Balzan 0
Floriana 2
Cilia 63; Pisani 69
Fresh from securing safety, Trevor Cilia and Steve Pisani guaranteed Floriana a fifth straight league victory with two classy second-half goals yesterday as Balzan failed to create any clear-cut chances to hit back and avoid another upset.
Balzan now find themselves embroiled in the relegation mire with just five points above second-bottom Ħamrun Spartans after a dismal run of three consecutive defeats.
After a drab first half, the Greens raised their game significantly and their brisk-movement outshone and outclassed Balzan, translating their supremacy into a two-goal cushion that they never looked like relinquishing.
Renato Conceicao and Aaron Agius were ruled out by suspension but Riccardo Tumiatti did not limit himself to just two changes from Balzan’s defeat against Ħamrun last Monday as Bjorn Bondin was preferred to Jamie Pace. Renie Forace and Yessous Camilleri deputised for the suspended duo.
Tumiatti opted for a 4-1-2-3 formation with Dylan Grima and Elie Moises N’Dekre playing either side of Ryan Darmanin, the central striker in the Balzan formation.
Udo Nwoko was preferred to Sacha Borg in the only change to Floriana’s starting line-up as Iain Brunskill favoured a conservative 4-4-1-1 with in-form Igor Coro-nado given roaming duties behind chief forward Steve Pisani.
The two combined well for the first noteworthy action that occured midway into the first half when a spinning Coronado corner was headed goalwards by Pisani but Matthew Mendy was on the line to avert danger.
On the half hour mark, N’Dekre offered an early reminder of his pace and skill as the Ivorian striker set off on a mazy run through the middle but his progression was halted by Carl Tremarco. The striker got on the ball again and crossed for Darmanin who headed wide.
Seven minutes later, Coronado’s well-timed run zipped open the Balzan defence as he pulled Daniel Martinez off the line but Mendy, reading the nippy striker’s intentions, came to his team’s rescue when he cleared off the line for a second time.
Seven minutes into the second half, the Gambian midfielder abandoned his man-marking duties on Coronado to embark on a dazzling run before passing the ball to Forace on the right flank. Rather than going back to his defensive station, Mendy surged into the Floriana box to meet Forace’s return pass only to shoot wide off Tony Warner’s far post.
But it was the Greens who broke the deadlock on 63 minutes after an exquisite one-two between Kane Farrugia and Cilia unlocked the Balzan defence. Sharp-shooter Cilia swept past Forace on the right before beating Martinez with a crisp finish.
Floriana remained the most dangerous side and they strengthened their grip on the match with a second goal six minutes later.
Pisani demostrated excellent footwork, setting off on one of his typical infield runs in the inside right channel before hitting a grounder into the bottom corner.
At the death, Martinez showed some sound reflexes to block Coronado’s effort.
Balzan: D. Martinez-6, F. Aboulezz-5, Y. Camilleri-5, E. Moises N’Dekre-6, J. Borg-5.5, R. Darmanin-5, R. Forace-5, D. Grima-5, S. Giglio-5 (80 C. Grixti), M. Mendy-7, B. Bondin-5.
Floriana: T. Warner-6, C. Tremarco-6, O. Bugeja-6, G. Roberts-7, K. Farrugia-7, J. Borg-(38 T. Paris-6), C. Borg-6, T. Cilia-7.5, U. Nwoko-6 (55 S. Borg-4), S. Pisani-7 (77 L. Casha), I. Coronado-6.
Referee: Andrè Arciola.
Yellow cards: Mendy, Cilia, J. Borg, Grima.
BOV player of the match: Matthew Mendy (Balzan).