Clive Mizzi completed one of his finest achievements as a football coach on Monday when he steered modest Tarxien Rainbows into the Championship Pool following a comfortable 3-0 win over Melita.
Daniel Mariano Bueno was again the catalyst behind that victory as the Brazilian grabbed a first-half brace that put the team on the way to their 10th win of the season before compatriot Leandro sealed the points late on, netting his first goal for Tarxien since his move from Valletta earlier this month.
Tarxien soared to the fourth place in the standings on 34 points... seven clear of seventh-placed Qormi who cannot catch the Rainbows with only two matches left.
Mizzi was understandably elated at having succeeded in reaching the club’s primary objective. The feat gains more in importance considering Mizzi took over after a few weeks in the new season and with a squad completely designed by his predecessor Danilo Doncic.
“Tarxien’s Championship Pool qualification is a great cause of satisfaction for all of us at the club,” Mizzi told The Times yesterday.
“I started at Tarxien with the club having already initiated a new project with Danilo Doncic. So, my first task was to make sure that the team would suffer no disruption in this transitory phase.
“This club did well to generate an ideal team spirit inside the dressing room and that atmo-sphere was maintained. We all did well to be where we are at the moment and credit also goes to the committee and the technical staff including Renzo Kerr Cumbo, Michael Church and Steve Vella.”
With a top-six berth now secured, Mizzi has no plans to rest on his laurels and has already set a new goal for his team in the second phase of the cham-pionship.
“Our target should be very clear... we want Tarxien to finish among the top four which would be the club’s best ever placing in the Premier League,” Mizzi said.
“In the past we had some clubs assuming a passive role in the Championship Pool but we won’t follow that example.
“In this transfer window, the committee decided to strengthen the squad and for us that was a clear sign of intent that they wanted to reach higher levels.
“Branislav Timotic, Leandro, Marco Tulio Lopes and Gianluca Calabretta were all good signings, providing us with more options.
“So, I feel we have to try and achieve more and push the club to its best-ever placing in the league.”
Mizzi knows the Championship Pool will be a difficult proposition for all teams let alone the Rainbows. But he is adamant his team can do the job and that a strong start to the second phase will be crucial in fulfilling Tarxien’s lofty ambitions.
“Our next two matches will be against Rabat and Hibernians and we have to collect as many points as possible before the split is made,” Mizzi said.
“The second phase will be more challenging, we all know that. But for us at Tarxien it is a must to get our Championship Pool going with a strong run of results and we should fear no-one because that would spell our downfall.
“This season we won points from all teams bar Qormi and Birkirkara and that speaks volumes of our competitivity.
“I’m happy with my squad and in Daniel Mariano Bueno we have one of the most prolific strikers in the championship.
“His goals continue to fill us with great confidence and hope that this will be a memorable season for Tarxien.”
Scorers and red cards
Balzan Fc
Elton 13 (4 Pens); Pedrinho 8 (1 Pen); Caruana 2, Licari 2; Mendy, Deanov, Pace, Forace, Camilleri, Conceicao.
Red Cards: Conceicao (Vs Ħamrun), Licari (Vs Hibs), Pace (Vs Sliema), Forace (Vs Mosta), Camilleri (Vs Rabat), Mendy (Vs Hibs).
Birkirkara
Jhonnattann 9 (1 Pen); Haruna 7 (2 Pens), Mifsud Triganza 7; Vukanac 5; Herrera 2, R. Muscat 2, Joselito 2, Sciberras 2, Camenzuli 2, Fenech 2; Z. Muscat, Scicluna.
Red Cards: Scicluna (Vs Balzan), Fenech (Vs Ħamrun), Herrera (Vs Qormi).
Floriana
Darmanin 8; Wasiu 4, Verma 4; Coro-Nado 3; Cilia 2; Alhinho, Brown, Jeffers, Spiteri, Bugeja.
Red Cards: Brown (Vs Rabat), K. Farrugia (Vs Mosta, Vs Rabat), Alhinho (Vs Hibs).
Ħamrun Spartans
Grima 5 (3 Pens), Vella 5; Lumbilla 3, Calabretta 3; Scerri, Bozhov, Zerafa, Spiteri, Camilleri (Pen), Yoshev, Fenech.
Own Goal: Gribbon (Vs Melita).
Red Cards: Fenech (Vs Floriana), Cassar (Vs Tarxien, Vs Qormi), Vitanov (Vs Sliema).
Hibernians
Lima 8 (2 Pens); Cohen 7; Failla 6; Farrugia 4; Pulis 3, Ribeiro 3, Dias 3; Pisani, Soares, Levnaic, Nwoba, Kristensen, Camilleri, Bezzina, Kardeck.
Own Goals: Guga (Vs Ħamrun), Giglio (Vs Balzan).
Red Cards: Muscat (Vs Balzan), Dias (Vs Balzan), Pulis (Vs Tarxien, Vs Mosta), Nwoko (Vs Melita), Dias (Vs Birkirkara), Soares (Vs Valletta).
Melita
Armaro Negrin 5 (Now Rabat); L. Micallef 4; Galea 2; Vukanic (Pen), Sammut, Sierra Camacho, Cabanillas.
Own Goal: Pace (Vs Balzan).
Red Cards: Vukanic (Vs Valletta), Sierra Camacho (Vs Tarxien), Valenzia (Vs Valletta), Sammut (Vs Balzan).
Mosta
Obiefule 11 (1 Pen); Mitev 6; Bogdanovic 5 (1 Pen); Aboulezz 2, Apap 2, Zongo 2 (1 Pen), Campagnoli 2; Bajada, Chiemeka, Maia Dos Santos.
Own Goal: Bello-Osagie (Vs Qormi).
Red Cards: Grech (Vs Sliema), Aboulezz (Vs Floriana), Dimech (Vs Balzan).
Qormi
Bello-Osagie 8; Pisani 4; Spiteri 3, Siritto 3; Chetcuti 3; Effiong 2, Thackray 2, Zarate 2; Grech, Avila-Perez.
Rabat Ajax
Armaro Negrin 4 (1 Pen); Astrauskas 2, Fuster 2, Felice 2 (1 Pen); Smeir, Carapic, Borg.
Red Cards: Borg (Vs Floriana), Brincat (Vs Sliema Wanderers).
Sliema Wanderers
Woods 9 (3 Pens); Faccini 4; Ruggiero 3, Ciantar 3; Muchardi 2; El Ghaouti, Barbetti, A. Muscat, Timotic, Gatt Baldacchino, Laudisi, Mifsud, Martinelli.
Red Cards: Scerri (Vs Floriana), Bonello (Vs Floriana).
Tarxien Rainbows
Bueno 12 (2 Pens); Danilo 7; Evaldo 5, Andrezinho 5; Anonam 2; Tanti 2; Pulo, Bonnici, Danilo, Bajada, Leandro.
Red Cards: Danilo (Vs Sliema), Evaldo (Vs Birkirkara).
Valletta
Mifsud 13 (2 Pens); Gabriel 5, Denni 5; Toure 3, Fenech 3; Leandro 2 (Now Tarxien), Briffa 2, Zammit 2 (1 Pen), Barbosa 2 (1 Pen), Caruana 2; Ricardo, Borg, Ogunnuppe, Vandelannoite, Dimech.
Own Goal: Tufegdzic (Vs Melita).
Next fixtures
Friday (Tedesco Stadium)
Mosta Vs Melita 18.00
Floriana Vs Hibernians 20.15
Saturday (National Stadium)
Ħamrun Vs Sliema 14.00
Birkirkara Vs Qormi 16.00
Sunday (Hibs Stadium)
Tarxien Vs Rabat Ajax 14.00
Balzan Vs Valletta 16.00