For the fans of Qormi and Żebbuġ Rangers, Monday’s showdown at the Hibernians Stadium was more than just an ordinary Premier League fixture.

In fact, these two sporting rivals came face to face for the first time in the top flight of Maltese football after more than 30 years and both sides were keen on claiming bragging rights in this derby.

The match had added significance for Rangers as they were being led for the first time by coach Alfonso Greco who had replaced Jesmond Zammit the week before.

Qormi had other objectives in mind as they were looking to extend their positive start and extend their unbeaten run to four matches.

The clash developed into a tight contest with Qormi taking more of the initiative and Żebbuġ adopting prudent tactics and seeking to surprise their opponents with quick breaks launched by attacking trident Mauricio Britto, Matthew Bartolo and Carlo Monti.

Monti gave Rangers the lead from a 61st-minute penalty but Greco’s men were denied their first win in the league when Qormi drew level through Ryan Micallef.

Greco still sounded satisfied with the outcome.

“Being our first match together, I felt the players did well,” Greco told Times of Malta yesterday.

“Although I’m pleased with the point gained, there is also a tinge of disappointment as I feel we could have taken the three points. A lapse in concentration cost us dear in the end.

“But that was still a good start for us. The players showed cohesion and understood my tactics so there’s no reason why we should not improve on this performance.”

The derby concluded an eventful week for Greco. He had just returned to Italy after parting ways with Sliema Wanderers when a phone call from Żebbuġ Rangers FC president Joe Pace convinced him to change plans.

“I had only been at home for one day when Joe Pace called and offered me the job,” Greco, who played for Lazio and Cagliari in his career, said.

“Negotiations did not last long as I was impressed by their project and I felt that it matched my ambitions.

“I’m aware this is a tough task we have on our hands. The Premier League this season is so competitive but if the players show the same kind of commitment and approach they did these past few days we’ve been together we can turn our season around.”

Winning drought

Greco believes breaking the team’s winning drought is crucial.

“The main problem at present is psychological... a lack of self-belief which stems from the fact that Żebbuġ have yet to win a match,” the Italian said.

“There’s work to do, particularly in defence. Twenty-five goals in 10 matches is way too much... improvement is vital in this vital sector to survive.

“Before playing Qormi, we worked a lot on a more sound cover at the back and the first indications look very positive.”

While, Żebbuġ are struggling on their return to the top flight the same cannot be said of Qormi who flourished into a very solid team with Josef Mansueto as coach.

He felt poor play in the final third may have cost them victory against Żebbuġ.

“On Monday, we dominated possession for long periods but failed to make the most of the chances that came our way,” Mansueto said.

“Żebbuġ did not play an open game as they tried to catch us on the counter. In fact, their goal came from one of their swift breaks. But our response was good.

“After the equaliser my players created other good chances but we could not put the ball into the net.

“It’s a bit disappointing as victory meant so much for our fans.”

Mansueto is relishing his first experience in Premier League football and believes Qormi have ample room for im-provement.

“This is my first year in the Premier League. The start was a little bit nervy but now I feel more settled though I still have a lot to learn,” the former MFA youth coach said.

“Overall I’m satisfied with how the season has panned out for us. Despite having a demanding fixture list, the team performed well and we could have collected a few more points following last-gasp defeats to Hibs, Balzan and Birkirkara.

“But the most satisfying aspect is that the team is producing a good level of football and improving with every match.

“As everyone can see most of the teams in the championship are very balanced but I’m confident that at Qormi we can reach our goal of finishing in the top half of the standings.”