Qormi 2

Vittoriosa S 2

Qormi managed to hold on for a point in a topsy-turvy match that saw them fall behind, go in front and then concede Vittoriosa’s equaliser when playing with ten men for a whole half hour.

The match, between two teams at the lower end of the table, provided plenty of incident, especially in the second half, but little in terms of good football.

Vittoriosa Stars failed to claim maximum points their second half dominance richly deserved.

Without key players, through injury and suspension, and with a man less for the last half hour, Qormi probably found more value in a point. With Jonathan Bondin and Jason Vandelnoite absent, their reshuffled defence included Michael Borg Olivier and Roderick Sammut. Bjedov and Bello-Osagie were still injured and Ben Camilleri shouldered all the responsibility in attack. He was starved of service, though, and at times he had to retreat in midfield to pick the ball himself. He scored his side’s second goal soon after the restart.

Vittoriosa were without the suspended Kevin Mifsud, but Leighton Grech was back in the starting line-up. Otherwise they kept the same men who lost to Valletta in the previous match.

The Vittoriosa keeper Simon . Agius remained mostly inoperative during the first 45 minutes, in which the Stars made more of the running and took an early lead but were caught out by Qormi’s equaliser on the stroke of halftime.

After 12 minutes. Edison played the ball square to Anthony Ewurum, who turned and shot at goal, the ball taking a deflection off a Qormi defender, beyond keeper Farrugia’s reach.

Qormi’s only response came seven minutes later through a Joseph Farrugia dipping shot, after Borg Olivier’s drive was blocked by the Vittoriosa defence.

Silva played the ball to Grech who could only shoot wide.

Midway through the half, Jonathan Xerri went in for the injured Vittoriosa midfielder Campagnoli.

The match remained bottom of the table stuff and we only witnessed two poorly executed free kicks by Wellman for Vittoriosa and by Joseph Farrugia for Qormi.

With half time looming, Qormi managed to level matters. Kang played a long ball forward, chased by Cleaven Frendo, who lobbed the ball over the onrushing keeper Agius.

The timing was bad for Vittoriosa to concede the goal.

In fact Qormi went into the second in more lively fashion. Bartolo’s curling shot with his left foot landed on the roof of the net, before Qormi went in front on 50 minutes. Joseph Farrugia raked one of his long balls inside the area and Ben Camilleri flicked it just enough over keeper’s head at the top corner.

Suddenly Vittoriosa were chasing the game.

Kang was lucky to get away with only a caution after retaliation on Edison, which provoked a short skirmish and towards the hour, Frendo kicked Pace as the Vittoriosa defender blocked his way. Both were cautioned.

The match reached farcical proportions as the referee showed Qormi’s defender Kang the second yellow card for taking too long to resume play from a throw-in and was therefore dismissed on 62 minutes.

Meanwhile, Qormi were also forced to substitute the injured Sammut and in went Mallia.

Vittoriosa were quick to take the bit between their teeth as they tried to exploit their numerical superiority and pinned their opponents inside their own half. Silva pounced on a loose ball deflected into his path from the right and thumped his low shot against the upright. Xerri’s grounder on a Silva low cross was blocked.

But on 75 minutes, on an inviting Grech cross from the left, Luis Edison towered himself to beat keeper Farrugia with a firm header.

With Qormi back pedalling, Vittoriosa knew that the points were there for the taking. They kept up the pressure, with crosses from the flanks that the Qormi defence somehow managed to stifle.

In the dying minutes, Vittoriosa went close to clinching the winner. Silva played the ball from the right across the face of the Qormi goal but nobody was bale to put a foot to it.

And in added time, Edison arrived fractionally late on another Silva low cross as the Stars had to settle for only one point.

Qormi M. Farrugia, S. Giglio, R. Sammut (G. Mallia), M. Bartolo, K. Fenech, J. Chetcuti, J. Farrugia, B. Camilleri (G. Buttigieg), C. Frendo (S. Agius), H. Kang, M. Borg Olivier

Coach S. Azzopardi

Vittoriosa S S. Agius, K. Sammut, S. Pace, J. Chetcuti, C. Campagnoli (J. Xerri), E. Lima, D. Cachia (C. Micallef), J. Silva, A. Ewurum, S. Wellman, L. Grech

Coach W. Muscat

Referee F. Zammit

Asst.refs I. Spiteri, A. Camilleri

4th official C. Pisani

Scorers A. Ewurum 12, C. Frendo 45, B. Camilleri 50, L. Edison 75

Yellow cards J. Chetcuti, H. Kang, C. Frendo, S. Pace, L. Grech

Red card H. Kang

Player of the match L. Edison (Vittoriosa Stars)

TMI top 3 1. L. Edison 2. J. Farrugia 3. L. Grech