Msida lack spark to seize chance

Tarxien Rainbows 0
Msida St Joseph 0

One man to the good from the 66th minute following the dismissal of Tarxien Rainbows defender Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Msida St Joseph will have fancied their chances of ending a depressing run of six defeats on the trot.

Victory was imperative for Msida yesterday to breathe life into their survival hopes but, for the umpteenth time, the Saints failed to rise to the challenge and had to settle for a point after the match ended goalless.

Tarxien are anything but easy opponents these days as their perfect record of two wins from two Relegation Pool matches demonstrated but on a day when the Rainbows were below their best, Msida really should have capitalised.

The Reds failed to do so as their lack of midfield flair and bite up front hampered their efforts to make their numerical advantage count against a Tarxien side who had mustered the better chances but found Msida goalkeeper Matthew Camilleri in excellent form.

Two scoring opportunities were created at either end of the pitch inside the opening three minutes. Tarxien were first to threaten when Daniel Mariano Bueno's cross from the right was headed goalwards by Denni Rocha Dos Santos but Camilleri saved.

Msida's response was immediate. Andrew Spiteri released Brazilian Marcos Aurellio with a perfectly-flighted ball from midfield but Tarxien goalkeeper Anthony Curmi dashed off the line to close down the Msida forward.

Noel Coleiro, the Tarxien coach, kept faith with the 11 players who started the 5-1 victory over Ħamrun. Bueno, scorer of a hat-trick last weekend, was flanked by Warren Chircop in attack.

Tyrone Farrugia, back in the frame after serving a one-match suspension, took up one of the two centre-half positions for Msida. Coach Joe Abdilla opted for a three-man attack as Brazilians Pedro Calcado and Aurellio were joined up front by Kurt Magro.

Another good move by Tarxien saw Luke Vella Critien push up the right wing before he cut the ball back for Dos Santos. The Brazilian drove his first-time effort over the bar.

The sight of Mark Tanti walking gingerly, after the midfielder picked up a knock, prompted Coleiro to make his first substitution on 27 minutes.

Andrew Decesare came on for the former St Patrick player.

Tarxien would have opened the scoring close to the half-hour mark but for a brilliant save by Camilleri who palmed Dos Santos's looping effort over the bar.

The Msida goalkeeper distinguished himself again moments later, this time with a point-blank save from Dos Santos who had connected with a cross from Bueno.

Tarxien were producing the more cohesive stuff but, periodically, Msida would provide a reminder of their attacking threat mainly through fast incursions by Aurellio.

On one occasion, a diagonal run by the Brazilian was halted by an unorthodox challenge from Gatt Baldacchino outside the box.

Calcado's ensuing free-kick cannoned off the crossbar and flew towards Magro who hit the ball with his knee but his effort ended high and wide.

Camilleri came to his team's rescue with another top-notch save to parry Chircop's acrobatic volley from Dos Santos's corner four minutes into the second half.

Close to the hour mark, Msida wing-back Andrew Spiteri was taken off on a stretcher after aggravating an injury he suffered towards the end of the first half. He was replaced by Stacey Vella.

The initial exchanges of the second period were devoid of any kind of creative fare.

Msida's energetic display was clearly making life uneasy for Coleiro's men whose task was rendered more complicated when Gatt Baldacchino was expelled midway through the second half after a late challenge on Magro earned him a second yellow card.

Coleiro's response was to send on a defender, Manuel Caruana, instead of striker Chircop and switch to 4-4-1.

Scoring chances remained something of a rarity with Msida finding it hard to translate their numerical superiority into clearcut openings.

With 12 minutes left, Calcado curled his free-kick past the defensive wall but the ball drifted wide of the near post. Having been cautioned for dissent earlier in the second half, Calcado's verbal exuberance landed him in trouble again four minutes from time as the Brazilian was dismissed for protests.

In stoppage time, Msida threatened to steal a winner when substitute Mark Camilleri freed Aurellio who charged into the box but steered his shot wide of the far post with only Curmi to beat.

Tarxien Rainbows
A. Curmi-6.5, S. Sadowski-5.5, C. Gatt Baldacchino, E. De Lima-7, W. Chircop-5 ('69 M. Caruana-5.5), M. Tanti ('27 A. Decesare-5.5), R. Schembri-5, D.M. Bueno-6, L. Vella Critien-6, D. Rocha Dos Santos-7, D. Camilleri-6.5.

Msida St Joseph
M. Camilleri-8, S. Grima-5, A. Spiteri-6.5 ('60 S. Vella-5), K. Spiteri-6.5, T. Farrugia-6.5, A. Da Silva-6.5, D. Cachia-5 ('80 D. Cachia), A. Farrugia-5.5, M. Aurellio-6.5, P. Calcado, K. Magro-6.

Referee: Clayton Pisani.

Yellow cards: Da Silva; Gatt Baldacchino; De Lima; Calcado; Cachia; T. Farrugia; Bueno.

Red cards: Gatt Baldacchino (T) 66; Calcado (M) 86.

BOV player of the match: Denni Rocha Dos Santos (Tarxien).