Mqabba 2
Bonnici 77; Timotic 90;
Balzan Youths 2
Pedrinho 72, 81;
A slow-burning game conjured up an action-packed finale as Mqabba and Balzan Youths shared four goals and the points in a 2-2 draw.
For all the expectations of a hard-fought clash between two sides who have punched above their weight this season, the first BOV Premier League match of 2012 hardly produced a genuine scoring chance for 70 minutes as Balzan and Mqabba toiled for fluency.
In Pedrinho, Balzan have a player capable of lifting the boredom with a moment of individual brilliance and the Brazilian looked to have decidedly swayed the balance in favour of the Championship Pool hopefuls with two clinical goals.
After Mqabba had cancelled out Pedrinho’s opening strike, the Brazilian delivered another clinical finish to restore Balzan’s lead with only nine minutes left but the low-key Mqabba refused to lie down.
Their never-say-die attitude and coach Clive Mizzi’s inspired decision to push towering centre-half Branislav Timotic upfield saved the day for Mqabba as the Serbian struck at the death to earn his team a precious point.
Timotic’s headed equaliser denied Balzan a victory that would have taken them three points clear of Qormi in sixth as Mqabba remain eighth with 16 points.
Balzan Youths coach Ivan Zammit thrust newcomers Martin Deanov and Anthony Eviparker straight into the thick of the things while defender Julian Briffa made his first appearance for Mqabba.
The two teams began the game aggressively but graft supplanted craft with the result that scoring chances were non-existent for much of the opening 20 minutes.
It was Balzan who mustered the first notable move of the game when Pedrinho powered his way into the box down the inside-left channel but his overhit pass eluded the advancing Deanov.
At the other end, Mazzitelli cut in from the left but his low shot was too weak to trouble Matthew Camilleri in the Balzan goal.
The two sides tried to up the pace of their game as the first half reached the half-hour mark. Mqabba enjoyed a brief spell of pressure while Balzan demonstrated their ability to counter-attack with purpose.
Six minutes before the end of the first half, Bojan Mamic did well to control Pierre Girma’s left-wing cross with his chest but his ensuing volley was high and wide.
Deanov also tried his luck from the distance but his central drive was easy prey for Kris Calleja, the Mqabba goalkeeper.
Bjorn Bondin came on for Clifton Ciantar who picked up a thigh injury towards the end of the first half.
Erratic passing and a reluctance to press forward made for a wretched first half. The second half was nine minutes old when Balzan spurned a great opportunity to nose ahead.
Eviparker lofted the ball into the box and towards Deanov whose low cross rolled into the path of the unmarked Dylan Grima but the on-loan Valletta midfielder lost his footing and Calleja blocked.
Mqabba protested for a penalty when Claudio Calleja looked to have been hauled down by Nikola Tasic but referee Adrian Azzopardi was unmoved.
Midway into the second half, the ineffective Mamic made way for John Nwoba who signed for Mqabba earlier this week, as Mizzi tried to add pace to his attack. But, with 18 minutes left, it was Balzan who surged ahead.
Bondin’s intelligent pass opened up the Mqabba defence as the ball rolled towards Pedrinho who drilled his shot past Calleja.
Balzan’s joy didn’t last long as, barely five minutes after their opener, Mqabba were back on level terms.
Their equaliser came from an unlikely source as Mauro Bonnici controlled the ball outside the box before hitting a looping drive that had the better of the startled Camilleri.
This sudden, unexpected flurry of goals continued as, nine minutes from time, Balzan went 2-1 up. Not for the first time this season, Pedrinho showed his shooting skills as the Brazilian tamed Eviparker’s pass on the edge of the box and arrowed a shot into the far corner of the net.
Just when it looked as though Balzan had done enough to win the game, Mqabba struck in stoppage time.
Clayton Micallef, who had just come on for the injured Calleja, hit a long cross from inside his own half and Timotic directed his looping header past Camilleri.
Mqabba: K. Calleja-5, M. Bonnici-6, C. Calleja-5 (90 C. Micallef), B. Timotic-6, M. Potezica-5, D. Azzopardi-4 (85 S. Magro), B. Mamic-4 (68 J. Nwoba-5), P. Grima-6, R. Sammut-6.5, T. Mazzitelli-5, J. Briffa-6.5.
Balzan Youths: M. Camilleri-4, Y. Camilleri-6, J. Francica-6, B. Guga-5, C. Ciantar-5 (46 B. Bondin-6), R. Forace-5, D. Grima-5, N. Tasic-6, Pedrinho-7.5, M. Deanov-5.5 (86 M. Ciantar), A. Eviparker-5.5 (83 L.F. Bernardes).
Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.
Yellow cards: Potezica; Grima; Calleja; Bondin; Camilleri; Calleja.
BOV Player of the match: Pedrinho (Balzan).