Qormi 2
Effiong 24, 31
Mosta 3
Kaljevic 45 pen, 64; Grech 81;
Mosta are home and dry but they had to sweat to accomplish their Championship Pool mission.
Coming from back-to-back wins over Hibs and Floriana, Mosta were fancied to see off Qormi and seal a top-six berth with two matches to spare but Alfred Effiong’s first-half brace looked to have complicated the Blues’ task.
Effiong’s finishing and Leighton Grech’s runs had been central to Qormi’s double advantage but Mosta have clearly become a resilient side under Italian coach Enrico Piccioni.
Their never-say-die attitude was embodied by Mano Micallef whose all-action performance laid the platform for Mosta’s comeback.
Micallef procured the penalty which enabled Mosta to trim the gap on the stroke of half-time.
The former Floriana winger should have had a brace as he twice hit the woodwork but his endeavours paid off as Mosta added two more goals in the second half to complete another remarkable fightback, emulating their come-from-behind feat in the 3-2 defeat of Hibs.
With this win, Mosta have opened an unassailable 10-point lead over seventh-placed Balzan who have a game in hand.
Mosta’s starting XI showed two changes from the 1-0 victory over Floriana. Yuri Messias stepped into the boots of the injured Cristrian Fernandes and Diego Pereira replaced Gianmarco Piccioni who began a two-match ban.
Qormi coach Karel Zeman had two important players missing as left-back Jonathan Bondin failed to recover from injury and defender Owen Bugeja was suspended.
Argentine forward Lucas Cantoro, making his first appearance for Qormi, took up the central striker’s role with Grech and Effiong on the wings in a 4-1-2-3 formation.
In the early stages, Grech’s floating pass landed at the feet of Effiong whose drive was parried away by Omar Borg, the Mosta goalkeeper.
The Blues couldn’t believe their eyes when, two minutes later, Kaljevic’s free-kick took a deflection which sent the ball into the path of Micallef who was un-marked. He looked certain to score but his effort glanced off the inside of the near post and then off the other.
Mosta were the more constructive side but Qormi seized the lead against the run of play on 24 minutes.
Grech lofted the ball towards Effiong whose run into the penalty area had escaped the attentions of the blue-shirted defenders. The Nigerian duly despatched a low shot that rolled past startled keeper Borg.
Effiong’s ability to flit into dangerous positions was evident again on 28 minutes when he sped into the box to reach Cantoro’s pass but his angled strike was marginally off target. Emerson Vella then blasted over.
Mosta were reprieved but not for long. Their defensive flaws were exposed again a minute past the hour as Grech’s through-ball released Effiong who burst through before slotting past the on-rushing Borg.
Two goals down after producing the better stuff for much of the opening 20 minutes, Mosta looked shocked. They should have narrowed the deficit when Messias’s corner from the left drifted towards the six-yard box but Micallef’s point-blank header dropped wide of the far post.
Four minutes from half-time, Qormi threatened again but Cantoro skewed his shot over the bar after Grech’s run into the box had unhinged the Mosta defence.
Micallef’s efforts were rewarded on the cusp of half-time when he dashed past a clutch of Qormi players before being hauled down by Triston Caruana. Referee Chris Lautier pointed to the spot and Kaljevic calmly sent his shot past Farrugia from the spot.
At the start of the second half, Lukas Duriska came on for Kurt Zammit as Piccioni moved to add bite and power to his midfield.
Seven minutes into the second half, Pereira’s central shot was saved by Farrugia after the Brazilian had been served by Micallef.
The woodwork again denied Micallef as his strike hit the far post after good work by Duriska. Kaljevic headed over from Duriska’s cross as Mosta’s pressure intensified.
The Blues equalised on 64 minutes. Messias was the architect with a surging run on the left before passing to Kaljevic who burst into the box before hitting past Farrugia.
Qormi almost regained the lead but Cantoro’s first-time strike cannoned off the crossbar.
With nine minutes remaining, Mosta struck again. A corner from Harouna Bara arced towards goal and defender Ishmael Grech looked to have applied the final touch at the far corner of the net.
At the other end, Effiong squandered a glorious chance, lifting his shot over the bar after being teed up by Dylan Pirotta. The Nigerian then headed against the upright from Caruana’s free-kick as Qormi pushed for a late equaliser.
Playing today
Hibs Stadium: 6pm Naxxar vs Balzan; 8pm Tarxien vs Birkirkara.
Qormi
M. Farrugia-5, D. Pisani-4, R. Sammut-5 (70 S. Zampa-4), L. Gabrieli-4, E. Vella-6, R. Bajada-4, T. Caruana-5, L. Grech-6.5 (82 D. Pirotta), A. Effiong-6.5, L. Cantoro-5.5, C. Terribile-5.
Mosta
O. Borg-5.5, T. Farrugia-5.5, M. Brincat-6, I. Grech-6.5, R. Grech-6, K. Zammit-5.5 (46 L. Duriska-6.5), M. Micallef-8, Y. Messias-6.5, D. Pereira-5 (74 H. Bara), B. Kaljevic-7 (79 J. Brincat), R. Ekani-5.5.
Referee: Chris Lautier.
Yellow cards: Vella; Caruana; Duriska; Gabrieli.
BOV player of the match: Mano Micallef (Mosta).