Valletta-Birkirkara 1-1

This was timid, unfocused staff from both teams chasing runaway leaders Hibernians and the draw between Valletta and Birkirkara means the Paolites now go into the final round with a significant eight-point advantage.

Valletta were slightly more  dynamic of two teams low on precision and a late rally, after going down through a Nikola Vukanac goal 12 minutes from time, enabled them to salvage a point, courtesy of Roderick Briffa’s headed equaliser on the stroke of full time.

For the third consecutive time, Birkirkara were denied a win in the dying minutes although yesterday’s point now keeps them in joint second place with Valletta as both teams start the final round on 22 points.

Birkirkara were bereft of the injured Gareth Sciberras, Rafael Ledesma and Eliandro Gonzaga, as Ryan Scicluna was suspended. They included Mattheus Bissi and Edmond Agius from the start, with Rowen Muscat making his comeback in the Bikirkara side after his return from Hungary. Shola Shodiya was their most advanced man as the Stripes crowded their midfield with five men.

Valletta, with Lateef Alliyu on the bench and Llywelyn Cremona in an advanced centre forward role, could find little openings in a cagey first half lacking real goalmouth action. With Steve Borg back in the Valletta defence, Jonathan Caruana again moved in midfield, where Hamza Barry and Ryan Fenech struggled for inventive, with the champions raking long balls inside the Birkirkara area to little effect.

When Barry was pushed and fell inside the Birkirkara area, there were mild claims for a penalty and midway through the half, on Barry’s dangerous cross from the right, the ball fell invitingly to Cremona who was thwarted by keeper Haber in two attempts.

Pietro Marino, starting in the Valletta goal yesterday, was never properly tested for the firts 45 minutes.

Valletta changed tactics in the second half with the introduction of Lateef Alliyu in attack, replacing Caruana, and Cremona dropping deeper in front of the defence, until also being replaced by Shaun Bajada.

Possession was shared more evenly in the second period, played under some torrential rain, as Birkirkara settled more in the game but laboured for a cutting edge.

Their first real shot on goal came after 67 minutes with a Bissi grounder that keeper Marino footed out.

On 77 minutes, Rowen Muscat limped off, to be replaced by forward Nassir Maachi and one minute later, Birkirkara surprisingly broke the deadlock. It was a swift counter move that allowed Shodiya space down the right flank, his cross towards the middle for Nikola Vukanac to beat keeper Marino with a first timer.

The goal was what the match needed to spark into life as the remaining frenetic minutes saw Valletta mount some belated sustained pressure, forcing a series of corners. Already a Briffa shot on a loose ball was providentially blocked into a corner by Zach Muscat before Valletta levelled matters on the stroke of full time.

 A deep Borg cross inside the Birkirkara area was headed down by Alliyu for Roderick Briffa to head in from clsoe range.

It was more than Valletta deserved and deep into five minutes of added time, Birkirkara keeper Haber denied the champions a win with a smart point blank save on Fenech’s shot.

In the final analysis, a draw was a fair result though.

Qormi-Floriana 2-2

Qormi failed to move away from bottom spot of the BoV Premier League standings and had to settle for only one point against Floriana after they let slip a two-goal halftime lead.

Still this draw halted a dismal streak of seven defeats for Qormi as they start the final round on equal points with Zebbug Rangers and two adrift of Pieta Hotspurs, Tarxien Rainbows and Naxxar lions above them.

Following a dismal opening half, Floriana followed up with a far brighter effort, and managed to score twice in quick succession after the interval to salvage a point that was the least expected of them.

The arrival of Mark Miller as their new coach, replacing Josef Mansueto who resigned after defeat against Zebbug Rangers, made Qormi look like a refreshed unit, who played with more conviction and showed more character than normal trying genuinley to lift the gloom that has settled into the side.

They showed more solidity at the back with the inclusion of new recruit Alejandro Mendoza to complement Billy Berntsson and Jonathan Bondin in a three-man defence, and with the industry of Clifford Galea and Marcelo Lima De Mattos their most creative player in midfield, Ryan Micallef and Alfrd Effiong combined to some telling effect in attack. Frank Temile has meanwhile left the club to join Naxxar Lions.

Qormi started like a rattling train and broke the deadlock after only three minutes on the clock. Marcelo Lima De Mattos picked up a Floriana defensive clearance from the edge of the area and beat Floriana keeper Calleja Cremona with a perfectly placed shot at the top left hand corner.

And when Floriana started to look decidedly vulnerable at the back, Qormi struck a second time just before the quarter hour. A Lima De Mattos free kick was controlled by Effiong who laid the ball in the path of Clifford Gauci to beat the Floriana keeper with a low drive.

Floriana were a depleted side yesterday. Injuries and suspensions denied them of some key regulars like Manolito Micallef, Andre Scicluna, Clyde Borg, Steve Pisani and Amadou Samb. Gary Muir went in as a second half substitute and scored his side’s first goal from a penalty.

They were always on the backfoot, after trailing their opponents with two goals before the quarter hour mark, and hinted at only a flacid reaction after each goal conceded.

On 10 minutes Piciollo went past four players, played the ball wide to Plut who was blocked by Bondin.

Midway through the half, on a Farrugia corner, Briffa headed the ball straight at keeper Farrugia.

Otherwise, Qormi held the initiative and although they failed to add further goals, Effiong went close before the interval as he chased a long ball forward by Mendoza, romped past two Floriana defenders and the goalkeeper, but headed against the base of the post.

Still, Qormi looked quite comfortable with their two-goal cushion at halftime.

Floriana replaced Brooke Farrugia with Giovanni Galea and withdrew Aguiar for Gary Muir at the start of  the second half and suddenly started to look like a team in a hurry.

Within two minutes before the hour they had inflicted enough damage to restore equilibrium. On 56 minutes Steve Agius handled Piciollo’s low cross as he fell to the ground to concede a penalty. Keeper Farrugia stooped low to hold Muir’s kick from the spot but the ball slipped underneath his body and crossed the line.

Hardly two minutes later, Matteo Piciollo reached before the Qormi keeper, on a Plut cross from the right, to blast the ball in the roof of the net.

Plut, who had been relatively quiet in the first half, almost put the Greens in front on 64 minutes. His back-header on a Muir long cross, was tipped over the bar into a corner by keeper Farrugia.

That heralded Floriana’s best patch of the game as Qormi effected a double substitution, putting in Bjorn Bondin and Alex Nilson to tame Floriana’s fury.

Both teams created very few decent chances after that and in a late chaotic finish,  a Lima De Matteo free kick was deflected into a corner. On the other end, Plut skied the ball from inside the Qormi area as the sides ended with ample energy but little finesse.