Mosta registered their first win in over four months as they defeated Sliema Wanderers 2-1 at the Victor Tedesco Stadium on Saturday. A win which puts them on level points with Pembroke Athleta and Gzira United.

For the Wanderers, this was a most disappointing result as they were aiming for another three points following a fine win over Floriana last week.

The Wanderers had three changes from the team which defeated Floriana as John Mintoff and new recruits Jonathan Pearson and Ricardo Correa replaced Stefano Bianciardo, Marko Potezica and Gabriel Aquilina. Mosta had Brazilian defender Heron Guilhermino Miranda making his debut while Njongo Priso was back after a long absence. Adrian Caruana also made it to the starting line-up with Jaroslav Repa and Kemar Reid being left out of the squad along with the suspended David Fenech.

Mosta took the lead on the 16th minute when off a cross by Chinatu Onwudinjo from the left, Njongo Priso tapped the ball home from close range.

Seven minutes from the end of the first half, Yenz Cini brought Jean Paul Farrugia down inside the area; referee Stefan Pace ordered a penalty and Alex Muscat converted from the penalty spot.

Sliema almost made it 2-1 just before the break but Temile’s goal bound header was cleared off the goal line by Onwudinjo.

Mosta regained the lead six minutes in the second half thanks to substitute Zachary Brincat who, following a throw-in, advanced on the right flank and into the area before beating Glenn Zammit with a diagonal shot.

Five minutes in added time, Mosta were reduced to ten men as Adrian Caruana received a second yellow card for a foul just outside the area.

SLIEMA Glenn Zammit, Frank Temile, Ryan Spiteri, John Mintoff (68′ Marko Potezica), Peter Xuereb (57′ Gabriel Aquilina), Jonathan Pearson, Denni Rocha dos Santos, Ricardo Calixto Correa Duarte, Mark Scerri, Alex Muscat, Jean Paul Farrugia.
Subs not used: Giuseppe Sarao, Salomon Wisdom, Michele Sansone, Armando Vieira dos Santos, Giuseppe Muscat.
Coach: John Buttigieg

MOSTA Yenz Cini, Adrian Caruana, Chinatu Francis Onwudinjo, Mario Toth, Cedric Hengbart (8′ Zachary Brincat)(93′ Kyle Frendo), Kurt Magro, Neil Frendo, Njongo Priso, Lucky Victor Oseghale (81′ Kyle Gatt), Pedro Henrique dos Santos Calcado, Heron Guilhermino Miranda.
Subs not used: Claudio Carabott, Luke Galea, Jurgen Grech, Karl Bianco.
Coach: Zsolt Hornyak

Referee: Stefan Pace
Assistant Referees: Roberto Vella, Paul Apap
Fourth Official: Mario Apap
Yellow Cards: Cini, Xuereb, Oseghale, Onwudinjo, Caruana, Magro, Priso, Scerri, Pedrinho, A. Muscat, K. Frendo, F. Temile
Red Cards: 90+5′ Adrian Caruana
Scorers: 16′ Njongo Priso, 40′ Alex Muscat, 51′ Zachary Brincat
BOV Player of the Match: Chinatu Francis Onwudinjo

Meanwhile at the Hibernians Stadium, an early goal gave Pembroke Athleta a narrow win over ten-man Hamrun Spartans.

It was the first win for Pembroke after eight league games from which they had obtained just three draws. The Spartans missed a golden opportunity to climb further up the table.

Pembroke coach Artim Shaqiri made wholesale changes to the team following the heavy defeat to Tarxien as Matthew Calleja Cremona, Miguel Attard, Raphael Alain Kooh Sohna, Asani Djeljilj and Zoran Levnaic replaced Argyrs Roppas, Iraklis Roppas, Panagiotis Giannopoulos, Sunday Eboh and Adrian Borg. On the other hand, Hamrun coach Jacques Scerri preferred Manolito Micallef and Massimiliano Giusti to Karl Micallef and Saturday Nanapere.

Pembroke managed to take the lead on the 7th minute when off a Zoran Levaic freekick, the ball reached Daren Falzon who slotted the ball past David Cassar from close range.

Just before half-time, Hamrun were reduced to ten men after Jorge Mesqueu Neto was sent off by referee Malcolm Spiteri.

PEMBROKE Matthew Calleja Cremona, Darren Falzon, Arber Dhrami, Miguel Attard, Owen Bugeja, Raphael Alain Kooh Sohna, Stevan Racic, Asani Djeljilj, Andrea Scozzese, Zoran Levniac, Daniane Jawad (26’ Brooke Farrugia).
Subs not used: Craig Abdilla, Sunday Eboh, Zachary Grech, Neil Micallef, Tyron Fenech, Neil Grech.
Coach: Artim Shaqiri

HAMRUN David Cassar, Patrick Jean Teixeira Maia (64’ Saturday Nanapere), Manolito Micallef, Luke Sciberras (46’ Leandro Wallace Motta dos Santos), Luke Grech, Jake Grech, Igor Misan, Brandon Diego Paiber (46’ Karl Micallef), Massimiliano Giusti, Jorge Mesqueu Neto, Sergio Raphael dos Anjos.
Subs not used: Lyden Moore, Philip Chircop, Siraj Arab Eddin, Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza.
Coach: Jacques Scerri

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri
Assistant Referees: Edward Spiteri, Chris Azzopardi
Fourth Official: Glen Tonna
Yellow Cards: Djeljilj, Giusti, Misan, Scozzese, Farrugia
Red Cards: 45′ Jorge Mesqueu Neto
Scorers: 7’ Darren Falzon
BOV Player of the Match: Zoran Levnaic

Renato Vella reporting from the Hibernians Stadium