Valletta-Mosta 2-2
Valletta: N. Revishvili, J. Caruana, S. Borg, R. Fenech, E. Agius (H. Barry), R. Briffa, S. Bajada, A. Da Silva Souza (J.P. Mifsud Triganza), I. Maisuradze, E. Lateef, A. Nafti (L. Montebello)
Mosta: O. Borg, T. Farrugia, R. Ekani, M. Brincat, I. Grech, R. Grech, K. Zammit (R. Faria), M. Micallef, I. Zammit (A. Carrozza), B. Kaljevic (C. Fernandez), G.M. Piccioni
Referee: P. Farrugia
Asst.refs: I. Spiteri, P. Abela
Additional asst.refs: M. Apap, F. Zammit
4th official: W. Debattista
Scorers: A. Da Silva Souza 8, G.M. Piccioni 15, 65, L. Alliyu 78
Yellow cards: J. Caruana, B. Kaljevic, R. Fenech, M. Micallef, S. Borg, Bajada, R. Ekani
Player of the match: G. M. Piccioni (Mosta)
TMI top three: 1. G.M. Piccioni 2. A. Da Silva Souza 3. O. Borg
Mosta recovered well from their 4-0 drubbing against Birkirkara, which ended their six-match winning streak before the international break and fought gallantly to hold on to a draw against Valletta.
Valletta went into this match three points behind leaders Birkirkara, well aware that they could not afford any more slips. They were buoyed by the 3-1 win over Hibernians in the previous match as well as a long rest after their international players missed the Albania trip with the national team.
They dominated their opponents for most of the first half after taking an early lead through Da Silva Souza but failed to convert the several chances they crafted after being caught out by Mosta’s equaliser. Valletta were made to fight their way back after falling behind in the second half and Lateef Alliyu salvaged a point. The player who inflicted all the damage on Valletta was Italian striker Gian Marco Piccioni who again showed his scoring abilities with his brace, the first from a powerful direct free kick and the second from a delicate flick inside the six-yard box.
Yesterday Valletta were bereft of Denni Dos Santos who is bound to leave the capital in search of new pastures abroad. Alan Da Souza Silva was deployed in a wide position on the right flank and, with right back Roderikc Briffa pressing incessantly forward behind him, the delivery of Valletta’s crosses always caused embarassment to the Mosta reargurad.
Main forward Lateef Alliyu was well supported by Nafti, Fenech and Edmond Agius behind him as Mosta were forced to stay composed at the back. They always relied on the speed of Bojan Kaljevic and Gian Marco Piccioni to exploit gaps up front though.
An early goal set the match’s tempo. With Valletta making the more assertive start, they forged ahead as early as the eighth minute when Alan Da Silva Souza connected well to Alliyu’s laid-back pass and beat keeper Borg with a defiant strike from the edge of the Mosta area that deserved a couple of TV replays.
Many feared another goal deluge for Mosta but on the quarter hour, equilibrium was restored. Mosta won a free kick on the edge of the area, when Caruana felled Kaljevic, and Gian Marco Piccioni drilled his shot through the Valletta wall, beating keeper Revishvili with a low strike.
The equaliser sapped some of Valletta’s brittle confidence, although they remained territorialy superior. When Kurt Zammi failed to clear Souza’s cross from the right, the ball fell invitingly to Nafti who shot over.
On 20 minutes Mosta had a penalty call turned down by the referee when Piccioni fell inside the area after making contact with Maisuradze.
Towards the half hour, Alliyu just failed to connect to Souza’s cross from the right and the ball was cleared into a corner. There were near misses by Nafti and Bajada as Valletta went close to increasing their lead before the break.
At the start of the second half, ther were half chances at each end. Piccioni missed the target after taking possession from a Valletta defensive slip-up and then Souza played one-two with Fenech but his effort went wide.
On 52 minutes, Nafti created space for Briffa, who shot over from a promising position.
Mosta put in Ricardo Faria and Antonio Carrozza soon after and the change paid dividends. On 65 minutes Carrozza delivered a cross from the left and Piccioni anticipated Caruana to flick the ball past keeper Revishvili.
Valletta were stunned but regrouped. On 68 minutes Nafti went past two opponents, laid the ball to te unmarked Souza who missed the target completely.
On 71 minutes Valletta made a double substitution, putting in Hamza Barry and Luke Montebello for Agius and Nafti.
Only seven minutes later, they levelled matters. Lateef Alliyu headed in Souza’s cross from the right to give the Citizens some hopes.
Mosta though were always menacing, as Valletta left gaps at the back and Piccioni brushed the bar with his rising shot from inside the Valletta area.
Valletta increased their efforts as they probed for the winner and Mosta keeper Omar Borg turned protagonist in the late stages as he blocked Montebello’s grounder and saved well on Alliyu.
In added time, Borg held out a powerful shot from other substitute Mifsud Triganza to presereve a point for Mosta.