Mosta-Floriana 1-0

Mosta: O. Borg, T. Farrugia, M. Brincat, I. Grech, R. Ekani, K. Zammit (K. Farrugia), R. Grech, M. Micallef, C. Fernandes (Y. Messias), B. Kaljevic (D. Pereira), G.M. Piccioni

Floriana: D. Hanford, I. Edet, S. Pisani, C. Caruana, D. Pinheiro, C. Borg (I. Galea), J. Borg, L. Casha (I. Coronado), R. Aguiar, G. Muir (B. Farrugia), S. Borg

Referee:  A.M. Sant

Asst.refs: E. Spiteri, L. Portelli

4th official: C. Pisani

Scorers: K. Zammit 77,

Yellow cards: J. Borg, C. Borg, R. Ekani, D. Pereira, R. Grech

Red card: G.M. Piccioni

Player of the match: D. Hanford (Floriana)

TMI top 3:  1. K. Zammit  2. M. Brincat  3. D. Hanford

Mosta should have won this one by a landslide but finally they had to settle for a solitary late goal, scored by midfielder Kurt Zammit, ironically after they were reduced to ten men soon after the hour, to beat poor Floriana in crisis.

Following their impressive comeback win against Hibernians a week before, Mosta made three changes in their starting line-up. Duriska was suspended, Dyson Falzon out with a knee injury and Kane Farrugia dropped to the bench. Ishmael Grech, Ryan Grech and Bojan Kaljevic were given the nod instead.

With Andre Scicluna suspended, Floriana’s central defenders were Ibok Edet and Rodrigo Aguiar. The not fully fit Igor Coronado was exiled to the bench as Luca Casha and Steve Pisani started  in attack.

Floriana could carve very few scoring opportunities throughout the match as their midfield was often bypassed with long balls played from behind, straight inside the Mosta area where Mark Brincat and Tyrone Farrugia got the better of Floriana’s forwards. Christian Caruana struggled for inventive.

A third reverse on the trot now plummets Floriana to eight place, one below Balzan and five points adrift of sixth-placed Mosta with three matches remaining for the end of the first phase.

Mosta should have wrapped the match up before halftime had they not shown too much profligacy and lack of killer instint in front of the Floriana goal. Their lethal predator Gian Marco Piccioni had several opportunities to add to his season’s tally. If Piccioni blamed misfortune or the Floriana keeper’s abilities in the first half, he was only to blame himself past the hour when sent off for a silly retaliation on an opponent.

Floriana’s keeper Daniel Hanford was soon under pressure as Mosta raked several long balls behind the high Greens’ backline and tried to outplay them with the speed of Piccioni, Kaljevic or Fernandes.

But no matter how close they got to their opponents' goalline during a manic opening half, Mosta could not force the ball over it.

After nine minutes, Piccioni was through on a Fernandes pass but Hanford saved his low drive. Two minutes later Zammit’s low shot from the right forced the Floriana keeper to stretch himslef and turn into a corner.

Mosta again were wasteful towards the half hour when Piccioni got the better of Sascha Borg on the run, as they chased a Micallef long ball forward, advanced through the middle but he shot feebly on the goalkeeper.

And Picccioni squandered yet another chance on 36 minutes when he ran free inside the Floriana area from the right but his effort lacked enough power to beat keeper Hanford.

Five minutes before the break, Mosta threatened again but Fernandes was blocked by the goalkeeper as he tried to back-heel in Piccioni’s low cross.

Like in the previosu week, Mosta put in Diego Pereira for Kaljevic at the start of the second half and, after Pinheiro missed the target when served by Pisani, Floriana effected a double substitution on 56 minutes, drafting in Igor Coronado and Brooke Farrugia.

Mosta suffered a setback on 65 minutes when their forward Piccioni flung his foot at Floriana’s defender Sascha Borg as both lay grounded near the byeline and received marching orders.

But with Floriana unable to exploit their numerical superiority and Clyde Borg stertechered off on 73 minutes, Mosta still remained more potent going forward. With Yuri Messias an additional substitute on the pitch, Mosta hit the winner on 77 minutes.

Pereira outpaced the Floriana defence but his powerful shot was repelled by the Floriana keeper, only for Kurt Zammit to win possession on the rebound with Edet, had his first effiort blocked by Hanford before slotting in the second rebound. Zammit was also stretchered off six minutes from the end but judging from the level of Floriana’s incompetence on the afternoon, Mosta never looked in danger of losing the points.