PEMBROKE ATHLETA 1; TARXIEN RAINBOWS 1

The encounter between relegation strugglers Pembroke and Tarxien was a tight affair and came down to a tale of two penalties.

Two spot-kicks, taken eight minutes apart, brightened this clash. The two sides battled admirably but the game was largely scrappy, very much in keeping with the contestants’ lowly positions in the standings.

It was Tarxien who shaded the early exchanges. After four minutes, Ebiabowei Baker headed wide from Ayrton Azzopardi. In their next attack, Matthew Brincat veered into the box only to see his shot easily blocked by Philip Schranz. Five minutes from half-time, Alex Nilsson profited from a mistake in the Pembroke defence but the Swede dragged his effort wide.

A chance for Daniel Ponce at the start of the second half suggested the second period would again by dominated by the Tarxien. The Spaniard raced through at full pace before his diagonal effort skimmed the post.

Pembroke continued to defend deep and inevitably Tarxien continued to charge forward. It began to feel like it would not be Tarxien’s day when Nilsson hit a powerful long distance shot which finished just wide.

Tarxien were made to pay a heavy price for that miss a few moments later. The Rainbows lost all sense of discipline when Baker needlessly gave away a foul in the box when he pushed to the ground Stevan Racic. Referee Glen Tonna pointed to the spot and the Serbian striker showed no nerves as he sent Philip Schranz the wrong way.

Eight minutes later, it was Tarxien’s turn to be awarded a penalty when Alex Alves’s surge into the box was halted by the sliding Zoran Levnaic, prompting Tonna to order a penalty. Azzopardi dispatched his low shot past Matthew Calleja Cremona to level matters.

As Tarxien mounted a late rally, Pembroke were reduced to 10 men when Irakus Roppas received a second caution of handling the ball just outside the box.