Zebbug Rangers made a good comeback from two goals down to earn a point in a 3-3 draw with Tarxien Rainbows.
This was the first point for the Rangers after three defeats in the first three matches. On the other hand, Tarxien remain unbeaten as this was the fourth consecutive draw in as many matches.
Zebbug had Serbian striker Bojan Mamic making his debut. Jacob Borg was also named in the starting line-up with Thomas Paris starting the game on the bench and Ratko Mandic left out of the eighteen-man squad. From their last game, Ryan Sammut and Carlos Menendez Hevia replaced Kane Farrugia and Jorge Santos Silva for Tarxien.
The Rainbows took the lead after just two minutes when off a through pass by Triston Caruana for Wesley Henrique Lima Silva ‘Pipico’, the latter hit low past goalkeeper Jeffrey Farrugia.
On the 25th, Tarxien doubled the score when Pipico escaped the offside trap on the right flank, served Álvaro André Rodrigues da Silva whose powerful shot gave the Zebbug goalkeeper no chance.
Zebbug pulled one back on 29 minutes thanks to a Carlo Monti first-time effort.
Five minutes in the second half, Tarxien restored a two-goal lead thanks to Triston Caruana, served by Pipico, who slotted the ball past the Zebbug goalkeeper.
Two minutes later, Zebbug reduced the gap when they were awarded a penalty when Matias Muchardi was brought down inside the area by Owen Bugeja and from the penalty spot, Carlo Monti made no mistake.
The Rangers notched the equaliser on the 68th when off a cross by substitute John Nwoba, Mauricio Osmar Rodrigues Britto placed the ball in the corner behind goalkeeper Sean Cini.
TARXIEN Sean Cini, Manuel Caruana, Owen Bugeja, Alvaro Andre Rodrigues Silva, Cleber Barbosa Viana (73’ Firas Aboulezz), Triston Caruana, Wesley Henrique Lima Silva, Ryan Sammut, Carlos Menendez Hevia, Alex Cini, Alessandro Lopes Pereira
Subs not used: Sean Mintoff, Steven Marc Sadowski, Kane Paul Farrugia, Firas Aboulezz, Manuel Scerri, Matthew Tabone, Jorge Santos Silva.
Coach: Clive MizziZEBBUG Jeffrey Farrugia, Lee Galea, Javier Serrano Diaz, Yessous Camilleri, Jacob Borg (67’ John Ogechukwu Nwoba), Clifford Gauci, Matthew Bartolo, Matias Mucchardi, Carlo Gordon Monti, Bojan Mamic (84’ Matthew Gauci), Mauricio Osmar Rodrigues Britto (89’ Lee James Agius).
Subs not used: Fabricio Rapchan dos Santos Morales, Thomas Paris, Miguel Ciantar.
Coach: Jesmond ZammitReferee: Adrian Azzopardi
Assistant referees: Paul Apap, Thomas Debono
Additional Assistant Referees: Alan Mario Sant, Glen Tonna
Fourth Official: Christopher Francalanza
Yellow Cards: Alvaro Silva, Alessandro Lopes, Muchardi, J. Borg
Scorers: 2’ Wesley Lima Silva (T); 25’ Alvaro Andre Rodrigues Silva (T); 29’ Carlo Monti (Z); 53’ Carlo Monti (1pen), 50’ Triston Caruana (T) 68’ Mauricio Osmar Rodrigues Britto
BOV Player of the Match: Wesley Lima Silva