Balzan 0
Mosta 0

This was a game Mosta ought to have put well beyond Balzan’s reach. Yet, having dominated the second half and created a string of chances, they were left to lament their profligacy.

Steve D’Amato’s troops were determined to stay on the winning trail. They needed three points to climb third, above Sliema and Hibernians, and it soon became apparent that Balzan, depleted by the absence of three players, were there for the taking.

Ivan Zammit’s team seemed content to contain their opponents’ pressure and punch on the counter.

This was not a high-tempo match but Mosta missed a cutting edge in the final third with last year’s top scorer, Nigerian Obinna Obiefule, firing blank after missing three clear-cut opportunities.

For Balzan, Dylan Grima, Matthew Mendy and Jamie Pace were suspended for yesterday’s game as Clint Micallef, Aaron Agius and Bjorn Bondin deputised for the missing trio.

Zammit opted for a traditional 4-4-2 with two lines of four and Pedrinho flanking Elton up front.

Seasonal flu deprived D’Amato of the services Ousseni Zongo but he was still able to field a strong forward line as he awarded a first-team recall to Daniel Bogdanovic.

Mano Micallef was preferred to Alex Cini on the right flank in a 4-2-3-1 tactical module with the former Floriana wing-back, Bogdanovic and Danail Mitev the supporting cast for Obiefule.

The two goalkeepers were hardly tested in a dull first 10 minutes as creative football was at a premium.

Balzan created the first noteworthy move of the game when Brazilian forward Elton raced into the box before cracking a rising shot that sailed over the bar in the 11th minute.

Another period of sloppy football followed before Mosta enjoyed a brief spell of pressure.

In the 20th minute, Micallef served Ryan Grech who turned well inside the box but his shot flashed against the side-netting.

Five minutes later, Balzan’s Fredrick Tabone, standing in for long-term injury victim Matthew Camilleri, tipped away Obiefule’s header.

Then, the Nigerian found himself unmarked in the box from the ensuing corner but headed Bogdanovic’s corner out.

Fifteen minutes later, Obiefule was guilty of squandering another chance. Grech picked the ball near the halfway line and released the Nigerian who left two Balzan defenders in his wake before shooting straight into the onrushing goalkeeper.

Mosta brought some much-needed urgency to their game at the start of the second half.

Two minutes after the restart, Mitev tried to bend the ball into the corner following a solo run into the box, only for the goalkeeper to leap to his left and tip it away.

Not to be outshone, Justin Haber produced a smart save to keep out Renato Conceicao’s header, two minutes later.

A few moments later, Mitev drifted into the Balzan box from the right and set up Obiefule but the latter miscued his effort.

In the 55th minute, Mosta suffered a second blow – Bryan Agius had left the pitch after just 27 minutes – when Bogdanovic picked up an injury.

Renie Forace’s sending-off in the 75th minute, for two yellow cards, left Zammit’s team with 10 men.

As Mosta toiled to make their numerical advantage count, D’Amato introduced a forward in David Maia who replaced Campagnoli.

Mitev nearly broke the deadlock five minutes from time but his swerving shot from a free-kick was clawed away by Tabone.

A red card for Mosta defender Luke Dimech restored numerical parity on the field of play.

By the time he was dismissed for a second bookable offence, after hauling down Conceicao following one six seconds earlier for protesting with the referee, the Malta defender had been voted man of the match.

The accolade was eventually awarded to Balzan goalkeeper Tabone.

Balzan
F. Tabone-7, C. Micallef-5.5, A. Agius-5.5 (70 J. Borg-4), Y. Camilleri-6, S. Giglio-7.5, R. Conceicao-6.5, B. Bondin-6, R. Forace, C. Caruana-5.5 (77 M. Deanov), Pedrinho-5.5 (88 M. Licari), Elton-6.

Mosta
J. Haber-6, M. Micallef-6, B. Agius (27 S. Chiemeka-6), S. Bezzina-6, L. Dimech, C. Campagnoli-6.5 (83 Maia), R. Grech-7, F. Aboulezz-6, D. Bogdanovic-5.5 (55 J. Bajada-5), D. Mitev-7.5, O. Obiefule-5.

Referee: Chris Lautier.

Yellow cards: Forace; C. Micallef; Bajada; Elton; Bondin; Dimech.

Red cards: Forace (B) 75; Dimech (M) 90.

BOV player of the match: Fredrick Tabone (Balzan).