VITTORIOSA STARS-     1

QORMI-                          0

Vittoriosa S: S. Cini (M. Vella), M. M.Barbara (G. Martin), M. Teruel, M. Pereira (Siraj Arab), S. Arab, O. Guerrero, C. Spiteri, M. Buttigieg, J. F. Aguier, R. Dos Santos

Qormi: M. Farrugia, A. Effiong, R. Sammut, R. Bajada (J. Bondin), T. Caruana, J. Silva, E. Vella (G. Bellucci), O. Bugeja, D. Pisani, R. Innocenti, F. Santaguida (L. Del Giudice)

Referee: S. Spiteri

Asst.refs: W. Debattista, P. Abela

Addidtional asst.refs: K. Azzopardi, P. Caruana

4th official: D. Sultana

Scorer: M. Teruel 22

Yellow cards: S. Arab, M. Barbara, M. Camilleri, G. Bellucci, C. Spiteri, F. Aguiar, O. Bugeja

Player of the match: O. Guerrero (Vittoriosa S)

TMI top three: 1. O. Guerrero  2. M. Camilleri  3. R. Innocenti

Vittoriosa Stars obtained their first Premier League win this season after five matches, edging Qormi in a scrappy and tedious encounter.

Marcio Teruel was their hero, scoring his first goal since joining the newly promoted side this season, midway through the first half.

The result meant Vittoriosa, who had only one point at kick off, leapfrogged their opponents in the standings.

Qormi, without the still injured Leighton Grech and in the absence of Italians Nucera and D’Aniello, rarely threatened an equaliser, after falling behind to Teruel’s only goal of the match, and created very few chances to really trouble deputy keeper Jean Matthias Vella.

After good performances against Tarxien Rainbows and Valletta in their previous two outings, Qormi yesterday were a disjointed lot, completely bereft of ideas and any hint of penetration.

Before either team had put a decent shot on target, Vittoriosa were forced to substitute their injured goalkeeper Sean Cini, to be replaced by Vella in goal after eight minutes on the clock.

Their defence looked vulnerable and highly embarassed as Qormi made most of the running and raked crosses from both ends. Vittoriosa conceded several fouls around the area but Qormi were erratic in their execution and it was Vittoriosa who created the first threat on 10 minutes. Aguiar’s venominous shot from a distance hit the underside of the bar, the ball rebounded in play and Caruana forced his own keeper Farrugia into a difficult save as he tried to head the ball away.

On 21 minutes, on Buttigieg’s sailing free kick, Pereira’s glancing header produced a reflex save from the Qormi keeper Farrugia.

Vittoriosa went one better a minute later. Marcio Teruel was put clear by Guerrero’s intelligent flick and made no mistake, beating the Qormi keeper with a low angled drive.

Qormi were unable to regroup, showing lack of cohesion and penetration in the final third. Only towards the end of the half, Jorge Silva shot his free kick over and Caruana hit a long range shot narrowly wide.

A scrappy second half was littered with mistakes from both sides. Qormi failed to raise their game despite inclusions of  Jonathan Bondin and Giuseppe Bellucci. Innocenti missed the target from a few yards out on a Caruana corner and then headed another Caruana free kick straight in the hands of the otherwise inoperative Vittoriosa keeper Vella.

Vittoriosa also fluffed another half chance past the hour. Substitute Martin could not reach for Spiteri’s inviting cross when standing alone in front of the Qormi goal.

Disillusion was evident on Qormi’s faces towards the end when Roderick Sammut’s potential equlaiser was ruled offside by the referee’s assistant, but, in the final analysis, they did not deserve any better.