MOSTA 0

BALZAN 1
Kaljevic 33

Balzan returned to winning ways with a hard-fought win over Mosta. 

High-flyers Balzan had to win this encounter to consolidate the top spot in the standings. The odds were heavily stacked against second-bottom placed Mosta who have lost the previous basement clash 3-0 against Pembroke.

It was a brilliant goal by Bojan Kaljevic that made all the difference. But contrary to pre-match expectations, it was Mosta who enjoyed the better opening.  

The first half was only few minutes old when Kemmu Jackson served Chevaughn McClaren on the right flank who hammered a low shot that finished just wide off Ivan Janjusevic’s post.

Making light work of the absence of Paul Fenech, Lydon Micallef, Alfred Effiong and Elkin Serrano, Balzan started to call the tune, Anderson de Barros teased Mosta after 18 minutes as his low strike shaved the foot of the post.

That proved to be the prelude to Balzan’s opener. Wearing a protective mask after recovering from a broken nose, Abdelkarim Nafti started a crisp move that carved open the Mosta defence. Some lovely triangulation down the inside right by Matteo Piciollo and Alan Silva Souza worked an opening for Bojan Kaljevic who shoot low past Bartolo.

Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Seven minutes from half-time, Emanuel Bartolo thwarted Balzan with a top-drawer save when he somehow palmed away da Silva Souza’s swerving shot that looked destined to hit the back of the net.

On 63 minutes, Ryan Fenech made a long-awaited comeback from one-year lay-off when he substituted de Barro.

In their first telling inroad into Balzan’s half, Mosta almost equalised. From a short corner, Njongo Priso chipped a cross towards the penalty area where the towering Tristan Grant rose to head towards goal but the ball finished over the bar.

Of the two teams, Balzan played with the greater urgency later on but fashioned few chances. Kaljevic looked sporadically dangerous on the counter-attack but never looked like adding another goal to Balzan’s tally.