Valletta caught on rivals Hibernians at the top of the BOV Premeir League this weekend with a second win on the trot. Yesterday, their performance agains Mosta was more impressive than against Tarxien Rainbows the previous week, with the champions looking fluid in midfield and refreshed as an attacking unit.
This newly assembled Mosta have still to start functioning as a team. Yesterday they were only a bunch of individuals, although they were facing a tall order in the form of champions Valletta.
Mosta still lack cohesion, solidity at the back and most of all some form of creativity in midfield, for their forwards to get some good service. They were undermined yesterday by changes to their side. The introduction of new Nigerian Emanuel Okafor did not help matters and the midfielder was rightly substituted at halftime to make way for another new recruit, Ousseni Zongo, a familiar face with Valletta last season.
By then Mosta, woefully open at the back, were trailing against Valletta 3-1, despite the addition of their new right back from Floriana, Manolito Micallef.
Although they won their first match, Valletta coach Mark Miller still deemed it fit to make changes to his starting line-up, which included Jonatahn Caruana and Denni Dos Santos , dropping Almeida and Ryan Fenech to the bench. With Steve Borg and Dyson Falzon the two wide backs, Roderick Briffa played in midfield, synchronising smoothly with the industrious Joao Gabriel, to take a stranglehold in that sector and encamp their opponents inside their own half, forcing them into a plaethora of defensive errors
That was mostly the pattern in the first 45 minutes.
After six minutes, Denni almost capitalised on Mosta’s defensive hesitancy, but was blocked in time by keeper Haber.
Shortly before the quarter hour, Mosta succumbed to Valletta’s first goal. Apap failed to intercept Bajada’s through ball, allowing it to reach Michael Mifsud who beat keeper Haber with a low drive at the near post.
Valletta held the initiative. On 17 minutes Barbosa went close with his free kick from outside the area.
Midway through the half, a Haber gaffe paved the way to Valletta’s second. The Mosta keeper rushed out of his line but failed to reach for Denni’s corner from the left, allowing Caruana to head towards the middle and Ricardo Barreto Da Rocha rose high to head over the crowded Mosta goal.
Mosta failed to make any reaction, remaining too static on the pitch and bereft of creativity. Only Campagnoli, in flashes, tried to push the ball forward but found little or no support, with Daniel Mitev dangerous from dead ball situations. Past the half hour a Mitev free kick narrowly missed the target before Valletta were three up on 40 minutes. Mifsud again played the ball wide to Steve Borg who beat Bajada’s challenge before driving the ball low past the grounded Haber.
Mosta however pulled one back a minute before the break. Micallef played a high cross from the right for Obinne Obiefule to chase and head past keeper Bartolo, although challenged by Caruana and Barreto.
Mosta, as against Hibernians the previos week, showed more resolve in the second period, although most of the damage had been done. The Valletta keeper Bartolo was kept more busy as he twice denied Mosta with smart saves, tipping Mitev’s venomous free kicks into a corner. Haber alos did well to foil the rampant Denni, blocking at his feet on 51 minutes.
Although having close shaves through substitute Ryan Fenech and Denni, and later through other substitute Almeida, Valletta failed to add further goals as the adrenaline faded from both sets of players.