Mosta 1
Floriana 3
Mosta: A. Vella, C. Kassekar (G. Aquilina 55), A. Roach, W. Gomes, D. Bonnici (Z. Brincat 58), N. Kotlov, D. Xuereb, R. Morisco (C. Grech 15), J.B. Diouf, T. Farrugia, M. Muchardi
Floriana: I. Akpan, E. Ruiz, D. Venancio, K. Keqi, U. Arias, B. Paiber (C. Borg 75), J. Pisani, M. Garcia (J. Busuttil 65), A. Cini, R. Camenzuli, T. Fonseca (E. Herrera 83)
Referee: Emm. Grech
Asst. refs: J. Spiteri, D. Stankovic
4th official: M. Apap
Scorers: K. Keqi 12 pen., B. Paiber 20, 54, N. Kotlov 74,
Yellow cards: W. Gomes 22, D. Xuereb 43, D. Kassekar 49, B. Paiber 54, N. Kotlov 71,
BOV Player of the match: D. Venancio
TMI Top 3: 1. D. Venancio, 2. B. Paiber, 3. K. Keqi
Attendance: 809
What should have been a tough assignment for League leaders Floriana turned out to be just a training spin for the Greens as they beat Mosta comfortably 3-1 yesterday.
Their victory was certainly more pronounced than the score suggests as it was goalie Andreas Vella who saved Mosta from a heavier defeat with some excellent saves.
Kristian Keqi paved the way for their win with a penalty and Brendon Paiber scored the other two goals for the Greens. Nikolaevich Kotlov reduced the gap for Mosta.
Thanks to this win, the Greens go on 23 points and have re-opened the four-point lead over Gzira who on Friday had also won comfortably 5-0 against Tarxien.
Mosta remain temporarily 6th on 13 points after this 4th defeat.
In the first half, Floriana were in control and eased their way to an early comfortable 2-0 lead.
The Greens never allowed Mosta to get close to or even advance into their area in the opening 25 minutes.
The Blues could not produce their recent good form and despite their efforts, Floriana goalie Akpan was never seriously tested.
And it was his counterpart, Andreas Vella, in the Mosta goal, who was a protagonist with some daring saves that kept his side with a chance to hit back.
It was more or less the same story in the second half.
Mosta were again below par and the Greens continued to dominate going on to take a 3-0 lead before Mosta fought back to score a consolation goal 16 minutes from the end.
Floriana went close on the 10th minute when Venancio received a good ball from Ryan Camenzuli and his cross-shot was tipped with difficulty to corner by Andreas Vella.
But they were not to be denied as only a minute later, they were awarded a penalty when Venancio was floored just inside the area by Dimitri Kassekar. Kristian Keqi made no mistake with a rising shot.
It was 2-0 on 20 minutes when from a Venancio freekick, the ball hit a member of the Mosta barrier, goalie Vella managed to save the ball, but there was Brendon Paiber to hit home from close in.
In the 24th minute, a dangerous cross from the left was palmed out by goalie Vella towards Matias Garcia shot fine effort just missed the crossbar.
In the 33rd minute, Mosta finally had a first effort on goal. From a Dexter Xuereb cross, it was Nikolaevich Kotlov who saw his header saved by the diving Akpan.
In the 37th minute, from a Venancio corner, a Tiago Fonseca good header was excellently turned to corner by goalie Vella with the help of the crossbar.
In the 43rd minute, it was again Venancio who tested goalie Vella with a long distance freekick, but the Mosta goalie managed to turn to corner. From the result action, Vella was again a protagonist as he saved a close range header from Fonseca.
Soon after, at the other end, Mosta had a chance to reduce the gap, but goalie Akpan ended their hopes of a goal by saving a dangerous low cross by Barthelemy Diouf.
In the 50th minute, Vella again saved the Mosta fort with a splendid save to corner off an Ulises Arias header.
Four minutes later, however, there was no stopping Paiber from scoring the third goal when he was set by Keqi and advanced into the area to beat Vella with a powerful rising shot.
The Greens maintained their domination and on 60 minutes, Fonseca set Paiber on the edge of the area, but his low shot just missed the target. And moments later, it was Paiber who set Fonseca only for the latter's shot also going just wide.
Mosta managed to reduce the arrears in the 74th minute when Kotlov beat goalie Akpan with a diagonal shot.
Till the end, Mosta never got near to scoring again as Floriana controlled their opponents with relative ease.