Pietà and Mosta share spoils
Pietà Hotspurs 2Mosta 2 Promotion contenders Mosta and Pietà shared the spoils in an exciting match that also meant St Patrick stayed at the summit, even though having played a game less. A defeat was out of the question for both sides. After conceding...
Pietà Hotspurs 2
Mosta 2
Promotion contenders Mosta and Pietà shared the spoils in an exciting match that also meant St Patrick stayed at the summit, even though having played a game less.
A defeat was out of the question for both sides. After conceding three successive upsets, Mosta couldn't afford to lose more points while Pietà wanted to continue their fine form of late.
This match was another good advert for Division One football. Gianluca Calabretta and Martin Deanov produced excellent play and on this form both playmakers could easily find a slot with the best in the Premier League.
Pieta settled down first and following a goalmouth scramble, Simon Shead's drive was saved by Jonathan Debono.
The Hotspurs took the lead on 13 minutes when they were awarded a penalty for a handball by Antonio Saliba in his own area. Deanov converted from the spot.
Pietà made it 2-0 on 16 minutes when Deanov passed to the unmarked Shead who drove the ball home from close range.
Mosta looked dead and buried but were dropped a lifeline on 20 minutes when a Calabretta curler from the left hit the roof of the net.
On 23 minutes Mosta restored parity when an Elton Vella first-time effort was parried by Montfort and from the rebound Calabretta hit home in style to make it two-all.
The pace slowed down after the early flurry even though on 36 minutes a Deanov drive finished just over the Mosta bar.
Calabretta almost made it a hat-trick on 53 minutes but his rasping shot was stopped by Montfort who punched the ball away for corner.
A minute later Melvin Farrugia missed a sitter for Mosta when profiting from a bad clearance by the Pietà defence.
The game lost most of its excitement as the minutes ticked away with both sets of defences making sure not to give away an extra inch.
On 83 minutes, Shead, unmarked in front of goal, hit the ball a foot wide. But a goal at that instance would have been unjust on Mosta who did enough to earn a point as the fight for promotion goes on.
Pietà Hotspurs
M. Montfort, C. Spiteri (C. Cassar), J. Delia (B. Sciberras), I. Grech, M. Deanov, S. Shead, K. Robinson, D. Mifsud (C. Pulo), T. Vella, K. Cassar, S. Pace.
Mosta
J. Debono, M. Abela, B. Agius, S. Borg, M. Brincat, G. Calabretta (P. Vassallo), R. Deguara, A. Ewurum, M. Farrugia, E. Vella (L. Micallef), A. Saliba (A. Borg).
Referee: Alan Mario Sant.
Man of the match: Gianluca Calabretta (Mosta).