Tarxien Rainbows 0
Pieta Hotspurs 0

Tarxien Rainbows and Pieta Hotspurs failed to improve their positions at the lower half of the standings after cancelling each other out in a low-key encounter.

The match turned out to be a drab affair with both sides clearly short of ideas in front of goal with the result that chances were few and far in between.

Perhaps, the Rainbows showed the better qualities but still found it difficult to create clear-cut openings inside their opponents’ half and in the end they had to settle for a third successive draw.

The only positive note for the Hotspurs last night was the fact that they had earned their first point of the season. However, more improvement is needed if they are to stand a chance of avoiding the drop next year.

Goalkeeper Sean Cini was awarded a chance to claim for the no.1 shirt while Cleber took up a midfield role. Kane Farrugia was preferred to Ryan Sammut on the left flank of the Tarxien formation.

Noel Coleiro, the Pieta coach, made only one change from the Mosta defeat, Quilin Refalo taking the place of Terence Agius.

Pieta goalkeeper David Cassar was called into action inside the opening six minutes of the match when he was on the right spot to fist away Jorge’s shot from the distance. The game remained finely-poised with the Rainbows showing more menace each time they ventured forward.

They were linking up better in attack, Jorge running on to Cleber’s pass, sped into the box from the right but his service found no takers past the half hour mark.

Before half-time, Jorge turned provider with a well-taken free-kick but Wesley headed out.

Five minutes into the second half, Alessandro Lopes Pereira’s firm header from an Alvaro Silva was tipped over the bar by Cassar.

At last, the game sprung to life.

Tarxien ought to have scored when Alvaro Silva, using his speed, unsettled Jurgen Pisani, veered infield from the right before releasing a crisp grounder which finished just off the far post.

Pieta served up a warning of their counter-attacking threat on 72 minutes when Kyle Cesare shielded the ball expertly before unleashing a drive which missed the target by a whisker.

In the end, the scoreless stalemate prevailed as both teams looked happy to have avoided defeat and returned home with a point in their bags.

Tarxien Rainbows
S. Cini-6, K. Farrugia-6 (69 M. Tabone-5), M. Caruana-6.5, O. Bugeja-6, Alvaro-7 (88 R. Sammut), Cleber-6 (66 F. Aboulezz-5), T. Caruana-5.5, Wesley-6, A. Cini-5, A. Lopes-6, Jorge-7.

Pieta Hotspurs
D. Cassar-7, C. Attard-6, C. Grech-6, L. Fortunato-7.5, J. Pisani-6, R. Rodrigues-5, Q. Refalo-5.5 (46 T. Agius-6), K. Cesare-5.5 (79 C. Cassar), L. Micallef-5 (60 O. Anonam-5), C. Frances-5, Gabriel-6.

Referee: Chris Lautier.

Yellow cards: Wesley, Fortunato, Tabone, Sammut.

BOV player of the match: Alvaro Silva (Tarxien Rainbows).

Standings