Floriana   3

Pembroke  0

The Greens were the much stronger outfit during the whole 70 minutes as they dominated Pembroke who were only able to create two actions during the whole game.

Following this result ,Floriana share top place with Sliema W. with a better goal difference on 15 points from six games having lost a game after a protest.

Keeper Matteo Farrugia suffered only one goal in six games. Pembroke are bottom-placed with only one point, also from six games. 

The onslaught commenced as early as the first minute as Floriana won a corner kick on the right flank which was well taken by Juan Carlos Corbolan and Martin Caruana headed slightly over the bar from inside the area.

Martin Caruana released Mauro Sultana on the left flank who advanced in the area and after Pembroke keeper Andrea Camilleri partly saved his shot, the ball was cleared by a defender. Sultana then served Dillon Darmanin in the area and the ball missed the upright by inches from his shot.

Floriana opened the score in the 19th minute when, after a run down the left flank by Sultana, he crossed the ball in the area and Conor Borg scored with a hard grounder past a helpless Camilleri.

The Greens kept pressing and mounted two further actions. Sultana was fouled on the left flank and after the ball was partly cleared from the free kick by Sean Cipriott, Jake Davies drove out from the rebound.

Cipriott was then fouled outside the area, the same player served Martin Caruana with a short pass but Camilleri saved his long-range shot.

In Pembroke’s only action in the first period after 30 minutes, Liam Saliba dribbled past an opponent and as he tried his luck from outside the area Matteo Farrugia denied him with a diving save.

A minute later Floriana were denied by the woodwork when Sultana was fouled just outside the area and the ball thumped the bar from the free kick by Cipriott, the ball landing in Camilleri’s waiting hands.

The second period was a carbon copy of the first with Floriana dominating the proceedings and Pembroke creating only one action.

Cipriott floated a perfect ball in the area from a free kick and Sultana drove over the bar, the same player then pounced on a faulty goal kick and, after entering the area, Camilleri denied him with a diving save.

Caruana was then fouled outside the area and after Camilleri partly saved the free kick by Cipriott, the ball missed the upright from the rebound by Sultana.

After a well-taken corner kick by Corbolan, Conor Borg headed slightly out from inside the area.

In a Pembroke action, Saliba dribbled past an opponent but his long-range shot created no problems for Farrugia.

Floriana kept pressing to increase their lead. Conor Borg served Dale Borg in the area and Camilleri denied him with a diving save while Sultana served substitute Matthew Debono in the area but he missed the upright.

The score became 2-0 in the 58th minute. From a Corbolan cross, Conor Borg scored with a flying header.

The same player, minutes later, missed the upright from inside the area after a Sultana perfect cross.

Two minutes before the end the score became 3-0 when substitute Gian Luca Azzopardi served Dale Borg with a short pass from a corner kick, the latter served Sultana in the area who had no difficulty to beat Camilleri from one metre.

Referee: Martin Borg

Player of the match: Juan Carlos Corbolan (Floriana)