QORMI 1 NAXXAR LIONS 0

Joseph Chetcuti scored the only goal of the game on his return to Qormi as Josef Mansueto’s side started the season with a well-deserved victory over Naxxar Lions.

The signing of Temile, 24, has certainly excited supporters, but too often Josef Mansueto’s side could not find an end product for all their clever build-up play. Temile in particular showed some clever touches as Qormi monopolised possession in the opening period and the Nigerian went close early on with an angled shot which was blocked by Julian Azzopardi, the Naxxar goalkeeper.

A couple of corners around the midway point of the half hinted at  growing threat for Naxxar and on 26 minutes Terence Vella worked some space in the box and squared for Gilmar who fired over the bar.

The second half took the same pattern with Qormi playing the more fluent football before Alfred Effiong sent Joseph Chetcuti clean through with a magnificent pass that split the opposition centre-backs. Chetcuti kept calm to slot past Azzopardi.

Qormi should have doubled when Effiong managed to elude the Naxxar defence to close in on goal unchallenged but came Azzopardi to touch the ball away for a corner.

All routes seemed to be leading to Azzopardi at this stage. Temile rose unimpeded to meet Vella’s cross but he failed to make a decent connection.

Eight minute from time, Temile, Qormi’s most enterprising player, unleashed another powerful run down the left before releasing Effiong whose effort finished wide. Two minutes later, Qormi fashioned another good scoring opportunity when Effiong motored forward on the right but Chetcuti wasted a glorious opportunity to put the game beyond the opponents’ reach by shooting over the bar.

Winston Muscat’s men almost stunned Qormi, few moments later, when Uchenna Eminike demonstrated some excellent footwork to retain possession in Qormi box before shooting wide as Mansueto’s side held on for a winning start.