Enrico Piccioni’s appointment as Mosta coach almost passed unnoticed as he took up the role during the festive season.

Having joined Mosta as technical director in the summer, Piccioni was the obvious choice to replace Danilo Doncic who was relieved of his duties in the wake of the 2-0 defeat to Balzan last month.

The Italian has only been in charge for two matches but Mosta’s amazing fightback in their 3-2 victory over Hibs on Saturday cast a positive light on his work.

After holding Sliema to a one-all draw on Piccioni’s debut, Mosta gave their new coach his first win in spectacular fashion, scoring three goals in 19 second-half minutes after Hibs had taken a 2-0 lead.

Piccioni believes the sixth-placed Mosta, now five points clear of Floriana, can push on after Saturday’s success as they step up their bid for a Championship Pool berth.

“It was a very important match for us,” Piccioni said. “We are now entering a period where there are a number of direct encounters and this victory has put us in a position which allows us to look at the situation with more tranquillity.

“I only have praise for my players. They didn’t give up in the second half. It was a very good performance... the players believe in the work we’re doing.”

Two goals down after 39 minutes, few if anybody gave Mosta a chance of salvaging a point let alone win the game but Mano Micallef’s goal, three minutes into the second half, set the stage for their fightback.

Piccioni acknowledged that Micallef’s goal was the turning point.

“At half-time, I made a tactical adjustment,” Piccioni said.

“I urged the players to reopen the issue with an early goal and put pressure on Hibs. They were fantastic in the second half.”

Hibs had played confidently in the opening period but, after the break, struggled to deal with the movement of Mosta’s front duo, Gian Marco Piccioni, Enrico’s son, and Diego Pereira, who entered the fray in the first half, as well as the probing runs of Cristian Martins and his replacement Yuri Messias.

Not many teams play with two main strikers these days but Piccioni’s decision to keep two up front was central to Mosta’s turnaround.

“It’s normal,” Piccioni replied when asked about his tactical moves. “From the touchline, you try to analyse what’s happening on the pitch. Hibs started with three at the back but after (Rodolfo) Soares’s departure they switched to four.

“It’s the job of a coach to exploit the weaknesses of the opposition.”

A top-six place is Mosta’s priority but Piccioni is eager to raise the standards of the entire squad.

“We are working to improve,” Piccioni said. “The team’s physical condition was not very good but it’s getting better. There is a lot of quality in this squad.

“The Championship Pool is important for us and we are determined to achieve this objective. Once we are there, we will re-evaluate our targets.

“Whereas other teams are under a lot of pressure to win, we are more serene and I’m confident that we can cause some surprises.”

Mosta’s policy to register many foreigners when Premier League clubs can’t have more than six in their matchday squad – five on the pitch – has been greeted with scepticism.

There have been suggestions that this approach may cause disharmony in the dressing room but Piccioni has no qualms.

“With so many fixtures during the season, you can’t rely on four or five foreigners,” Piccioni said.

“In the last game, I started with four foreigners. I have a squad of 22 and I’m pleased that those who came on as substitutes made the difference.”

Maltese football

Now 48, Piccioni enjoyed a long playing career in Italy. He is best remembered for his six-year spell with Cremonese.

Before moving to Mosta last summer, Piccioni spent three years in Bulgaria where he coached Botev Plovdiv and Sumen.

Working in an environment where the majority of the players are not full-time professionals must have come as something of a shock for Piccioni.

While bemoaning the lack of a professional structure in the Premier League, Piccioni believes that Maltese football has the potential to grow.

“I have been coaching Mosta for three weeks but I came here a few months ago to become the club;’s technical director,” Piccioni said.

“I have watched a number of Premier League matches. Here, there is no culture of work but this is a vast discourse.

“What I’m saying is that the players have to work in the morning. In Europe, the reality is different because the players are full-timers.

“I’ve come across many good Maltese players and it’s a pity that the wages they earn from football are not enough to make a living.

“Certainly, Maltese football can grow if the conditions improve.”

Piccioni turned down an offer to become the coach of Lithuania before heeding Mosta’s call.

“I spent three years in Bulgaria,” Piccioni said. “I also had an approach to coach the national team of Lithuania but I didn’t take it because I didn’t like the climate.

“I like hot weather. OK, the weather in Bulgaria is also cold but I worked at professional clubs there.

“I’ve been coaching for 20 years.

“I was contacted by George Galea (Mosta president) to come and work for Mosta.

“George is a very emotional person, he wants Mosta to do well.

“Mosta are keen to go forward on an administrative level. They have their stadium and a very good nursery. They have a project.

“I’m happy because I feel at home here.”

BOV Premier League statistics

Balzan: Armario Negrin 5 (1 pen); Darmanin 3; Bezzina 2, Micallef 2; Agius, Scicluna, Aboulezz, Pereira, Sciberras, Spiteri, Grima.
Red cards: Agius (vs Vittoriosa Stars), Vignaroli (vs Sliema Wanderers), Aboulezz (vs Mosta), Falzon (vs Naxxar Lions), Grioli (vs Naxxar Lions).

Birkirkara: Jhonnattann 9; Haruna 5, Temile 5 (1 pen); Fenech 4 (1 pen); Herrera 2, Matheus 2, Vella 2; Toure, Zerafa, Vukanac, Camenzuli, Mendoza, Scicluna.
Own goal: Camilleri (vs Valletta).
Red card: Bissi (vs Hibernians).

Floriana: Coronado 10; Muir 6 (4 pens); Diogo 3; Bogdanovic 2, Pisani 2; Casha, Edet.
Own goals: Doffo (vs Naxxar); Bonnici (vs Tarxien).
Red card: Edet (vs Rabat Ajax).

Hibernians: Edison 13; Failla 10 (5 pens); Cohen 6; Obiefule 4, Lima 4; Soares 3; Levnaic, Farrugia, Kristensen, B. Muscat.
Red cards: Pearson (vs Vittoriosa, vs Naxxar), Camilleri (vs Mosta); Levniac (vs Valletta).

Mosta: Piccioni 8 (2 pens); Fernandes 6 (2 pens); Kaljevic 3 (1 pen); Micallef 3, Messias 3; Grech 2, T. Farrugia 2; Brincat, Pereira, Silva Faria, Duriska, Martins.
Own goals: S. Gauci (vs Rabat Ajax), Bugeja (vs Qormi), Camilleri (vs Vittoriosa Stars).
Red cards: Ekani (vs Tarxien); Grech (vs Birkirkara).

Naxxar: Gilmar 5 (1 pen), Scerri 5; Rocha Da Silva 4 (1 pen); Thiago 3, Falzon 3; Buhagiar 2; Ani, Bonnici, Evaldo, Debono.
Red cards: Drago (vs Sliema Wanderers); Buhagiar (vs Tarxien Rainbows), Del Negro (vs Vittoriosa).

Qormi: Effiong 7 (1 pen); Bajada 5 (4 pens); Innocenti 2; Sammut, Bugeja, Grech, Jorginho, Del Giudice, Gabriel, Nucera.
Red cards: Bugeja (vs Floriana), Farrugia (vs Floriana), Pisani (vs Sliema).

Rabat: Micallef 3, Pelaez 3 (2 pens); Carrillo 2, Licari 2; Avila Perez, Gauci, Azzopardi.
Red cards: Falzon (vs Mosta); S. Gauci (vs Qormi); A. Azzopardi (vs Naxxar); Velimirovic (vs Naxxar).

Sliema: Ohawuchi 12; Muchardi 5; Navarra 3, Bello-Osagie 3 (2 pens), A. Muscat 3, Cilia 3; Bianciardi, Gueye, Woods (pen).
Red cards: Gatt Baldacchino (vs Tarxien), Mintoff (vs Valletta), Scerri (vs Qormi), Rapino (vs Naxxar).

Tarxien: Ronaille 10 (2 pens); Jorge 4; Potezica, Martinelli, Mamo, Bonnici.
Red cards: Potezica (vs Hibernians), Jorge (vs Sliema), Lopes (vs Rabat), Vella (vs Valletta, vs Qormi), Mifsud (vs Naxxar).

Valletta: Denni 13; Nafti 6; Agius 3, Briffa 3, Mifsud Triganza 3, Fenech 3; Nyang 2, Caruana 2; Barry, Camilleri, Zammit, Romulo.
Red cards: Agius (vs Mosta), Denni (vs Hibs), Vandelannoite (vs Balzan), Borg (vs Naxxar).

Vittoriosa Stars: Guerrero 9 (2 pens); Pereira 5; Martin 4; Teruel, Samir Arab, Aguiar.
Red cards: Aguiar (vs Tarxien, vs Qormi).

Next fixtures

Saturday
Centenary Stadium: 14.00 Balzan vs Qormi; 16.15 Birkirkara vs Naxxar Lions.
Hibs Stadium: 14.00 Rabat Ajax vs Tarxien Rainbows; 16.00 Vittoriosa Stars vs Valletta.

Sunday
National Stadium: 14.00 Mosta vs Floriana; 16.00 Sliema vs Hibernians.

Standings

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Birkirkara	18	15	2	1	36	14	47
Valletta	18	13	2	3	39	12	41
Hibernians	18	12	2	4	44	21	38
Sliema	18	8	7	3	32	20	31
Naxxar Lions	18	8	3	7	26	24	27
Mosta	18	8	2	8	35	33	26
Floriana (-6)	18	8	3	7	27	25	21
Balzan	18	5	4	9	19	28	19
Qormi	18	4	3	11	21	34	15
Vittoriosa	18	4	3	11	21	37	15
Tarxien	18	3	4	11	18	37	13
Rabat Ajax	18	1	3	14	13	46	6