Tarxien Rainbows 1
Anonam 61;
Balzan Youths 2
Tasic 45; Bright 57;
Balzan beat a lacklustre Tarxien to earn their second win this season and put more pressure on Rainbows coach Noel Coleiro who seemed to have lost his magic touch this year.
Ivan Zammit’s Youths took the lead just before half-time, through Nikola Tasic, and just after the break, Kris Bright doubled the lead with a well-worked goal.
The two goals came at the right moment for Balzan who went on to win three useful points.
Tarxien woke up after the hour but Balzan held on despite Orosco Anonam’s goal. Earlier, the Rainbows did have chances to make a breakthrough but Matthew Camilleri saved efforts by Justin Grioli and the woodwork denied Karl Pulo.
Coleiro made no fewer than four changes to the side that started Monday’s 4-2 defeat to Marsaxlokk with Ryan Mintoff, Karl Pulo, Manuel Caruana and Rodrigo Galvao all given the chance to underline their case for a regular starting berth at the expense of Stefan Giglio, Julian Vella and Lee Galea as Daniel Mariano Bueno was serving a one-match ban.
Pedro Calcado’s availability to partner Miguel Ciantar up front was a timely boost for the Youths, with Clifton Ciantar ruled out by suspension.
In the opening half, where neither side was able to take a firm grip on the game, Tarxien did have the majority of the possession though they were limited to speculative shots from the distance.
Grioli made an instant impression with a surging run and inviting ball to Caio Garcia Suguino whose half-volley was stopped by Camilleri after 23 minutes.
A few moments later, Tarxien had a Grioli free-kick saved by the Youths keeper and a Ricardo Costa lob that finished over.
Balzan held steady under an early cumulative bombardment of free-kicks and rode their luck on 42 minutes when Karl Pulo exchanged a one-two with Costa but his grounder hit the base of Camilleri’s upright.
The game appeared to be going Tarxien’s way before Balzan struck back thanks to the precocious talent of Pedrinho.
The Brazilian midfielder picked up the ball from Dylan Grima 25 metres from goal before driving in a fierce low shot that David Cassar could only tip over the bar. From Calcado’s flag-kick, Nikola Tasic fended off Everton to head past the stranded keeper.
Coleiro’s men must have felt hard done by going into the break a goal down but things went much worse for them a few minutes after they headed out of the changing rooms when Bright put the Youths further ahead.
Ciantar evaded the attentions of the jittery Tarxien defenders as he directed a cross from the right towards Bright who chested the ball before firing a powerful shot that bulged the net.
Up to that point, Tarxien had made little impression but they were dropped a lifeline on 61 minutes when from a corner, Camilleri punched badly with the ball finishing in the path of Anonam and the goalkeeper could do little about the Nigerian’s well-struck drive.
Yet, the Rainbows’ joy was only short-lived as Costa was sent off after barging into the goalkeeper while trying to collect the ball from the net.
Balzan failed to press home their numerical advantage however and two minutes later, Forace saw red for a second bookable offence following a clumsy challenge on Grioli.
There was a frantic finale to the match.
On 75 minutes, Rodrigo Galvao sent a firm header over the bar from a free-kick and five minutes later, a fast counter-attack by Bright unsettled the Rainbows defence but the striker from New Zealand could only slid the ball wide.
Galvao came even closer to an equaliser when the lively Suguino sent him clear and the Brazilian striker looked to have taken the ball around Camilleri but the goalkeeper got a vital touch to the ball and his team-mates in defence were then resolute enough to sustain Tarxien’s late rally.
Tarxien Rainbows
D. Cassar-6, S. Sadowski-6, Everton-5, M. Caruana-5 (70 A. Carabott-5), Ricardo Costa, R. Mintoff-6 (79 S. Giglio), K. Pulo-6 (71 R. Saraiva-5), O. Anonam-6.5, C. Garcia Suguino-6.5, R.A. Galvao-6.5, J. Grioli-6.
Balzan Youths
M. Camilleri-6, R. Forace, Y. Camilleri-6.5, J. Francica-6.5, L. Micallef-5 (45 D. Fenech-6), B. Guga-6, D. Grima-6.5, N. Tasic-7.5, M. Ciantar-6 (65 R. Farrugia-6), P. Calcado-7, K. Bright-7 (86 L. Bernandes).
Referee: Kevin Azzopardi.
Yellow cards: Forace, Suguino, Tasic, Fenech, Costa, Camilleri, Francica.
Red cards: Costa (T) 61; Forace (B) 63.
BOV player of the match: Nikola Tasic (Balzan Youths).