Valletta: M. Bartolo, S. Borg, R. Fenech (J. Caruana), J. Gabriel, L. Almeida, R. Briffa, R. Da Rocha Filho, D. Falzon (I. Azzopardi), W. Barbosa (D. Dos Santos), M. Mifsud, S. Bajada

Tarxien R: N. Vella, C. Mamo, A. Agius (M. Caruana), J. Shead (M. Tanti), D. Meira, K. Pulo (W. Chircop), D. Bueno, L. De Castro, O. Anonam, S. Bonnici, J. Grioli

Referee: A. Azzopardi

Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, R. Vella

4th official: P. Caruana

Scorers: J. Caruana 68

Yellow cards: K. Pulo, R. Fenech, L. De Castro, D. Bueno

Player of the match: Orosco Anonam (Tarxien R)

TMI top three: 1. O. Anonam 2. J. Gabriel 3. D. Dos Santos

Champions Valletta were made to sweat to overcome a stubborn but totally defensive Tarxien Rainbows side by the only goal from substitute defender Jonathan Caruana after only five minutes from coming off the bench.

It was a rewarding tactical change by coach Mark Miller that paid dividends after Valletta’s dominance had failed to produce any goals for more than an hour.

Valletta fielded five new players, including three Brazilians Gabriel, Almeida and Ricardo Filho as well as two locals, keeper Manuel Bartolo and midfielder Shaun Bajada. Their starting line-up was bereft of the unfit Jonathan Caruana and Denni Dos Santos, with Ian Azzopardi and Edmond Agius also named among the substitutes.

Ricardo and Borg played as centre backs with Dyson Falzon and Roderick Briffa wide backs.

Barbosa and Gabriel in front of the defence, with wide players Ryan Fenech and Shaun Bajada, Valletta crowded their midfield although they were allowed little comfort on the ball by Tarxien. Da Rocha Filho and Michael Mifsud often had to retreat to pick the ball themselves.

As expected, the champions did most of the running but looked jaded and struggled to penetrate Tarxien’s crowded defence, who kept nine or ten players behind the ball.

Bajada went close with an early effort that sailed wide and after ten minutes, Mifsud ran through two opponents but put his final shot over.

A Barbosa free kick also missed the target past the hour and on a Bajada cross from the left, Mifsud was beaten for the ball before he could conclude in front of the Tarxien goal.

The Rainbows, under the guidance of new coach Danilo Doncic, made few changes to their side from last season, with defender Andrew Agius, Steve Bonnici (formerly of Hamrun) in a central defensive role and Brazilian forward Danilo Meira making their debuts.

The latter was left to plough a lone furrow in attack and after accelerating through the Valletta defence on 19 minutes, he found little support. His long range shot was defelected into a corner by keeper Bartolo.

Valletta maintained some sustained pressure in the second half after a barren first, but still could not find a way to breach their opponents. Tarxien looked menacing on 56 minutes with a fast Meira break, his pass to Bueno, whose grounder was well saved by keeper Bartolo.

On the other end, the Tarxien custodian was severely tested for the second time in the match, holding out Gabriel’s shot after he had parried Fenech’s shot earlier.

On 63 minutes, Valletta made a double substitution, putting in Jonathan Caruana for Fenech and Denni Dos Santos for Barbosa, with Roderick Briffa moving upfield.

That had a telling effect on the final outcome as Denni’s movement looked to unsettle the Tarxien rearguard for the first time in the match. Five minutes later, Mifsud ran inside the Tarxien area but was blocked into a corner. From the resultant Gabriel corner, Caruana rose to head in and break the deadlock.

It was a poor goal to concede for Tarxien after all their good defensive work but Valletta by far deserved their win. With no B plan, despite effecting all three substitutions, Tarxien looked chasing a lost cause.

Valletta could have even added to their lead, with close shaves from Denni and Bajada. But the greatest miss of all came from Gabriel on the stroke of full time. Clear in front of goal, he incredibly skied his effort!