Valletta-Qormi 4-0

Valletta: Y. Cini, J. C aruana, S. Borg (S. Bajada), R. Fenech, E. Agius, R. Briffa, O. Reyes Sanchez, A. Nyang (I. Zammit), D. Rocha Dos Santos (J.P. Mifsud Triganza), A. Nafti, L. Dimech

Qormi: M. Farrugia, J. Bondin, D. Pisani, G. Belluci, O. Bugeja, T. Caruana, L. Grech (E. Vella), J. Gabriel (C. Terribile), F. Santaguida, L. Del Giudice (R. Sammut), A. Issaka

Referee:  P. Farrugia

Asst.refs:  I. Spiteri, P. Abela

4th official: C. Lautier

Scorers: R. Briffa 47, D. Dos Santos 49, A. Nafti 57, 87

Yellow cards: R. Briffa, D. Dos Santos, F. Santaguida

Player of the match: A. Nafti (Valletta)

TMI top 3:  1. A. Nafti  2. D. Dos Santos  3. O. Bugeja

Attendance: 1,317

Following back-to-back wins against Tarxien Rainbows and Naxxar Lions, Qormi’s revival was briskly brought to an end by Valletta, who possessed too much ammunition yesterday and beat them by four clear goals with an impressive second half display.

Unbeaten in their last nine league matches, Valletta opened on all cylinders after a barren first half and, with the driving energy of Nafti and the illusive movement in attack of Denni Dos Santos, they had the ascendancy after the interval. Between them, they scored three goals, after captain Roderick Briffa had made the breakthrough. They thus remain one point adrift of leaders Birkirkara and two above Hibernians.

Valletta, who preferred Abdelkarim Nafti to Raimi Bakare in their initial line-up, sought defensive solidity, deploying Steve Bonnici and Oscar Reyes as wide backs, together with central pair of Luke Dimech and Jhonatan Caruana. Roderick Briffa gave Valletta more options in midfield, interchanging his role with Edmond Agius.  Valletta have only conceded once in their last four matches.

Nyang did not look much comfortable with a central attacking role but to him fell the best chance of a mundane first half as he headed Nafti’s cross from the left straight on keeper Farrugia just before the quarter hour.

Earlier, the Qormi custodian had saved Denni’s effort and past the half hour Denni again had his shot from inside the Qormi area blocked by defender Bugeja.

Qormi, with the inclusion of Duncan Pisani and Triston Caruana but without the suspended Roderick Bajada, could make little progress and they were often stifled as soon as they went past the halfway line. Alfred Effiong was also missing from their attack, with the Ghanian forward Abdulai Issaka starved of service.

Whatever pep talk from coach Miller at halftime, Valletta were a transformed side after the inetrval and scored two goals within as many minutes before the second half was five minutes old.

On 47 minutes, a long throw in by Borg from the right was headed by Dimech towards Roderick Briffa to toe poke the ball from close range.

Hardly two minutes later Valletta doubled their lead. Nyang robbed Caruana of the ball, threaded a good pass to Denni Dos Santos who was allowed to twist and turn inside the Qormi area before putting his low strike beyond the goalkeeper’s reach.

With Nayng taking a wider role, Valletta attack could function better. Denni’s more frequent marauding runs outside the area, were causing the Qormi defence some uncomfortable moments.

Three minutes short of the hour, an erratic defensive clearance by Qormi fell to Abdelkarim Nafti who drilled his shot from outside the area, with keeper Farrugia unable to hold out the ball.

That made the points safe for Valletta, who mercilessly continued to throw more embarassment to the Qormi rearguard, only for the alert Matthew Farrugia to keep their efforts out.

Valletta introduced two new forwards on 72 minutes, Ian Zammit and Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza. The latter fluffed at least four good opportunities in the late stages as he shot feebly on the keeper, when put clear by Bajada, then failed to apply the killer touch as Zammit rolled the ball across the face of the Qormi goal and later he shot wide after advancing down the right. He even failed to find the target, with only the keeper to beat when standing unmolestd inside the six yard box, on Bajada’s cross.

There was still time however for Valletta to score their fourth with three minutes remaining. That came courtesy of their best player, Abdelkarim Nafti, who again beat the Qormi keeper with a blistering shot from outside the area.