A 1-1 draw against Gżira confirmed Floriana’s ongoing travails as Giovanni Tedesco’s team have now gone three matches without a win.

Gżira must have been relieved to have avoid early damage with an Amadou Samb header which hit the post inside the first two minutes.

Shy the quarter of hour mark, the Nigerian striker tried to unbalance Jurgen Borg by slotting a shot between his legs but the ball got struck under the Gżira goalkeeper’s body.

Floriana kept up the offensive. Towards the end of the half, Samb arched a header over Borg but he was denied by the recovering Andrè White on the goal line.

After the resumption of play, an effort by Ige Adeshina brushed the woodwork from Jonathan Bondin’s delivery. Floriana kept up their swinging tempo with Borg calling on his sharp reflexes to stop a low shot by Sebastian Nayar.

On 56 minutes, a measured corner by substitute Steve Pisani found Antonio Monticelli inside the area before placing low inside left-hand corner.

Gżira replied four minutes later, scoring a beautiful goal when Juan Corbalan conjured a perfectly-hit free-kick that left Justin Haber rooted to his spot.

Gżira, understandably more motivated since they were intent on leapfrogging Tarxien and St Andrews for the seventh spot in the table, were the more potent team as Gianmarco Conti, Corbalan and Moises Avila Perez took to their engineering and striking tasks in buccaneering fashion.

On 79 minutes, some lovely triangulation down the inside left by Conti and Corbalan worked an opening in the box. Avila Perez tried to power through but his effort was blocked by Haber.

With Pisani moving to the left flank, to make way for Nayar on the right, Floriana looked steadier. Their reaction nearly produced a late winner but the Malta winger hit wide after bypassing two defenders.