TARXIEN 2 QORMI 1

Down to ten men from the hour-mark, Tarxien Rainbows dug in to edge Qormi 2-1.

Shy the quarter-of-hour mark, Joseph Chetcuti, pushing through the middle, delivered a through pass to the advancing Alfred Effiong who did not miss from point-blank range after outwitting two Tarxien defenders to create space for his shot.

Qormi’s lead was short-lived as Tarxien jolted their opponents with an instant equaliser. Carlos Hevia exchanged quick passes with Obinna Darlington as he sped into the box before he showed excellent poise to unleash a stunning shot that nestled into the top corner.

On the hour mark, the Rainbows suffered a major setback when assistant referee Chris Francalanza raised his flag to signal an infringement. Referee Adrian Azzopardi dismissed Hevia after the nippy midfielder clashed with an opponent inside the Qormi box.

Tarxien, arguably against the run of play, took the lead, eight minutes from time, on a devastating counter-attack. Triston Caruana broke away and fed Vallecillo on the left. An inviting cross by the Spaniard found substitute Matthew Tabone at the far post and he headed the ball home after timing his run to perfection.

It was all Qormi now but Tarxien stood firm. As the Rainbows were struggling to contain Qormi’s late surge, the fourth official’s board signalled five minutes of stoppage time. In the dying moments, Debono denied Qormi as he touched away Effiong ‘s strong shot.