Msida prevail in seven-goal thriller

Msida SJ 4
Mqabba 3

Pedro Dos Santos Calcado had a mixed debut for Msida St Joseph yesterday.

The Brazilian forward hit a brace to earn his new team a hard-fought 4-3 win over Mqabba in a topsy-turvy match at the Hibs Ground. However, in stoppage time, he marred his performance when he was shown the red card for a second bookable offence.

Nevertheless, Msida will be delighted to have taken the three points from a thrilling encounter that kept the crowd at the Hibs Ground on its tenterhooks as the lead changed hands on various occasions.

In the end, a slice of good fortune handed maximum spoils to Msida who survived a scare late on when Mqabba had a shot coming off the bar.

Mqabba will be very disappointed to have left Corradino empty-handed. However, they only have themselves to blame after failing to capitalise on a couple of scoring chances through which they could have killed off the match when they were 2-1 ahead.

Those missed opportunities came back to haunt Mqabba.

Apart from Dos Santos Calcado, Msida also gave a debut to their other Brazilian signing, Gilberto Dos Santos. Defender Clive Brincat was forced to sit out, however, as he served the first of a two-match ban.

Msida hit the ground running and inside the opening five minutes, Dos Santos Calcado almost opened his account. Profiting from some hesitant defending by Italo Nogueira, he sprinted into the area, dribbled past Kris Calleja but was blocked by the alert Clifford Gatt Baldacchino.

Mqabba almost stunned Msida on 13 minutes when in a swift break, Marcelo Pereira, one of five Brazilians in action yesterday, collected a long clearance and his diagonal shot beat Manuel Bartolo but the ball rebounded off the bar, much to the relief of the Saints.

Msida remained on top though and their pressure finally produced an opener on 22 minutes when Doding Priso exchanged passes with Dos Santos, dashed past three defenders and slipped the ball beyond Calleja's reach... a fine goal indeed by the Cameroonian.

However, Msida's joy was shortlived as Mqabba needed only three minutes to draw level. They won a free-kick just outside the area and Claudio Calleja curled in a fine shot that gave Bartolo no chance.

Mqabba's equaliser interrupted Msida's early momentum as the Saints were suddenly struggling to maintain their early dominance.

In fact, it was Mqabba who threatened again eight minutes from the break but Marlon Briffa's shot was saved by Bartolo.

Doding remained Msida's most dangerous player and two minutes from the break, he unleashed a powerful shot that was punched away by Calleja.

Mqabba started the second half on a high as within three minutes, they had taken the lead.

Briffa slid the ball into the path of Pereira and the latter beat goalkeeper Bartolo with a clinical finish.

Pereira could have added to Msida's misery five minutes later when, having been released by Dylan Zarb, he advanced but shot straight at the goalkeeper.

It was then the turn of Dos Santos to come close to scoring on 63 minutes but his angled drive shaved the upright.

Msida's efforts were rewarded on 68 minutes when Dos Santos Calcado delivered an inviting cross from a corner and Patrick Borg rose high to head firmly home.

The goal spurred the Saints forward and barely a minute later, Dos Santos Calcado rifled an unstoppable drive from a free-kick that went in via the upright to complete an astonishing turnaround.

However, Mqabba were not ready to throw in the towel as yet and scored an equaliser nine minutes from time. Albert Busuttil produced a good cross from a free-kick and Italo Nogueira anticipated his marker to head past Bartolo.

Msida's afternoon could have taken a turn for the worse a minute later when Fabio Silva passed the ball towards the unmarked Jean Paul Muscat whose shot was somehow turned away for a corner by Bartolo.

From the ensuing flag-kick, taken by Zarb, it was Muscat who almost struck again but his shot was cleared off the line by Dino Cachia.

The Saints made the most of their good fortune. Only four minutes of the game remained when Bartolo's goal-kick fell to Dos Santos Calcado who controlled the ball before sending a shot past Calleja.

Mqabba were again unlucky not to draw level in stoppage time when they were awarded a free-kick from a central position and Calleja's curler smacked against the bar.

In stoppage time, Dos Santos Calcado spoiled an otherwise positive debut when he picked up his second yellow card to leave his team down to ten men for the last few hectic moments of the game.

But Mqabba had little time to profit from their numerical advantage as the referee's final whistle came soon after.

Msida: M. Bartolo-5.5, P. Sciriha-5.5, S. Grima-6, P. Borg-6 ('79 S. Vella), T. Farrugia-6, D. Cachia-6, A. Farrugia-6 ('90 R. Baldacchino), A. Spiteri-5.5, P. Doding-6.5, G. Dos Santos-5, P. Dos Santos Calcado.

Mqabba: K. Calleja-5.5, A. Busuttil-6, I. Nogueira-6, M. Briffa-6.5 ('79 E. Borg), F. Silva-5.5 ('90 J.Mintoff), M. Pereira-7.5, C. Calleja-7, J.P. Muscat-6.5, C. Gatt Baldacchino-6.5 ('90 J. Fenech), L. Galea-5, D. Zarb-6.5.

Referee: Joe Attard.

Scorers: Doding 22; Calleja 25; Pereira 48; Borg 68; Dos Santos Calcado 69, 86; Nogueira 81.

Yellow cards: Galea; Pereira; Dos Santos Calcado.

Red card: Dos Santos Calcado (M) 90.

BoV Player of the match: Marcelo Pereira (Mqabba).