A penalty early in the second half enabled Qormi to beat Tarxien Rainbows 1-0 and therefore register a third consecutive win. Thanks to this win, Josef Mansueto’s sides move fourth in the BOV Premier League table, two points ahead of Tarxien.
For the Rainbows, this was a rather disappointing result after they collected four points from the last two matches after a 3-1 win over Birkirkara and a 1-1 draw with leaders Hibernians.
However Tarxien coach Clive Mizzi could not field his best formation due to the absence of the injured Firas Aboulezz, suspended Carlos Menendez Hevia, Wesley Lima Silva, Owen Bugeja and Matthew Tabone. Kane Farrugia, Manuel Caruana and Manuel Xerri replaced Tabone, Bugeja and Wesley Pipico. Qormi, on the other hand, welcomed back Frank Temile after serving a one-match ban. Temile, Bjorn Bondin and Steve Agius replaced Ryan Micallef, Albert Bruce and Emerson Vella.
Qormi had the first attempt at goal on 31 minutes with Anderson Santos testing Sean Cini with a powerful shot from inside the area.
One minute in the second half, referee Trustin Farrugia Cann sent off goalkeeper Sean Cini after the latter brought Frank Temile down inside the area. From the penalty spot, Alfred Effiong converted.
One minute from time, Qormi went close to doubling the score when Temile sent Jonathan Bondin through but the latter’s effort was somehow parried by Chetcuti.
QORMI Matthew Farrugia, Jonathan Bondin, Mauricio Matias Latini Mazzetti, Steve Agius, Duncan Pisani (82′ Emerson Vella), Anderson Michele Quatrochi Santos, Joseph Chetcuti (86′ Carmelo Farrugia), Zoran Levnajic, Bjorn Bondin, Alfred Effiong, Frank Temile (90′ Albert Bruce).
Subs not used: Jurgen Cilia, Alessio Cassar, Karl Sciortino, Ryan Micallef.
Coach: Josef MansuetoTARXIEN Sean Cini, Kane Paul Farrugia (46′ Antonio Chetcuti), Manuel Caruana (71′ Luke Aquilina), Alvaro Andre Rodrigues Silva, Cleber Barbosa Viana, Triston Caruana, Ryan Sammut, Alexander Cini, Manuel Xerri (46′ Luke Zahra), Alessandro Lopes Pereira, Jorge Santos Silva.
Subs not used: Jonathan Debono, Steve Sadowski, Silas Caruana, Nigel Vella.
Coach: Clive MizziReferee: Trustin Farrugia Cann
Assistant Referees: Jurgen Spiteri, David Castillo
Fourth Official: Adrian Azopardi
Yellow Cards: Levnaic, Jorge Santos, Anderson Santos, B. Bondin, Alvaro Silva
Red Cards: 46′ Sean Cini
BOV Player of the Match: Alfred Effiong
Pietà Hotspurs returned to winning ways as they beat Zebbug Rangers 1-0 in a clash between the two newly-promoted sides.
For Pietà, this was the second win in three matches while Zebbug have now gone nine matches without a win.
The Hotspurs had three changes from the team which drew with Balzan as Cleaven Cassar, Orosco Anonam and the returning Rafael Xavier replaced the injured Terence Agius and foreigners Leo Fortunato and Claudio Frances who were not fully fit. Zebbug, on the other hand, lacked Clifford Gauci and Javi Diaz Serrano as both were suspended. From the last game, replacing Gauci, Javi Diaz, Lee James Agius, Carlo Polli and goalkeeper Jeffrey Farrugia were Ratko Mandic, Lee Galea, Thomas Paris, John Nwoba and goalkeeper Fabricio Rapchan.
Yessous Camilleri was unlucky to hit the upright with a header following a corner from the right by Matthew Gauci after just four minutes. Matthew Gauci then headed just wide off a corner by Muchardi. Three minutes later, Rafael Xavier hit just over the bar off a cross from the left by Pisani.
On the hour, David Cassar performed a good save on a Mauricio Britto shot from just outside the area.
However on the 66th minutes, Pietà scored the all-important goal when off a cross by Rafael Xavier, Jurgen Pisani hit the ball past goalkeeper Fabricio Rapchan.
PIETà David Cassar, Cain Attard, Christian Gech, Orosco Nbubisi Anonam, Jurgen Pisani, Kyle Cesare (75’ Luke Micallef), Joao Gabriel da Silva (41’ Dylan Agius), Cleaven Cassar, Nikola Tasic, Rafael Rodriguez da Silva, Rafael Xavier Zacarias (90’ Malcolm Licari).
Subs not used: Miguel Montfort, Ayrton Mizzi, Leonardo Fortunato dos Santos, Claudio Frances.
Coach: Noel ColeiroZEBBUG Fabrizio Rapchan dos Santos Morales, Ratko Mandic, Lee Galea, Matthew Gauci (85’ Miguel Ciantar), Yessous Camilleri, Matias Muchardi, Thomas Paris, Carlo Gordon Monti (75’ Bojan Mamic), Mauricio Osmar Rodriguez Britto,
John Ogechukwu Nwoba, Matthew Bartolo (80’ Melvin Farrugia).
Subs: Jeffrey Farrugia, Lee James Agius, Jacob Borg, Jonathan Xerri.
Coach: Jesmond ZammitReferee: Fyodor Zammit
Assistant Referees: Edward Spiteri, Sammy Attard
Additional Assistant Referees: Mario Apap, Glenn Tonna
Fourth Official Referees: Chris Francalanza
Yellow Cards; Anonam, Camilleri, Attard
Scorers: 66′ Jurgen Pisani
Man of the Match: Rafael Xavier Zacarias