St Patrick join Lija at top
St Patrick 2Mosta 1\nMark Tanti was the toast of St Patrick yesterday as the Saints attacking midfielder scored a late winner to help join Lija Athletic at the top of Division One. Tanti's late goal was a hard blow for Mosta as the latter seemed to...
St Patrick 2
Mosta 1
\nMark Tanti was the toast of St Patrick yesterday as the Saints attacking midfielder scored a late winner to help join Lija Athletic at the top of Division One.
Tanti's late goal was a hard blow for Mosta as the latter seemed to have done enough to at least earn a point in an evenly-contested match.
St Patrick showed the better fare during the first half but Mosta hit back on the change of ends especially after the introduction of Dyson Falzon who gave a new dimension to his side's attacking prowess.
But in the end, the Zabbar's persistence was rewarded as Tanti hit his second of the match after finishing off some fine play from Nigerian striker Peter Anizoba.
After 15 minutes an Anizoba cross-shot just missed the target for the Saints. Two minutes later, Mosta defender Pio Vassallo tried his luck with the ball finishing just over.
The Saints took the lead three minutes later when Anizoba raced through from the right but was floored in the area by Pio Sciriha. Referee Mark Spiteri immediately pointed to the spot with Tanti scoring the resultant spot-kick.
Mosta's reply soon arrived and in the 24th minute a Matthew Agius free-kick found Carlos Camenzuli but the latter's shot was well saved by Franklin Azzopardi.
Camenzuli then missed two sitters in the space of 60 seconds when in the 32nd and 33rd minutes he headed wide from close range following two Stefan Farrugia free-kicks.
Three minutes from the break the Saints should have added a second when Tanti found Thomas Caruana but the Saints striker shot wide.
On the change of ends, Mosta showed better fare but despite their superiority they rarely threatened the St Patrick defence.
In the 53rd minute, the Saints almost increased their tally when a Caruana cross was headed just wide by Tanti. Two minutes later, Tanti was again close but his shot was blocked by Sciberras.
Mosta responded on the hour when a Ryan Newell shot finished over. The Blues levelled matters on 71 minutes when Falzon dashed past three Saints defender before setting Camenzuli who buried the ball home.
When all seemed that the match was ending all-square, St Patrick hit the winner in the 92nd minute. Anizoba dashed into the Mosta area but his shot was blocked by a defender with the ball falling into the path of Tanti who fired the ball into the net.
St Patrick: F. Azzopardi, R. Cassar, A. Buttigieg, M. Zerafa, D. Gauci, M. Pullicino (P. Muscat), M. Tanti, T. Caruana, C. Failla (J. Azzopardi), P. Anizoba, S. Sciberras (K. Bonnici).
Mosta: C. Sciberras, P. Sciriha, M. Abela, P. Vassallo, M. Agius (P. Zammit), R. Asciak, S. Farrugia, C. Camenzuli, R. Newell, I. Bilocca, J. Grech (D. Falzon).
Referee: Mark Spiteri.