TARXIEN RAINBOWS 0

NAXXAR LIONS 1

Bakare 22

Naxxar Lions defeated Tarxien Rainbows with a Raimi Bakare’ stunning goal.

The scarce crowd at the Centenary Stadium had to wait until the 20th minute before the first shot on goal from either side, which came from a foray into Tarxien territory when Naxxar midfielder Filip Stojanovic let fly a rising shot from 25 metres out which finished wide.

But two minutes later, retrieving possession on the halfway line, Raimi Bakare strode forward before unleashing a stunning drive that soared into the top corner as goalkeeper Nicky Vella looked on helplessly.

Bakare’s screamer, arguably one of the best goal of the season, had a galvanising effect on Naxxar. In the 27th minute, Angus Buhagiar drifted infield from the right before firing a diagonal shot that ended wide.

The strong winds blowing across the Centenary Stadium did little to enrich the entertainment value of the proceedings as a result scoring chances came at a premium.

The Rainbows’ toild to cope with Naxxar’s pressure prompted coach Clive Mizzi to make a double substitution at half-time, with Fernando Lopez and Ryan Sammut making way for Steve Bonnici and Lucas.

Shy the hour mark, Tarxien were awarded a corner and Jorge’s inswinger eluded the Naxxar defence but Lucas headed wide.

With nine minutes remaining, Sadowski rescued his team from a dangerous situation as he made a timely block on substitute Milan Vignjevic, who came in for Andre Rocha da Silva after good work from Daren Falzon.

At death, Tarxien staged a belated reaction. Hevia freekick flew over the defensive wall and Julian Azzopardi, the Naxxar goalkeeper, seeing it bounce over him at the base of the near post but to his huge relief, the ball went out.