Mosta 5
Obiefule 20, 47, 49, 52,Zammit 75
Marsaxokk 0
This was a no contest.
Faced with a win-at-all-costs scenario, relegation strugglers Mosta kept their hopes alive after hammering Marsaxlokk 5-0.
After giving the dominant Mosta an early lead, Obinna Obiefule took centre-stage early in the second half as he struck a quickfire hat-trick to wrap up an easy win for the Blues who meet Qormi in their final match.
While Obiefule rightly earned the plaudits for his scoring prowess, his task was made easier by an appalling display from Marsaxlokk.
The watching Pietro Ghedin, who officially took charge of the national team on Thursday, will probably have hoped that the poverty of Marsaxlokk’s defending was not indicative on the standards of the Premier League.
In truth, the statistics show that Marsaxlokk, who have had a tumultuous year, didn’t belong to the top flight this season.
Prior to the match, the southerners suffered another blow when they were informed by the Malta FA that they had been deducted a point for failing to honour a payment to their former player Emiliano Lattes by the end of April.
Last night, Marsaxlokk FC issued a statement to rebut the claim made by the Malta FA and are set to appeal the decision during the next Council meeting.
Bryan Agius was handed a starting role and the captain’s armband as Mosta coach Steve D’Amato made three changes from the 2-1 defeat to Tarxien.
The experienced Agius was preferred to Adrian Borg while Firas Aboulezz and Kane Farrugia came in for Dyson Falzon, suspended, and Gilbert Martin, injured.
Marsaxlokk’s hopes of halting their negative run ought to have been boosted by the return of Trevor Templeman, Clive Brincat and Jean Paul Farrugia.
As was to be expected, Mosta seized the initiative from the off. They came close to opening the scoring after nine minutes, Yannick Ossok heading wide from Agius’s corner.
Obiefule, who is reportedly attracting interest from some foreign clubs, was Mosta’s attacking fulcrum with Ian Zammit roaming behind as Alex Cini and Jonathan Bajada started on the wing.
On 15 minutes, Agius cut the ball back for Zammit who let fly a powerful shot that was punched away by Christian Cassar.
Mosta’s onslaught persisted. They were unlucky not to break the deadlock when Cini released Zammit whose first-time strike hit the underside of the crossbar.
The woodwork again denied Mosta when Obiefule’s header came off the bar but, on 20 minutes, the Nigerian hit the target. He dazzled his way past the dithering Patrick Borg before beating Cassar.
Many thought that Obiefule’s breakthrough would open the floodgates but this failed to materialise despite Mosta’s supremacy.
It was not before nine minutes from half-time that Mosta threatened to increase their lead. Bajada let fly a rasping shot only to be thwarted by Cassar.
Within two minutes of the start of the second half, Mosta doubled their lead. Fastening onto a through ball from Zammit, Obiefule ran clear before lifting the ball past Cassar.
Obiefule’s show continued as, just over a minute later, he capitalised on Marsaxlokk’s poor defending as he rounded Cassar before blasting home.
Zammit then drove wide after receiving from Bajada but, on 52 minutes, Obiefule scored his and Mosta’s fourth after another mistake by the Marsaxlokk defence.
There was no respite for Marsaxlokk with Bajada rattling a post on 62 minutes.
The erstwhile untested Jonathan Debono made his first intervention on 70 minutes, beating away Farrugia’s long-range drive.
Five minutes later, Mosta made it 5-0, Zammit catching the eye when scoring with an acrobatic volley from Agius’s cross.
In stoppage time, Mosta substitute Luca Martinelli denied Marsaxlokk a consolation goal when blocking a Farrugia header on the line.
Mosta: J. Debono-6.5, B. Agius-6.5, K. Farrugia-6 (68 L. Martinelli-6), F. Tisbi-6.5, Y. Ossok-6.5, F. Raimy-6.5, A. Cini-7, J. Bajada-7, O. Obiefule-8.5 (80 P. Vassallo), F. Aboulezz-7 (74 S. Grech), I. Zammit-7.5.
Marsaxlokk: C. Cassar-6, C. Brincat-5, P. Borg-4 (82 C. Debattista), J. Brincat-4 (68 J. Xerri-4), D. Grech-5, T. Templeman-3, D. Attard-4, S. Eboh-4, J.P. Farrugia,-5.5 M. Valeriani-4, A.C. Pedrozo-4 (53 S. Borg-4).