QORMI-2, MOSTA-3
Mosta secured a place in the Championship Pool after coming back from two goals down to beat strugglers Qormi in today's first match at the Victor Tedesco Stadium.Alfred Effiong's first-half brace looked to have jolted Mosta's hopes of reaching their objective with two matches to spare but the Blues produced another remarkable fightback, scoring three times without reply in the second half to move 10 points clear of the seventh-placed Balzan who have played a game less.
In the opening stages, Mosta's Diego Pereira fired against the side-netting. On six minutes, Qormi's Leighton Grech picked out Effiong whose low drive was pushed away by Omar Borg, the Mosta goalkeeper.
Mosta were unlucky not to take the lead on eight minutes when Bojan Kaljevic's free-kick was deflected towards Mano Micallef whose close-range effort had the better of Qormi goalkeeper Matthew Farrugia but the ball flashed against the near post, rolled across the goal-line and hit the other post.
Qormi were disjointed in the early stages but it was they who opened the scoring against the run of play on 23 minutes. Grech was the provider as his lofted pass reached Effiong in the box and the Nigerian's snapshot beat Borg.Effiong's speed was causing endless trouble to the Mosta defenders. The Nigerian almost doubled his side's lead but his low shot ended inches wide.
A minute past the half-hour, Effiong made no mistake as he beat Borg with a precise shot after receiving a through-pass from Grech.Mosta briefly lost their composure but made a reaction towards the end of the first half. They should have reduced the deficit when Yuri Messias's corner was met by Micallef whose header dropped inches wide of the far post.
Moments later, Micallef freed Pereira but the Brazilian shot wide.Four minutes from half-time, Qormi threatened again but Cantoro blasted his shot over the bar after another jinking run by Grech.On the stroke of half-time, Mosta pulled one back when Kaljevic converted a penalty after Micallef had been fouled inside the box.
Seven minutes into the second half, Pereira's central shot was easily stopped by Farrugia after the Brazilian had been served by Micallef.The woodwork denied Micallef a goal his excellent performance deserved as his angled strike hit the far post after good work by substitute Lukas Duriska.Kaljevic headed over from Duriska's cross as Mosta stormed into their opponents. The Blues equalised on 63 minutes.
Yuri Messias advanced on the left before passing to Kaljevic who powered his way into the box before slotting past Farrugia.Qormi almost regained the lead but Cantoro's first-time strike cannoned off the crossbar after the Argentine had received from Grech.
Nine minutes from time, Mosta went ahead. Harouna Bara, who had replaced Pereira, swung in a dangerous cross-shot from a corner and defender Ishmael Grech looked to have got the final touch as the ball dropped into the net.
Qormi made a reaction. Effiong blasted over far the post after receiving from substitute Dylan Pirotta. The Nigerian then headed against the post from Triston Caruana's free-kick.
Micallef, the Mosta winger, was named BOV player of the match.