BALZAN-3, TARXIEN RAINBOWS-2
Bojan Kaljevic scored a brace to lead Balzan to a 3-2 win over Tarxien Rainbows.
Tarxien had done well to recover after conceding a goal after just 13 seconds as they went 2-1 up early in the second half but Balzan produced a strong reaction to turn the match around thanks to Kaljevic who hit two goals in 12 second-half minutes.
Thanks to this win, Balzan moved up to fourth place in the table, one point ahead of Floriana.
Balzan stunned Tarxien as they scored inside the opening 13 seconds.
Oscar Guerrero made progress on the left before sending a cross towards the far post and captain Dylan Grima's low strike had the better of Sean Mintoff, the Tarxien goalkeeper.
The Reds threatened again on 10 minutes when Bojan Kaljevic, running on to a long clearance from goalkeeper Christian Cassar, ran clear but his lob landed wide of the near post.
Tarxien struggled to make a reaction but they began to improve as the first half progressed.
They had a good chance on 26 minutes when, from a throw-in, the ball fell to midfielder Triston Caruana who hit a low drive that flashed past the near post.
The game remained uneventful but eight minutes from half-time, Tarxien equalised when Edu Vallecillo's cross was turned in by Balzan defender Justin Grioli who committed an own goal in an attempt to clear.
Mouhamed Soly then produced a surging run on the left but his grounder was stopped by Cassar.
Tarxien went ahead seven minutes into the second half. Vallecillo's low cross from the right found Soly unmarked and the Senegalese fired past Cassar.
Balzan stepped up their game. Kaljevic headed wide from Grioli's cross and, on 55 minutes, the Montenegrin was foiled by Mintoff after he had been sent clear by Piccioni.
The Tarxien goalkeeper thwarted Balzan again when palming away Piccioni's close-range header after Samir Arab had sent a teasing cross into the box.
Kaljevic's piledriver was deflected over the bar and Grima was high from outside the box.
Tarxien were now operating with counter-attacks. Yepes skewed his effort wide after a probing run from the enterprising Firas Aboulezz.
The score became 1-1 on 69 minutes, Kaljevic heading home from Guerrero's corner. With eight minutes remaining, Balzan surged ahead thanks to Kaljevic who fired past Mintoff after capitalising on a half-clearance.
Tarxien were unlucky not to level when Aboulezz's free-kick from the left triggered a goalmouth melee with the ball hitting the base of the post after taking a deflection.
The clearance from Balzan landed at the feet of Yepes whose dipping effort was fisted pushed the bar by Cassar.
Tarxien's Soly was named BOV player of the match.