Floriana 0 Melita 0

This was a stalemate that offered Floriana and Melita little respite.

A patched-up Floriana side were unable to get back in winning groove after an agonising run of three draws and a defeat in their last four matches. Melita were also under some pressure to return to winning ways in a bid to join Ħamrun on 16 points above lowly Rabat Ajax.

Neither Floriana nor Melita were able to savour a winning return yesterday as their encounter ended goalless.

The current form of both teams had a negative effect on this contest as for long stretches the match was mediocre and desperately bereft of scoring chances. It was only in the final stages that the game burst to life but the respective defences held firm to preserve the stalemate.

Inside the first five minutes, Casha had to exercise his neck muscles to reach Cilia’s ball but his header went wide.

Floriana monoplised possession in the opening period but rarely stretched the Melita reargaurd beyond routine work. In the 23rd minute, Coronado tested Gabilondo Garcia to the limit with a curling effort destined for the left-hand low corner of the goal but the goalkeeper stretched out his hands to claw the ball away.

The game descended into a battle of attrition with both sides toiling to make headway in attack.

Martinez Lopez brought on Terpougoff for Bianco at the start of the second period. And soon after, Tony Warner fisted away Gribbon’s header from Valenzia’s free-kick.

On the hour mark, Coronado dispossessed Matthew Borg before picking out Roberts whose first-time volley flew well past the far post.

On the hour mark, Cabanillas Ayllon did well to connect to Manuel Sierra Camacho’s cross but his powerful header flew just wide off the far post On the other side, Tremarco fired in a trademark long throw-in that caused chaos in the Melita penalty area but Clyde Borg fired out.

At last, the two teams brought some much-needed intensity to the proceedings. Floriana worked a head of steam as the fourth official’s board signalled five minutes of stoppage time. They forced a couple of corners, which yielded no result. However, at death, Melita should have taken all point when Matthew Borg picked up a short clearance by Tremarco, only to shoot feebly into the hands of Warner.

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