Zebbug Rangers claim first win in dramatic fashion
Stewart Said
TARXIEN R ZEBBUG R 1-2
Zebbug Rangers claimed their first win of the season when they defeated Tarxien Rainbows 2-1 with a goal late in the game. Zebbug made a good comeback when they recovered from a goal down and deservedly won maximum points for the first time.
This win will continue to help themoral of all Zebbug’s players as they look ahead for their next games with more optimism. On the other hand Tarxien without no doubt are in serious crisis and coach Clive Mizzi has a very tough task to re-join the group together to continue their campaign.
The first action to note came on the 8th minute when from a corner by Muchardi, the final shot by Lee Galea was saved by Mintoff. Two minutes later Britto passed to Muchardi but his shot was saved easily by Mintoff.
But Tarxien went infront on the 13th minute against the run of play when Carlos Hevia Menendez received a good pass and with a low shot outside the penalty area, caught Mintoff off guard. Zebbug’s reaction came four minutes later when Mamic passed to Rodrigues Britto who tried with an acrobatic shot that finished over the bar. The last action of the half came on the 42nd minute when Cleber Barbosa Viana made a good run through the left flank, managed to dribble past two defenders but his central shot was easily saved by Rapchan.
Zebbug started the second half on the attack and equalised on the 52nd minute when from a corner by Muchardi, Bojan Mamic rose above his opponents and beat Mintoff. A minute later Rodrigues Britto received from Matthew Bartolo but after he advanced his final shot was saved by Mintoff.
Tarxien didn’t make a serious reply and Zebbug went close on the 71st minute when Matthew Bartolo received a good ball and tried with a diagonal shot on the run but his shot finished wide.
Zebbug kept trying and on the 76th minute Bartolo passed to Rodrigues Britto but his two shots were parried with the great shots by Mintoff.
Three minutes later Mintoff saved again a shot from Rodrigues Britto and a minute later a shot from Muchardi finished off target. Tarxien’s response came a minute later with a diagonal shot from Cleber Barbosa Viana that finished wide.
Zebbug kept persisting and went close again on the 84th minute when Mamic passed Rodrigues Britto who advanced but his final shot finished over the bar. Zebbug scored the winning goal on the 93rd minute when from a free-kick by Muchardi, Yessous Camilleri managed to beat Mintoff with a well-timed header that finished in Mintoff’s left corner.
FLORIANA PIETA HOTSPURS 1-1
SILVIO VELLA
Wasteful Floriana and clueless Pieta Hotspurs took a point apiece from this low key match that always resembled bottom-of-the-table stuff.
A draw was always the more likely result, considering that the two sides had raked nine draws between them in the BoV Premier League this season before kick off.
Overall, Floriana saw more of the ball and generally manipulated it better but a litany of ill-judged passes as well as several missed chances failed to give them the three points they deserved.
They almost paid for their wastefulness when falling behind through a Jurgen Pisani penalty two minutes from time, only for their defender Steve Bonnici to salvage a point with a headed equaliser on the stroke of normal time.
Andre Scicluna, Emerson Marcelina and Conor Borg were given starts ahead of Aguiar, Brooke Farrugia ands Clyde Borg in the Greens’ starting line up, following their drubbing against Valletta the previous week. Their striker Amadou Samb was unavailable for selection due to suspension.
Pieta made only one change to the side which drew against Mosta as Luke Micallef started instead of Terence Agius. Displaying poor first touch and failing to hold possession, Pieta were always second best to their opponents. Their solidity at the back however kept them in the match as they blew the chance for only their fourth win of the season when unable to hold on to their late advantage.
Floriana looked the more likely to score in the opening minutes, going close twice within the first quarter hour. Piciollo played a through ball wide to Pisani whose shot was repelled by the Pieta keeper Cassar. Minutes later, Pisani arrived fractionally late on Plut’s inviting low cross from the right.
With Marcelina and Briffa providing good cover in front of the Floriana backline, Pieta found it hard to make inroads. Midway through the half, Frances hit Zaccarias cross over and then, on a Frances corner, Grech headed straight at keeper Gauci.
Floriana’s best chance of a scrappy first half fell towards the half hour. Pisani ran in well for Piciollo’s cross from the right. His long draive from outside the area was tipped into a corner by keeper Cassar.
Floriana continued to show more profligacy after the interval. Plut, unchallenged inside Pieta’s six-yard box, headed Pisani’s cross over. Past the hour, Pisani played an intelligent through pass to Picciollo inside the Floriana area, but with only the goalkeeper in his way, the Floriana striker shot wide.
Pieta had little to show in this second half. When Joa Gabriel was fouled outside the Floriana area on 67 minutes, Frances drove his free kick narrowly wide.
The slow burning match came to life in the final minutes. Two minutes from normal time, the Floriana keeper Gauci bundled substitute Licari inside the area to conced a penalty which Jurgen Pisani tucked away.
Pieta might have thought they have won it only for defender Steve Bonnici to score a late equaliser, heading in Pisani’s deep free kick to spare Floriana from an embarassing defeat.
There were scuffles between the two sides as they made their way towards the dressing rooms after the match until order was restored.
MOSTA- NAXXAR LIONS - 1-2
SILVIO VELLA
Gueye Pape’s winner provided Naxxar Lions with a much needed boost. Not only did they beat neighbours Mosta for the first time in a hotly contested Premier League derby, with no less than ten players being booked, but it also lifts them further away from the relegation zone.
Mosta struggled in the first half, and trailed by Gilmar Ribeiro’s free kick but managed to exert some pressure on their opponents, finding accuracy in their possession. They equalised early in the second half through a Kaljevic free kick but just when they were going through their best patch, they were hit by Gueye’s goal and never recovered.
Naxxar had arrived at the back of a positive run, with only one defeat in their last five matches and their were flashes of their good form during the first half, in which Gilmar Ribeiro was prominent. He put his side agead with a perfectly executed free kick and provided several assists to his team mates.
Naxxar fielded an offensive set-up with Emenike, Terence Vella, Daren Falzon, Gilmar Ribeiro and Edafe in their starting line-up.
Notable absentees for Mosta were Tyrone Farrugia, Manolito Micallef and Daniel Bueno and this might have contributed to the fact that they were overrun in midfield during the opening period, when they were beaten to several second balls as Naxxar made the more assertive start.
They looked menacing short of the quarter hour and the Mosta keeper Omar Borg produced a smart save, diving low to turn Vella’s shot into a corner.
Naxxar were soon to make the breakthrough on 18 minutes, with Gilmar Ribeiro to the fore. The Brazilian won a free kick on the edge of the Mosta area when fouled by Mark Brincat, and he himself beat keeper Borg at the top righgt hand corner to put the Lions in the driving seat.
Mosta were rattled. Their rearguard looked completely in disarray as Naxxar raked several crosses inside their area during a ten-minute spell. Edafe and Ribeiro skied their efforts, only for Vell to miss his header by a whisker off a Ribeiro free kick after 35 minutes.
Naxxar also had claims for a penalty turned down when Ekani clumsily came into contact with Vella inside the Mosta area.
Mosta improved in the second half though as they put in Sasa Jovanovic for Dyson Falzon to give them more attacking options.
Bojan Kaljevic, who had been largely anonymous in the first half, distinguished himself three minutes into the second half to emulate Ribeiro and beat keeper Azzopardi with a perfectly executed free kick from outsaide the area and level matters.
Although the match lost much of its early vigour, the physical endevour remained. In mqany instances, the referee was not up to task, turning a blind eye on some crude tackles that exceeded the allowed limits.
On 50 minutes Milovanovic presented himself dangerously inside the Naxxar area but keeper Borg rushed off his line to smother the danger.
But when Mosta were producing their best, Emenike’s substitution with Pape Gueye gave Naxxar the much required impetus. Towards the hour, Gueye won a challenge with Adrian Borg inside the area but as he turned, keeper Borg blocked his shot.
On 75 minutes Ribeiro forced keeper Borg to turn his insidious free kick into corner. Ribeiro played the ball for Pape Gueye to head in what proved Naxxar’s winner at the end.
Birkirkara and Balzan take a point in a drab encounter
Stewart Said
BIRKIRKARA........0
BALZAN...............0
In a match that wasn’t entertaining, Birkirkara and Balzan added another point in their table when they finished in a goaless draw. This was the first draw of the season for the Stripes who join Valletta in second place but the Citizens with a game in hand.
The match was characterised with few actions. Balzan defended bravely aware of their opponent’s power while Birkirkara tried to break the Balzan wall but failed to create goal scoring opportunities.
Birkirkara coach Paul Zammmit made two changes from their win against Naxxar with Nikola Vukanac and Shola Shodiya replacing Mattheus Bissi and Rafael Ledesma. On the other hand, Balzan coach Oliver Spiteri also made two changes from their draw against Qormi with Clive Brincat and Osa Ice-Cream Guobadia replacing the suspended Samir Arab and Lydon Micallef respectively.
The only real action of the first half came on the 42nd minute when Shola Shodiya passed to Paul Fenech who tried with a shot on the run but Steve Sultana was ready to block.
The second half kept the same low rhythm and the first action of the half came on the 61st minute when a low shot by Ryan Camenzuli was denied by the upright, from the rebound Steve Sultana saved partially the shot from Costa Morais and then cleared away. Balzan replied two minutes later with a shot from Lydon Micallef that finished over the bar. On the 76th minute a shot by Mendoza finished well over the bar.
Paul Zammit made two changes to try and shake things up but they had to finish the game with ten men as Ryan Scicluna was sent-off for a direct red card after a foul on Edison Bilbao Zarate but it didn’t make a change as both teams finished the game 0-0.