Pieta H.-Floriana 1-3

Pieta H: D.Cassar, C. Attard, C. Grech, L. Fortunato Dos Santos (O. Anonam), J. Pisani, R. Rodrigues, R. Xavier, K. Cesare (L. Micallef), T. Agius, C. Frances, J. Gabriel (D. Agius)

Floriana: V. Senatore, A. Scicluna, D. Coba, E. Marcelina (M. Piciollo), C. Borg, V. Plut, J. Borg (E. Briffa), A. Samb (S. Pisani), B. Farrugia, S. Borg, S. Bonnici

Referee: F. Zammit

Asst.refs: M. Scerri, S. Attard

4th official: S. Spiteri

Scorers: R. Xavier 33, M. Piciollo 50, 58, A. Samb 67

Yellow cards: S. Bonnici, A. Samb, C. Frances, B. Farrugia

Player of the match: M. Piciollo(Floriana)

TMI top 3: 1. M. Piciollo 2. A. Scicluna  3. C. Frances

 

 

Floriana  got their season going with this first league win against newly promoted Pieta Hotspurs but not without making their fans sweat a little. Giovanni Tedesco’s side went into the game with only one point in three matches and looked doomed to another upsetting result after producing a most inept performance for the first 45 minutes.

They even trailed their opponents by a Rafael Xavier goal at halftime, only to rally strongly after the interval and win the match courtesy of a brace from substitute Matteo Piciollo and another goal form newcomer Amadou Samb.

Senegalese striker Samb, on the books of Verona but  plying his trade in Albania recently, was Floriana’s latest signing. He was handed a starting berth yesterday ahead of Matteo Piciollo and played for 70 minutes, scoring a goal upon his debut.

But it was Piciollo who won it for Floriana with two well taken goals, after coming off the bench for the second half.

Samb was one of three changes in the Floriana side that went down in the derby against Valletta. The others were defender Andre Scicluna (sporting a protective mask) and midfielder Joseph Borg who replaced Emanuel Briffa and Steve Pisani, both going in as second half substitutes. A notabel absentee from the squad was Brazilian Igor Coronado who is nursing a serious injury.

The return from suspension of Rafael Xavier was meant to bolster the Pieta forward line and the Hotspurs, also thanks to the mazy runs of their wide player Claudio Frances, held the initiative for the entire first half against disjointed opponents, lacking creativity and purpose.

Xavier was involved in his side’s best moves, charging at opponents and exploiting open spaces. He was rewarded with a well-executed goal, showing glimpses of his technical abilities.

Xavier was provided ample space, on a Frances through pass, in the opening minutes but failed to go direct at goal and when crowded by the Floriana defenders, the chance went to waste.

Towards the half hour, Xavier played one-two with Cesare inside Floriana’s six-yard box but the latter’s shot was blocked by the grounded keeper Senatore. Xavier also netted on 28 minutes but the goal was disallowed for offside. There was no denying him on 33 minutes though.

Picking a Gabriel pass and with Bonnici standing in front of him, Rafael Xavier beat the Floriana keeper with a dipping curling shot from the edge of the area.

Floriana’s first and only shot at goal in the first half came after 38 minutes, with a Plut grounder, ably saved by the Pieta keeper Cassar.

Floriana effected a double substitution at the start of the second period, putting in Piciollo and Briffa. The coach’s change reaped rewards within five minutes. Briffa provided a through ball to the advancing Matteo Piciollo who beat keeper Cassar at the top left hand corner with an inswinging shot.

The complexion of the game was soon to change. Plut’s effort rebounded off the foot of the post and the Pieta defence cleared the danger with difficulty.

Short of the hour, Floriana turned the tables on their opponents. Pieta’s keeper Cassar blocked Samb’s low drive from close range, the ball fell to Piciollo who poked it in from a metre out.

Suddenly Pieta were back pedalling. They were forced to substitute the injured Fortunato Dos Santos with Orosco Anonam and succumbed to Floriana’s third goal on 67 minutes. On Clyde Borg’s corner, Amadou Samb was allowed space to head freely past keeper Cassar and put the issue beyond doubt.

Pieta should have at least reduced the arrears two minutes from time when, on a Frances cross from the byeline, Xavier missed his effort in front of the Floriana goal.

Pieta’s early promise had long evaporated by then.