Tarxien R: M. Falzon, S. Sadowski, C. Gatt Baldacchino, E. De Lima, W. Chircop, A. Decesare (M. Tanti), R. Schembri, D. Bueno, L. Vella Critien (M. Caruana), D. Rocha Dos Santos (O. Grech), D. Camilleri

Floriana: S. Suessner, J. Borg, S. Bonnici, M. Briffa, C. Camoin, C. Caruana, P. Doffo, O. Anonam (O. Bugeja), S. Eboh, R. Darmanin, P. Da Silva (D. Pisani)

Referee: A. Arciola asst.refs: A. Camilleri, J. Camilleri 4th official: C. Pisani

Scorers: L. Vella Critien, D. Bueno (2)

Yellow cards: J. Borg, C. Caruana, A. Decesare, D. Rocha Dos Santos, S. Sadowski, R. Schembri, W. Chircop, M. Briffa

Red card: S. Eboh

Player of the match: Daniel Bueno (Tarxien R)

TMI top three: 1. D. Camilleri 2. A. Decesare 3. C. Caruana

A poor Floriana side were outplayed, outfought and outmuscled by competent Tarxien Rainbows and finally surrendered to a 3-0 defeat.

Despite the return of Doffo, Caruana and Borg, Floriana failed to lift the gloom which has settled lately in their side, having collected only four points from their last eight matches. They now start the second phase in fifth place, with 11 points.

Tarxien were back in the groove after their reverse against Hibernians in the previous match and with their strikers Bueno and Chircop having an easy day against Floriana’s flimsy defence, their win looked more emphatic at the end.

Both teams failed to produce anything noteworthy in a tepid first half hour of a mundane half which produced only Tarxien’s goal three minutes before the break.

It was a deserved lead for the Rainbows who looked more enterprising than their opponents. They were buoyed by the return of Rocha Dos Santos from injury, as well as the inclusion of Gatt Baldacchino and Decesare after suspension.

Dos Santos provided the pass for Luke Vella Critien, who outpaced Camoin before sliding the ball past the Floriana keeper Suessner.

Earlier, a Bueno cross from the left fell to the grounded Chircop whose effort was blocked by the Floriana defence. Another Camilleri cross shot was cleared out before two claims for penalties, one on an Eboh handling inside the area and another when Caruana fell inside the Tarxien area, went unnoticed by the referee.

On the stroke of halftime, Chircop just failed to put his head to Camilleri’s sailing free kick which ended against the upright.

Floriana’s only hopes of salvaging a point always rested on Caruana, their most dangerous player up front. On 50 minutes he advanced well from midfield but his shot was well saved by keeper Falzon, deputising for Curmi in the Tarxien goal. Three minutes later an Eboh headed effort, on a Doffo corner, went dangerously across the Tarxien goal but from that action, Floriana’s defence was caught on the hop as Daniel Bueno took possession and although challenged by Camoin, he drove the ball low to beat the Floriana keeper at the far post.

That goal settled the issue as Floriana threw away the towel. Tarxien could bask in their superiority, with a Camilleri free kick palmed out by the keeper.

And after Eboh was rightly also sent off on 76 minutes, for a crunching tackle on Camilleri, Tarxien added a third goal eight minutes from the end. Daniel Bueno advanced inside the Floriana area, shrugging off Camoin’s challenge, and slotted the ball in after even rounding the helpless Suessner.