Tarxien 1 - Naxxar - 0

Edu Vallecillo was the toast of Tarxien as the Spanish striker scored a stoppage-time winner to earn his team a priceless victory over Naxxar Lions.

It was a dramatic outcome to a match which saw both teams giving everything they had in a bid to take the three points.

It took Frank Temile less than six minutes to make an impact. An interchange between Toure and Temile opened the Tarxien defence before the Nigerian outpaced the stuttering Grech as he dashed into the box but his shot came off the foot of the post.

The Rainbows were a shambolic lot in these early stages and three minutes later, they almost conceded,

Temile this time volleyed the ball goalwards but Sean Mintoff saved into corner.

Past the half hour mark, Gilmar crossed from corner for Ibok Edet but his angled header finished just wide.

Tarxien, at last, mustered a reaction. Triston Caruana teed up the overlapping Jose Pereira whose swerving shot was brilliantly saved by Pecorella.

There was little in the way of scoring chances in the opening exchanges of the second period but after 70 minutes, Tarxien had a good chance when Pereira Monti supplied perfect cross controlled the ball on the byline to Obinna Darlington but effort finished wide.

Another passage of scrappy football ensued but seven minutes from time, a swift breakaway by Tarxien caught the Naxxar defence in a state of disarray. Pereira veered infield before executing a rising shot which smacked against the crossbar. In stoppage time, Manuel Caruana tried to surprise Pecorella from long-range but he missed the target by a whisker.

At the other end, Ibok ran clear was denied by a fine block from Kane Farrugia who threw himself on the ball to hook it off the line.

But it was Tarxien who had the final say when Pereira’s freekick released Vallecillo who ably headed past Azzopardi to the delight of his team’s fans.