Front runners share spoils as Mosta move third
Mosta 3Marsa 1\nDivision One pace setters Mqabba and Senglea yesterday shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw. Senglea Athletic 2Mqabba 2 The outcome satisfied more leaders Mqabba who maintained their three-point gap over the same Senglea. There are six more...
Mosta 3
Marsa 1
\nDivision One pace setters Mqabba and Senglea yesterday shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw.
Senglea Athletic 2
Mqabba 2
The outcome satisfied more leaders Mqabba who maintained their three-point gap over the same Senglea.
There are six more matches to play for most of the teams but as things look at the moment Mario Calleja's Mqabba are favourites for promotion.
Before kick-off, a minute silence was observed in respect of former Senglea official Carmelo Azzopardi who passed away last week.
The draw was a fair result with both sides playing open football, confirming their status as the two top teams in this category.
Albert Busuttil and Marlon Briffa were the best players for Mqabba while Kenneth Abela and Timothy Thomas had a good match for Richard Mercieca's team.
The first half was played at a fast pace and although both teams tried to cancel each other out in midfield with some strict marking, chances came and both teams could have scored more goals, particularly in the opening half.
Busuttil, the inspiration for Mqabba yesterday, tried his luck first with a fierce drive from outside the box. George Attard did well to stop the shot with Tyron Ghirxi clearing the loose ball to a corner.
Senglea hit back after 14 minutes when Thomas beat the offside trap and chipped over the advancing Kris Calleja but the ball struck the upright.
Six minutes later Senglea had a goal disallowed for offside but Mqabba opened the scoring near the half-hour mark when Anywanna tapped the ball home from a Briffa cross.
Ten minutes later a McKay free-kick was controlled by Abela who released Thomas, the latter scoring the equaliser from close in.
Balance prevailed at the start of the second half but on 61 minutes Senglea forged ahead thanks to another Thomas goal.
However, Senglea's joy was short-lived as three minutes later it was all-square again. Busuttil's cross found Briffa on the right spot to shoot past Attard for Mqabba's equaliser.
Mqabba now were venturing forward more often. Busuttil and Briffa were very active for their team causing anxious moments to the Senglea rearguard.
On one occasion, Attard was alert to hold out a Briffa effort from inside the box. At the other end, Erin Azzopardi darted inside the opponents' half only to see his shot finishing just over the Mqabba bar.
Senglea: G. Attard, T. Thomas, S. Aquilina, T. Ghirxi (G. Magri), R. Spiteri, D. Aquilina, L. McKay, E. Bobolayefa, K. Abela (G. Bonello), D. Grech, E. Azzopardi.
Mqabba: K. Calleja, A. Busuttil, J. Tellus, M. Briffa, J. Felice (C. Borg), A. Formosa (R. Farrugia), M. Borg, U. Anywanna, E. Borg, J.P. Muscat, D. Gatt (K. Mallia).
Referee: Lorry Sammut.
This was another fine performance from Mosta.
The three points bagged from their 3-1 defeat of Marsa propelled Mosta in the promotion zone as they have now joined Hamrun Spartans in third place on 19 points.
Despite starting without regulars Ives Bilocca, Pio Sciriha, Pio Vassallo and Ikechukwu Chibueze, Mosta were still strong enough to beat Marsa after coming from a goal down.
Dyson Falzon, scoring a hat-trick, was the player of the match but credit must also go to Roderick Asciak who always provided the perfect pass to his team-mates up front.
For Marsa, Gilbert Martin worked hard in attack and gave the Mosta defence a few frights but he is still lacking an ideal striking partner and is surely missing Anthony Evi Parker who joined Floriana in January.
The first scoring opportunity came Marsa's way and they profited in style. Martin beat three defenders on the right flank before crossing inside the Mosta box where Joseph Casha hit home unhindered.
Mosta were jolted but as the minutes ticked away they gained a firm grip on the match. From a Jonathan Grech free-kick, Bryan Agius' header was stopped by keeper Elvin Attard and on 27 minutes an Asciak throughpass found Falzon on the right spot before placing the ball home with an excellent drive, giving Attard little chance to save.
Mosta continued to run the show. Asciak delivered a short free-kick to Bryan Agius whose shot was saved by the Marsa keeper.
Mosta took the lead in the 33rd minute. Asciak was again behind the move. His cross had the better of the Marsa defence and in dashed Falzon to slide the ball inside Attard's net from close in.
Marsa tried to hit back immediately. A Johan Zammit cross was headed just wide by Lee Dino Grima and another header from Darren Vella missed the Mosta goal by a whisker.
Falzon could have grabbed his hat-trick before half-time but after powering his way through he lobbed the ball over the bar from a good position.
Marsa held the upperhand after the restart but it was Mosta who came close to increasing their lead when a Philip Camilleri strike hit the upright.
Mosta were more incisive up front and practically secured the points on 65 minutes when Falzon's grounder finished inside the Marsa net - 3-1.
Marsa were now dead and buried. Gone is their early-season promise as Michael Molzahn's team are now hovering just above the drop zone.
Mosta: M. Farrugia, B. Agius, J. Grech (A. Grech), R. Newell, M. Brincat, R. Asciak, D. Okonkwo (P. Vassallo), P. Camilleri, D. Falzon, C. Tabone, B. Galea (P. Sciriha).
Marsa: E. Attard, J. Buttigieg, D. Vella, J. Zammit, A. Mifsud, L.D. Grima (W. Chircop), K. Farrugia, G. Martin, R. Bonnici (J.P. Zammit), B. Zammit (R. Micallef), J. Casha.
Referee: Anton Zammit.