MELITA-1, QORMI-2
Qormi fought back from a goal down to beat Melita 2-1 in today's opening Premier League match at the Tedesco Stadium.
After taking a deserved lead, Melita looked well-placed to end their losing run but the sending-off of Karl Vella Petroni late in the first half changed the course of the game as Qormi took command in the second half with Moises Avila-Perez scoring the winner a minute from time.
With this victory, Qormi moved on the 30-point mark and will start their Relegation Pool commitments with 15, eight more than second-from-bottom Melita.
Melita were first to threaten when Spanish striker Daniel Cabanillas Ayllon drifted infield from the right but his long-range drive sailed over.
Qormi were low-key in the opening stages. A Kris Thackray free-kick flew over after 16 minutes. The Amateurs showed the better qualities in the early stages. They came close to forcing a breakthrough when Luke Micallef twisted his way into the box but his grounder was blocked by Steve Sultana, the Qormi goalkeeper.
Melita's better start produced a breakthrough on 34 minutes. George Gribbon sent in a dangerous cross from the right, Micallef nodded the ball towards goal and Cabanillas guided home from close range.
But, Melita suffered a blow late in the first half when Vella Petroni was sent off. Having just been booked for time-wasting, Vella Petroni sarcastically applauded referee Chris Lautier who responded by dismissing the Melita player.
Six minutes into the second half, Qormi produced their first chance when Joseph Chetcuti's pass found Edison Bilbao Zarate unmarked in the box but the latter's effort came off the near post.
Midway into the second half, Thackray ran into the box from the right before squaring to Avila-Perez who was dispossessed by Gribbon.
The game descended into one-sided affair as Qormi gained the upperhand. Zarate went close with a low shot that ended wide but, 19 minutes from time, Qormi made it 1-1. Grech's low cross from the right was cut out by the Melita goalkeeper Guillermo Garcia but the ball hit Tufegdzic and rolled back into the net.
Tufegdzic almost committed a second own goal when he mishit his clearance from Grech's effort but Garcia was alert to tip the ball away for a corner. The Melita goalkeeper then stopped a close-range header by Grech from Chetcuti's corner.
Four minutes from time, Qormi thought they had snatched the winner when Grech, a fast-moving figure on the right wing, passed to Roderick Sammut in the box and the latter's first-time volley drifted above Garcia but the ball cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and dropped on the goal-line.
Melita were reprieved but not for long as Qormi struck a minute from time. And a fine goal it was as Zarate made headway clear on the left before hitting a perfect cross that was headed in by Avila-Perez.
Grech was named BOV player of the match.