QORMI                  0

FLORIANA             0

Qormi: M. Farrugia, K. Thackray, M. Bartolo (A. Cassar), J. Chetcuti (A. Effiong), A. Bello-Osagie, L. Sciberras, M. Gauci, J. Bondin, S. Wellman, M. Avila Perez, L. Grech (C. Camoin)

Floriana: T. Warner, K. Farrugia, C. Tremarco, O. Bugeja,  T. Paris, D. Pisani, J. Borg, R. Darmanin (L. Casha), B. Farrugia,  C. Borg, S. Borg

Referee:  K. Azzopardi

Asst.refs: W. Debattista, S. Attard

4th official: E. Azzopardi

Yellow cards: B. Farrugia, C. Tremarco

Player of the match:  M. Avila Perez (Qormi)

TMI top 3:  1. I. M. Avila Perez  2. L. Grech  3. K. Farrugia

If this match was supposed to serve as a starter for the top clash which followed, then it failed miserably.

Qormi and Floriana played a tepid goalless draw, devoid of any excitement, and a point apiece hardly serves any side any purpose as their chances of making it to the Championship Pool seem to diminish with every passing week.

Both sides were bereft of their most influential player yesterday. Qormi had Edison Zarate and Floriana Igor Coronado suspended and without doubt both sides lacked plenty of inventive.

That made play boring with the ball kicked to and fro with little purpose. The strong wind at Ta’ Qali did not help matters either.

Qormi had Moises Avila Perez, formerly a Birkirkara player, making his first appearance in attack from the start and they even introduced two other new players, the returning Alfred Effiong and  former Mqabba player Clyde Camoin, as substitutes in the second half.

Abubaker Bello-Osagie played his last match for Qormi as he now embarks on a new adventure with Sliema Wanderers.

Qormi carved out the better chances throughout and, on the balance of play, they deserved a win. They squandered a couple of good opportunities, were denied by the post and the Floriana keeper, but overall they  lacked a real poacher to finish the job.

Merit to Floriana, however, as they stayed composed at the back and preserved a clean sheet for only the fourth time this season. Their attack was toothless with Ryan Darmanin, replacing the injured Trevor Cilia, only a peripheral figure, completely starved of service.

The first 22 minutes were totally barren and immediately after that we were treated to only the merest hint of quality. Grech looked menacing with a solo effort, thwarted by Floriana keeper Warner into a corner.

And with halftime looming, Chetcuti played the ball through for Grech, who was blocked by Bugeja inside the area, only for Avila Perez to fail with the final touch. A Wellman free kick was deflected by the Floriana keeper against the upright and Kane Farrugia’s timely interventionn denied Avila Perez on the point of shooting.

Qormi still remained the more enterprising in the second half but continued to show profligacy inside the Floriana box. Bondin hit horrendously in front of goal on an Avila Perez cross.

Qormi’s cutting edge was further blunted when Leighton Grech was forced to leave the pitch with some muscle problem on 65 minutes.

Floriana, who looked as ordinary as their table position suggests, handed the initiative to their opponents for too long. But ten minutes from time, substitute Luca Casha forced Qormi keeper Farrugia into the only difficult save of the match, turning his shot into a corner.

In the dying minutes, Avila Perez’s through pass did not reach Effiong and the stalemate prevailed till the end.