Qormi: M. Farrugia, K. Thackray, R. Sammut, M. Bartolo, V. Pisani (S. Sirito), A. Bello-Osagie, L. Sciberras, E. Bilbao Zarate, G. Spiteri (J. Chetcuti), J. Bondin (M. Gauci), L. Grech

Melita: M. Sapiano, M. Borg, I. Tufegzic, G. Gribbon, M. Camacho, N. Rizzo, J. Galea, L. Sammut (A. Caruana Scicluna), K. Vella Petroni (L. Micallef), J. Vukanic, H. Negrin (M. Cachia)

Referee: A. Azzopardi

Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, D. Sultana

4th official: A. Arciola

Scorers: H. Negrin 14, 26, K. Thackray 21, A. Bello-Osagie 24, L. Sammut 47

Yellow cards: K. Vella Petroni, I. Tufegzic

Player of the match: H. Negrin (Melita)

TMI top 3: 1. H. Negrin 2. K. Thackray 3. J. Galea

Jesmond Zerafa’s second spell with Qormi as the club’s new coach, started on the wrong foot after his side crushed to a shock defeat against Melita as their troubled start of the season continues.

Melita thus obtained an historic first win in the BOV Premier League yesterday to move away from bottom place in the standings and trail Qormi by only three points.

This was yet another surprise result at the weekend, showing that newly promoted teams have got the stomach for a fight when it comes to defying the critics.

Their forward Hose Negrin yesterday exposed vulnerabilty in the Qormi defence and scored two of his side’s three goals.

Some woeful defending from both sides played a major part in the final result, but the match was no brimstone and fire as the scoreline might suggest.

For most of a mundane 90 minutes, Melita were the better, more cohesive team and this win might mark an upturn of fortunes, on the back of five consecutive defeats.

Four goals within the first half hour were the main highlights of a drab first half, producing poor quality football, typical of bottom-of-the-table stuff.

Melita forged ahead with their first genuine attack after 14 minutes. Julian Galea played the ball forward to Hose Negrin to lob over the onrushing Qormi keeper Matthew Farrugia.

Negrin should have done better only two minutes later, when he robbed possession from half pitch but hesitated too long and Thackray could recover to clear the danger.

Melita then collapsed to concede two goals within three minutes, both from dead ball situations.

On 21 minutes Qormi were awarded a free kick from some 25 metres out. Kris Thackray placed the ball at the top right hand corner, with keeper Sapiano left rooted to his line.

Three minutes later Bello-Osagie put Qormi in front with another well placed direct free kick, this time after Pisani was felled on the edge of the Melita area on the left.

But, to their credit, Melita were not demorilised and on 26 minutes they restored equilibrium.

A long Borg throw-in was headed inside the Qormi area by Tufegzic, the ball fell to the feet of Hose Negrin who slotted in from close range.

Melita carved out two good scoring opportunities and could have been ahead at the interval. Negrin turned well inside the Qormi area on Camacho’s pass but placed his shot wide. On 43 minutes Camacho was unlucky when his curling free kick from the edge of the area on the right, thumped against the upright.

Qormi put in Joseph Chetcuti for Spiteri at the start of the second half. Melita however continued with their attacking theme and took the lead again for the second time in the match with hardly two minutes after the restart.

Negrin sent a low cross from the byeline on the right for Galea to serve the unmarked Luke Sammut to tap in at the far post.

Remaining tetchy and disjointed, Qormi failed to put up a decent reaction, looking too letargic in their approach.

The closest they went was past the hour when Bello-Osagie played the ball wide for Grech to cross from the right, but Pisani’s effort was deflecfted into a corner.

Towards the end, Melita could have made it even more emphatic but Rizzo’s powerful drive from outside the area was repelled by the Qormi keeper.