Vittoriosa-Tarxien 2-2

Vittoriosa S: J.Vella, M. Teruel, M. Buttigieg (A. Spiteri), G. Martin (Siraj Arab), O. Guerrero, C. Brincat (R. Mifsud), M. Camilleri, R. Dos Santos, M. Pereira, J.F. Aguiar, Samir Arab

Tarxien R: N. Vella, C. Mamo, F. Lopez, A. Agius, L. Martinelli, R. Caiheira, M. Ciantar (K. Pulo), Everton (R. Sammut), J. Mifsud, S. Bonnici, J. Silva

Referee: A. Arciola

Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, T. Debono

Additional asst.refs: M. Borg, G. Tonna

4th official: E. Spiteri

Scorers: R. Caiheira 40,  G. Martin 55, J. Silva 69, O. Guerrero 79

Yellow cards: S. Bonnici, J.F. Aguiar, O. Guerrero, M. Camilleri, F. Lopez, M. Teruel

Red card: J. F. Aguiar

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

TMI top three: 1. O. Guerrero  2. M. Teruel  3. Everton

Both Vittoriosa Stars and Tarxien Rainbows, on  eight points each in the standings, are in with  a realistic chance of making it in the top six. Yesterday, they played an entertaining 2-2 draw, with the Stars producing their best in the second half after an enterprising start fromTarxien.

The Rainbows,who preferred Jorge Santos for Marko Potezica but still fielded four foreigners, looked the better side throughout the first 45 minutes and deserved their one-goal lead at halftime.

 But Vittoriosa were a transformed side after the interval and upped the tempo to come twice from behind and earn a merited draw. Oscar Guerrero’s equaliser on the 2-2, after Jorge Silva had put Tarxien again in front, came when the Stars were playing with ten men, following the sending off of their midfielder Jose Felipe Aguiar.

Tarxien’s opener came late, five minutes before the break when, on an Everton deep cross from the left, Romallie Caiheira nipped in from behind Ramon Santos to head past the Vittoriosa keeper Jean Vella.

The goal was just reward for their previous efforts as the Rainbows always looked the more likely to break the deadlock in a mundane first half.

On the quarter hour Caiheira ran inside the Vittoriosa area on a Ciantar through ball but when challenged by Ramon Santos, he lost his balance and the chance went to waste.

Towards the half hour, Lopez’s glancing header was saved by keeper Vella who started the break for the Stars. Pereira galloped down the right, crossed low but Agius cleared into a corner. After Ciantar went close with his shot from outside the area, Martinelli tested keeper Jean Vella with an angled shot that had the Vittoriosa shot stopper tipping the ball over the bar into a corner.

Vittoriosa went into the second half in more lively fashion though and the quality of play somehow improved. It took them only ten minutes to level matters. Gilbert Martin connected well to a high ball inside the Tarxien area and volleyed past the helpless Nicky Vella.

Goals change games, as the old cliche goes, and now it was Vittoriosa in the ascendancy They raised their game considerably, inspired by the creative work of Marcio Teruel in midfield and the finishing of Oscar Guerrero. Their defence still looked vulnerable whenever Tarxien pushed forward, although that came with less frequency for the Rainbows. Past the hour, keeper Jean Vella was caught off his line, as Vittoriosa showed hesitancy at the back,  but Everton’s lob ended on the roof of the net.

Vittoriosa were playing better at that stage. Martin passed the ball to Guerrero whose shot was repelled by keeper Nicky Vella. The Tarxien keeper dived to hold out Geurrero’s insidious cross from the byeline on the left.

But suddenly the goal came on the other end on 69 minutes. Everton threaded a perfect through pass to the advancing Jorge Silva who avoided the onrushing Vittoriosa keeper and score form a tight angle despite Samir’s effort to stop the ball from crossing the line.

Vittoriosa seemed undone when on 77 minutes, Jose Felipe Aguiar received marching orders after a late tackle earned him a second booking.

But that was only an illusion. To their credit, Vittoriosa kept fighting and only two minutes later they again drew level, Teruel and Guerrero combining well to earn their side a point that looked beyond them. Teruel played a floating ball inside the Tarxien area for Pereira to lay it in the path of Guerrero who beat keeper Nicky Vella with a left-foot strike.