PEMBROKE ATHLETA: 2
Djeljilj 20, Levnaic 90
TARXIEN RAINBOWS: 2
Baker 40, Ponce de Leon 66
Pembroke Athleta skipper Zoran Levnaic scored a late equaliser as Winston Muscat hit back from a goal down to hold Tarxien Rainbows to a 2-2 draw and maintained their moment of grace to go on a four-point mark.
It was a very inauspicious start to the game as both teams were reluctant to expose themselves at the back. Shy the quarter of hour mark, Andrea Scozzese tried his luck from a free-kick which was tipped over the bar by Andrea Cassar, the Tarxien goalkeeper.
Suddenly though Pembroke broke the ice. This came from a 20th minute when Brandon Muscat’s low cross from the left was allowed to swirl across the face of goal and Asani Djeljilj stole in at the far post to poke the ball home.
However, a false sense of security may have induced Pembroke to slow down the tempo of their game and close down their ranks. Tarxien started pushing more men forward in an effort to draw level. Five minutes from the break, Ebiabowei Baker towered above friend and foe to head Tristan Caruana’s corner into the net.
After the change of ends, the hard-running Alex Alves was constant releasing himself from his position on the left flank and once he popped up inside the area to test Matthew Calleja Cremona with a low drive.
Tarxien’s mobility in midfield started telling. In 51st minute, Daniel Ponce de Leon found space on the right, before delivering an inviting cross, Alex Nilsson’s dummy unhinged the Pembroke defence as the ball ran clear to Alves at the far post but the latter controlled the ball and then fired into the side-netting.
Pembroke’s breaks were still worrying the Tarxien rearguard and in a sudden individual thrust Luke Montebello was scythed down by Daniel Zerafa. From the ensuing free-kick, Djeljilj’s free-kick was blocked by Cassar.
Alves, then switched flanks from left to right, swivelled around his marker and served Daniel Ponce de Leon inside the area and the latter grabbed his chance to plant wide of the diving Pembroke goalkeeper.
Tarxien looked to be safe bet to tuck away the points despite Pembroke’s efforts to fight back. Siraj Arab was out by a whisker in front of Cassar’s goal. A mazy run by substitute Dylan Micallef took him past two defenders but his shot was stopped by Calleja Cremona.
Pembroke refused to give up. Their efforts were rewarded on the stroke of time when Mateus Regis, who had come on for Adrian Borg, whipped in a teasing cross from a free-kick and Zoran Levnaic’s glancing header had the better of Cassar.