Coleiro hails Rainbows' character as Zerafa expects Qormi response

The first chapter of this season's Relegation Pool was written on Sunday when Tarxien Rainbows scored a crucial victory over Qormi to boost the aspirations of retaining their top-flight status.

However, that was just the first act of what promises to be a tight battle to avoid the drop and one expects to see other twists and turns before the fate of the two relegated sides is sealed.

Predictions of a close encounter between the two promoted sides were all but confirmed at the Tedesco Stadium as Tarxien and Qormi were the protagonists of a tense plot which could have gone either way.

The Rainbows enjoyed the upperhand for most of the opening 45 minutes and should have gone in for half-time in the lead after Daniel Mariano Bueno had put them ahead early on. However, a fluky Joseph Farrugia goal from a free-kick put the teams level.

After the interval, Qormi stepped up their game by a few notches but the Rainbows showed great character to stay in it before applying the killer blow when that predator Bueno profited from some hesitant Qormi defending to rifle a last-gasp winner home.

Naturally, Noel Coleiro, the Tarxien coach, was a happy man following what he described an anxious weekend.

"Yes, I'm pleased with the attitude of my players," Coleiro told The Times.

"The past few days were a bit anxious for us all. No other result except a victory was good for Tarxien and the omens were not looking good with some of our key players carrying injuries.

"But, we did OK on Sunday even though we could have been severely punished for the only mistake we committed in defence. We gave them the chance to get back in the reckoning. Qormi did pressure us after the break but we showed tremendous character to hang on before Bueno proved his worth with a superb goal."

Tarxien have been one of the most in-form sides at the lower half of the standings since the turn of the year, winning four matches from seven played.

The arrival of David Camilleri in the January transfer window has been a great coup and according to Coleiro, the former Valletta midfielder was the missing cog in his machine.

"Camilleri has been a great acquisition for us," the Tarxien coach said.

"In the first part of the season, we conceded costly points in the dying moments of the match and the main reason for that was that we didn't have an experienced leader.

"But with Camilleri around things have been different. On Sunday, he led by example. He oozes confidence and brings tranquility to the team."

Coleiro, however, knows there is still a long way to go.

"We have won one battle but not the war," he warned.

"Sunday's win was a morale-booster but we have other tough matches coming up against Ħamrun and Msida. There are still three weeks before our next match so there's plenty of time to recover injured players and prepare."

For Qormi coach Jesmond Zerafa, the upset to Tarxien was a bitter pill to swallow.

"I am very disappointed to have lost this match," he said.

"It was an injustice on us... at least we deserved a draw. True, Tarxien were better in the first half but after the break we took control and had enough chances to close the match. However, what angers me most is the manner in which we lost the match.

"For the umpteenth time we conceded a late goal and it came because of our poor defending. Given the experience we have in our squad, I believe we should have done better in key moments of the match."

Qormi are now bottom in the four-team league but more worrying for Zerafa is the fact that his team has not won points in any of their last four matches.

"It's time to roll up our sleeves," Zerafa said.

"This Relegation Pool is going to be very tough for all. We started on a bad footing but we can recover from this. The club assembled a squad strong enough to avoid relegation this season and most of the players know how to tackle the issue in such delicate situations.

"The gap between the four teams is minimal but only those showing determination and commitment will survive. We've shown we can play at this level so it's up to us to face up to this big challenge."