Substitute Borg Olivier hands Tarxien first defeat
Qormi 2Tarxien Rainbows 1\nQormi substitute Michael Borg Olivier came off the bench to score a 66th minute winner that condemned Tarxien Rainbows to their first league defeat of the season yesterday. Tarxien sorely felt the absence of striker Simon...
Qormi 2
Tarxien Rainbows 1
\nQormi substitute Michael Borg Olivier came off the bench to score a 66th minute winner that condemned Tarxien Rainbows to their first league defeat of the season yesterday.
Tarxien sorely felt the absence of striker Simon Shead who missed the match through injury. They looked static upfront and never looked capable of upstaging their opponents.
Qormi on their part played an aggressive game with striker Carmel Formosa proving a handful early on but slowly faded away until he was replaced by Borg Olivier who steered Martin Gregory's team to victory.
The game started on a fast pace with both sides vying for the early breakthrough. Tarxien went close after three minutes. From a George Cutajar corner, Ryan Darmanin's overhead kick finished just wide.
Darmanin soon made amends as on 18 minutes he was first on a Cutajar free-kick to head the ball home.
Qormi took just nine minutes to draw level when Jan Talcevski fired the ball into the net from a free-kick despite the desperate attempt of goalkeeper Anthony Camilleri.
Alan Tabone should have put the Rainbows back in front on 33 minutes but his close-range header, from an inviting position, finished wide.
Qormi started the second half strongly and Formosa turned past Jonathan Francica but shot straight into the hands of goalkeeper Anthony Curmi.
On 63 minutes, Borg Olivier replaced Formosa and he soon left his mark when three minutes later he slotted the ball home from a free-kick.
On 79 minutes, Borg Olivier sped past two defenders before serving Thomas Paris who saw his shot skim the upright.
Qormi: T. Camilleri; J. Saliba, D. Zuccaro, J. Talcevski, K. Zammit, E. Azzopardi, J. Chetucti (G. Parnis), J. Farrugia, G. Buhagiar (J. Scicluna), C. Formosa (M. Borg Olivier), T. Paris
Tarxien: A. Curmi; S. Sadowski, G. Cutajar, J. Schembri, J. Francica, O. Grech (A. Guazzo), S. Farrugia, A. Tabone, P. Camilleri, M. Okoro, R. Darmanin.
Referee: Ian Miller.
Man of the Match: Michael Borg Olivier (Qormi).