Valletta-Mosta 2-1
Valletta: P. Marino, R. Fenech (I. Zammit), E. Agius, R. Briffa, A. Nyang, H. Barry, D. Falzon (S. Bajada), J. Vandelannoite, Y. Camilleri, D. Dos Santos (A. Nafti), L. Dimech
Mosta: O. Borg, K. Farrugia, T. Farrugia, A. Cini, R. Grech (K. Zammit), B.Kaljevic, L. Duriska, C. Fernandes, M. Micallef, J. Toe (B.Agius), F. Arrigada (J. Brincat)
Referee: G. Tonna
Asst.refs: W. Debattista, P. Apap
4th official: A.M. Sant
Scorers: D. Dos Santos 31, Y. Camilleri 51, J. Brincat 81
Yellow cards: F. Arrigada, O. Borg, R. Briffa
Red card: E. Agius
Player of the match: H. Barry (Valletta)
TMI top three: 1. H. Barry 2. R. Fenech 3. O. Borg
Valletta kicked off their new campaign with a more convincing win more than the final scoreline might suggest, against inferior Mosta. This, they even achieved playing with ten men for the entire second half.
It was probably a surprise they did not win with a proper thrashing given the way they pummelled their opponents in the first half. Valletta’s pace dropped after the second goal early in the second half and they had started to look a little jaded towards the end . That allowed Mosta to hit one back nine minutes from time.
Yet the damage was done and, inside the first half, Valletta had played some attractive, slick football and before the hour they were leading by two goals.
With eight foreigners on their books, Valletta afforded the luxury of leaving out forward s Romulo Marques and Austin Obaje from their squad. They fielded three new signings, Italian keeper Pietro Marino, midfielder Hamza Barry and forward Aziz Nyang from Gambia, together with Jason Vandelannoite and Dennis Dos Santos. Tunisian Abdelkarim Nafti was their sixth foreigner on the bench.
Vandelannoite started alongside Luke Dimech in centrfal defence, in the absence of the unfit Jonathan Caruana. Edmond Agius was the holding midfielder with Dyswon Falzon and Yesswous Camilleri their wide backs. Rodrick Briffa and Ryan Fenech added to Valletta’s abundance of talent in midfield.
For Mosta, this was probably the first reminder of how tough this season can be. There will be more if they do not show more creativity and better cohesion but, if there is some consolation, it is that they will not be confronted by teams with this speed of thought and movement in attack.
Mosta’s game plan was always going to be a defensive one, especially because the side has changed a lot from last season. Their backline was well organised though, with new signing Omar Borg looking secure in goal, Tyrone and Kane Farrugia the central defenders and Mano Micallef and Francisco Arrigada the wide backs.
Their new Brazilian midfielder Christian Feernandes as well as Ryan Grech found the going tough in midfield and their forward from Montenegro Bojan Kaljevic was starved of service. Their other new foreigner Joel Sunny Boy Toe showed good footwork and proved Mosta’s most menacing player in the few instances the team enjoyed possession.
In fact Valletta dominated from the start but were denied time and again by the Mosta keeper. Borg palmed out Hamza Barry’s inswinging free kick from the left in the opening minutes and towards teh quarter hour, the Mosta shot stopper dived full length to his right to keep out Agius’ goalbound header from close range. Agius again scuffed his shot midway through the half when well served by Fenech from the right.
Valletta, who had been in total control, finally broke down the Mosta defence past the half hour but the opening goal brough protests from the Mosta players as they deemed play should have stopped when their captain Micallef lay injured on the ground. Nyang however sent a testing low cross from the right and Denni Dos Santos was quick to flick the ball in past the helpless keeper Borg. A skirmish ensued after the referee allowed the goal and Valletta’s team manager, Gerard Ellul was dismissed from the bench.
Valletta remained the better side and a Hamza Barry shot was deflected into a corner. There was still another controversial decision four minutes before the break. As Mosta were about to take a corner, Agius hit Toe inside the Valletta area. The referee was quick to show the Valletta playere the red card but failed to award a penalty to Mosta, who again protested hotly.
Although down to ten men, Valletta still held their grip on possession and created the first chance in the second period. Dimech advanced unhindered, played a one-two with Briffa but was blocked by keeper Borg when through inside the Mosta area.
On 50 minutes Nyang resisted the challenge of two Mosta defenders inside the area from the right, played a square pass to Barry, whose shot was tipped over the bar into a corner by Borg.
From Fenech’s ensuing flag kick, Yessous Camilleri’s first effort was held out by Borg but the Valletta defender managed to squeeze the loose ball past the Mosta keeper and over the line to double his side’s lead.
Fenech’s shot went narrowly over.
Valletta reverted to a 4-4-1 set up, with Nyang their most advanced player. Completely devoid of ideas, Mosta looked going nowhere. By the 75th minute, they had already effected all three substitutions, and they even removed Joel Sunny Boy Toe.
Valletta also substituted Denni and Falzon.
Belatedly, Mosta jerked into shape, even because Valletta might have eased down a bit. On 79 minutes, the rather inoperative Valletta keeper tipped a tame Kaljevic effort over the bar into a corner and then was forced to save into another corner a long range shot by substitute James Brincat.
Nine minutes from time, Mosta also hit a consolation goal, when Brincat headed in Micallef’s cross from the right.
But Valletta still finished strongly. On 90 minutes Borg saved a Vandelannoite grounder on Nyang’s pass and two minutes into added time Borg again denied Vandelannoite from close range with another reflex save.