlier this month. Their other one dated back to September, and since then, Mqabba suffered 11 consecutive defeats.
Although still anchored at the bottom of the standings, this win might breath some life back into their struggle for survival in the next phase, albeit starting a good five points adrift of Pieta Hotspurs above them.
Msida were without the suspended Priso Doding and their attack lacked the cutting edge this powerful and volatile striker usually provides. Hampered in no small way by Farrugia’s expulsion, they looked jaded and were second best to their opponents in the second half, when Mqabba looked more lively especially with John Mintoff’s inclusion.
In a tepid first 20 minutes, both teams struggled to create anything real and neither keeper needed to be in residence. Only towards the quarter hour a Dos Santos Calcado free kick was comfortably blocked by keeper Calleja on the ground.
Then on 22 minutes, Baldacchino foraged on the left and crossed the ball for Adrian Farrugia to head past Calleja.
Five minutes later, Mqabba almost drew level with a similar move. Claudio Calleja’s firm header on Briffa’s cross was providentially blocked by Msida keeper Camilleri, who again started in goal after his superlative performance against Hibernians.
But the Saints suffered a setback on 35 minutes when their midfielder Tryrone Farrugia received his marching orders after a crude tackle on Claudio Calleja.
Mqabba tried to exploit their numerical superiority by drafting in Mintoff for Nogueira for the second half. They succeeded in strangling the life out of Msida’s attacking options and even threatened going forward.
Their efforts were rewarded towards the hour as Mintoff’s corner kick from the right was cleared into Mauro Bonnici’s path to beat keeper Camilleri with a powerful shot from the edge of the area. The goal injected pace and enthusiasm into Mqabba’s efforts and on another Mintoff corner, Pereira headed narrowly wide.
Msida had substituted both Baldacchino and Dos Santos Calcado by then to crowd their midfield. Mqabba also introduced Morgan Onourah up front as they kept up the initiative.
On 79 minutes, Marcelo Pereira took the ball in his stride and unleashed an unstoppable shot from outside area on the left, beating Camilleri at the top left hand corner, to score a spectacular winner.
Facing defeat in the face, Msida tried to regroup but were hampered by the poor quality of their passing. Till the end they only went close with a tame Brincat headed effort on Cachia’s free kick, but that also lacked the required conviction to trouble Mqabba in any way.