Valletta 3
Priso 45 pen, 67 pen; Falcone 89;
St Andrews 0
[attach id=450094 size="medium"]Njongo Priso (right) was twice on the mark for Valletta yesterday.[/attach]
Njongo Priso scored two penalties and Federico Falcone was also on the mark as Valletta marked the start of Paul Zammit’s second spell at the City club with a 3-0 victory over St Andrew’s yesterday.
Priso dispatched his first spot-kick home to take Valletta into the break with a 1-0 lead.
Newly-promoted St Andrew’s rallied after the interval but could not force their way back as Valletta closed all gaps to their goal.
City doubled their advantage midway through the second half when Priso scored from another penalty and with the clock ticking down Federico Falcone sealed the win after Abdelkarim Nafti’s header fell kindly into his path and he slotted his shot past Saints keeper Diego Rossetto.
Priso fitted perfectly into Valletta’s 4-2-3-1 formation joining Jhonnattann and Roderick Briffa in supporting lone striker Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza with Llywelyn Cremona and Claudio Pane sitting behind in midfield.
All eyes were on the Priso-Jhonnattann tandem and the pair responded with some delightful interchanges.
However, yesterday they did have the luxury of playing against a shambolic Saints’ defence.
City’s artillery pinned the Saints back from the outset and Wayne Attard’s team, with seven signings handed starts, struggled to get out of their own half.
Cremona missed a sitter very early in the match, miscuing his shot from a good position after a Briffa pass. Then, Cremona was unlucky not to put his name on the scoresheet as his swerving effort, after a surging run by Ian Azzo-pardi, finished just wide.
Valletta were stirring and on the stroke of half-time, Nicky Vella Petroni could do nothing to stop Jhonnattann from advancing into the box as the Saints defender bundled over City’s Brazilian striker with referee Mario Apap pointing to the penalty spot.
Keeper Rossetto had no chance to stop Priso’s blasted spot-kick.
St Andrew’s did not create a chance of note in the first half which ended with their supporters protesting vehemently against the penalty’s decision.
But Attard’s men posed a greater threat after the break as Valletta failed to display their previous urgency.
City’s biggest hope of doubling the lead came in the shape of Mifsud Triganza.
The much-travelled striker sent a stinging shot into Rossetto’s hands three minutes after the break. And the same Valletta striker was out of luck again on 56 minutes when he sent a volley over the bar.
Matthew Guillaumier tested Henry Bonello with a header after Valletta struggled to clear a Dale Camilleri cross. But St Andrew’s soon found themselves on the back foot when Valletta almost extended their lead following a swift raid.
Mifsud Triganza turned provider as he picked up the ball from Jhonnattann and fed the overlapping Priso whose grounder came off the upright.
On 67 minutes, Valletta were awarded a second penalty when Briffa fell under the challenge of Jordan Williams. From the spot, Priso sent Rossetto the wrong way a second time to kill off the Saints’ faint hopes of a comeback.
Abdelkarim Nafti came on for Mifsud Triganza and he contributed to Valletta’s third goal.
A superb cross from Romeu Romao fell to the Tunisian who served fellow second-half substitute Falcone and the latter planted his header past the helpless Saints’ keeper.
Valletta
H. Bonello-6, R. Briffa-7, J. Caruana-6, C. Pani-6, J. Cruz Gill-6, I. Azzopardi-6, R. Romao-6, N. Priso-7 (73 F. Falcone), J. Mifsud Triganza-5.5 (64. A. Nafti-5), L. Cremona-6, Jhonnattann-6.5 (79 S. Bajada).
St Andrew’s
D. Rossetto-5.5, N. Ghio-5, J. Williams-5, D. Camilleri-6, M. Sehitaj-5, N. Andreis-5, N. Vella Petroni-5 (65 W. Medley-5), M. Guillaumier-6, L. Cosmai-6 (76 M.D. Butti-gieg), J. Farrugia-5, C. De Nquidjol-5.5.
Referee: Mario Apap.
Yellow card: Priso. Attendance 1,057.
BOV player of the match: Njongo Priso (Valletta).