Marsaxlokk 0

Mqabba 4

Thiago Mazitelli and Bojan Mamic combined to telling effect and scored a brace each to help Mqabba beat poor Marsaxlokk and catch up with Mosta in the place before last in the table, as the last relegation spot has still to be decided.

Mqabba’s victory yesterday, their first in five matches, combined with Mosta’s defeat against Tarxien on Friday, is an injection of life that keeps their salvation hopes alive.

Marsaxlokk were bereft of key players like Clive Brincat, Trevor Templeman and Jean Paul Farrugia and that made it easier for Mqabba to hold the initiative and encamp their opponents inside their own half for long stretches.

In fact Marsaxlokk, who have little creativity, no pace and lacked any cutting edge, rarely, if ever, ventured into enemy territory during the entire match.

With his aerial prowess, Mamic proved a dangerous target man while the agility of Mazitelli was causing embarrassment to the flimsy Marsaxlokk rearguard.

Mqabba were full of assertive enthusiasm and had long been looking dangerous, raking long balls inside the Marsaxlokk area from both flanks. Keeper Cassar was called to hold out a Calleja long range shot and a Bonnici grounder on Mamic’s pass in the early stages.

Past the quarter hour, the Marsaxlokk keeper reached before Mazitelli on Potezika’s through ball and then, on Mazitelli’s cross, Bonnici’s effort was deflected into a corner by Xerri.

Given the fragile confidence within the Marsaxlokk side, there was a sense of inevitability about the Mqabba goal. And it came on 26 minutes. Patrick Borg failed to clear Calleja’s short pass inside the area and Bojan Mamic was free to beat the helpless keeper.

Two minutes later, Mqabba scored their second. Thiago Mazitelli picked Bonnici’s pass to beat keeper Cassar again with a low diagonal drive from the left.

Mqabba remained the more potent even in the second period, despite being forced to substitute the injured Claudio Calleja five minutes after the restart.

Although going close on several occasions, Mqabba failed to add to their goal tally until late in the game, as they were frustrated time and again by the superlative goalkeeping of Christian Cassar.

The Marsaxlokk shot stopper turned Mamic’s shot into a corner on 55 minutes and ten minutes later denied Julian Briffa with a sublime one-handed save into another corner.

On 74 minutes substitute Azzopardi ran towards goal. His shot was slightly deflected into a corner before Marsaxlokk finally collapsed to concede Mqabba’s third with five minutes remaining. Thiago Mazitelli ran in to connect to Mamic’s splitting pass and plant the ball beyond the keeper’s reach.

Mazittelli turned provider, crossing for Bojan Mamic to head past keeper Cassar deep into added time.

The remaining two fixtures against Qormi and Hamrun Spartans will determine Mqabba’s fate now!

Marsaxlokk C. Cassar, J. Xerri, P. Borg, P. Paris, M. Valeriani (S. Borg), L. Agius, D. Attard, S. Eboh (D. Grech), G. Caruana, P. Oladutun (C. Debattista), A. Pedrozo

Coach A. Cremona

Mqabba K. Calleja, P. Grima, M. Potezika, J. Briffa (D. Azzopardi), B. Timotic, T. Mazitelli, C. Calleja (R. Duca), M. Bonnici (M.A. Psaila), D. Fenech, R. Sammut, B. Mamic

Coach C. Mizzi

Referee K. Azzopardi

Asst.refs W. Debattista, T. Debono

4th official A. Arciola

Scorers B. Mamic 26, 90+, T. Mazitelli 28, 85

Yellow cards C. Calleja, G. Caruana

Player of the match B. Mamic (Mqabba)

TMI top 3 1. T. Mazitelli 2. C. Cassar 3. B. Mamic