Valletta-Floriana 3-0

Valletta: P. Marino, R. Briffa, D. Falzon, Y. Camilleri (S. Bajada), L. Dimech, J. Vandelannoite, H. Barry, R. Fenech, A. Nyang (M.A. Romulo), I. Zammit (J. Caruana), A. Nafti

Floriana: S. Mintoff, A. Scicluna, I. Edet, D. Bogdanovic (C. Caruana), G. Roberts, I. Coronado (L. Casha), S. Pisani, C. Borg, G. Muir, D. Pinheiro De Sousa (B. Farrugia), S. Borg

Referee: K. Azzopardi

Asst. Refs: M.Scerri, P. Abela

Additional asst.refs: A. Arciola, E. Azzopardi

4th official: D. Sultana

Scorers: I. Zammit 45+, A. Nyang 55, M. Romulo 77

Yellow cards: L. Dimech, P. Marino

Player of the match: A. Nafti (Valletta)

TMI top three: 1. A. Nyang  2. A. Nafti  3. D. Pinheiro De Sousa

Attendance: 1,409

Derby delight for Valletta

SILVIO VELLA

Valletta returned to winning ways after their reverse against Hibernians in the previous match and victory could not have come any sweeter than in this derby against troubled neighbours Floriana.

But don’t be fooled by the scoreline. Valletta were never that convincing in the first half and only took the lead in added time as the match lived below expectations. The goal might have given the side from the capital the required tonic to score two more goals in the second half as toiling Floriana lost the plot and their first half’s composure, becoming restless with the lack of attempts on goal, not to mention the lack of excitement, and they fizzled out to near invisibility towards the end.

Valletta, already depleted through the suspensions of Edmond Agius and Denni Dos Santos as well as the not fully fit Jonathan Caruana, who only went in as a late substitute, gave starts to Ian Zammit and Abdelkarim Nafti. Midway through the half, Valletta were even forced to replace central defender Yessous Camilleri, after suffering a head injury, and put in Shaun Bajada. That meant that Vandelannoite dropped in the centre of defence and Roderick Briffa moved as right back.

As against Hibernians, Valletta dominated possession for long stretches but were little productive, even because Floriana, with all their limitations, were well organised at the back and in midfield.

The danger in the first half was only restricted to a couple of free kicks, which Nafti and Barry failed to put on target.

From the Greens’ point of view, with only one point from their first two matches and deducted a further point in midweek, there was little sign of a nascent understanding developing between Bogdanovic and Pinheiro, but that would inevitably take time.

Bogdanovic, the pick of Floriana’s  attacking players,  was always the main concern for Valletta’s defence but in general the game was becoming increasingly scrappy until Pinheiro good work from the byeline on the right presented Bogdanovic with an inviting chance inside the Valletta area. The Floriana forward’s shot on the turn, was blocked into a corner past the half hour.

With the first half looming towards a goalless draw, Valletta struck deep into three minutes of added time. Ian Zammit was quick to connect to Nafti’s long ball forward and beat keeper Mintoff, deputising for regular Hanford, with a looping header.

Besides these fragments of action, the first period was a stupefying sprawl of sterile passing and plodding. The second half brought moderate improvement from Valletta, who dominated completely and proved good value for their advantage.

One or two touches aside, Valletta’s Nyang had not really figured out in the first period but he improved considerably after the interval to mastermind his side’s victory.

Barry headed Nafti’s corner wide. On the other end Pinheiro’s effort in front of Valletta’s goal, was blocked into a corner.

On 55 minutes, Nyang’s  goalbound firm header on Nafti’s cross was headed into a corner by Scicluna on the goal line. From the resultant corner, Aziz Corr Nyang hit in powerfully from close range.

Valletta were all over their opponents by then. Nyang’s cross shot was tipped over by keeper Mintoff and the same Valletta forward’s acrobatic effort on Barry’s cross went wide.

Floriana messed up two opportunities in as many minutes. Coronado ran inside the Valletta area but shot feebly in the keeper’s safe hands. Muir was even more erratic as he horrendously hit over after going clear from the right.

Valletta made it even more emphatic with a third goal, 13 minutes from time, through their debutant Marques Romulo. The Brazilian had just gone in for Nyang when he was presented with the ball at his feet from a short Floriana clearance to stab it in past the helpless Mintoff from close range.

Floriana’s misery was complete.