Mosta FC 1 Apap 46; Tarxien Rainbows 3 Bueno 14, 83; Bajada 68;
Mosta chasing the top of the table for the first time in history, suffered a dizzy bout of vertigo when they succumbed to an unexpected defeat against Tarxien.
The Rainbows were forced to weather one uncomfortable moment before taking
command at the Victor Tedesco Stadium. After 12 minutes, Danial Mitev’s thunderbolt from outside the box swerved beyond goaler Vella but crashed against the post before Steve Bonnici cleared for a corner.
But Daniel Mariano Bueno put Tarxien ahead on 14 minutes with a low strike, having collected Anderzinho’s through pass and run clear through in the box before
squeezing a shot under Justin Haber’s body.
The score at half-time was not exactly what Mosta had wished for but 50 seconds into the second half, the Blues levelled matters.
From another corner, Mitev supplied a teasing cross towards the far post and defender Ferdinando Apap rose above a host of Tarxien defenders before the ball took an awkward bounce and soared into the net.
On the hour mark, Justin Grioli made headaway down the right flank but while his
cross-cum-shot turned beat Haber it cannoned off the bar.
It took almost going behind for Tarxien to wake up and, as often had been the case
this season, Bueno and Andrezinho proved to the their spark. But seven minutes later, Andrezinho’s brilliance zipped open the defence as hedeposited the ball towards the unmarked Roderick Bajada who found himself face to face with Haber before depositing the ball into the net.
The modus operandi was the same four minutes later as another good move by Tarxien saw Bueno broke clear through the middle before guiding a through-pass to the advancing Leandro Almeida but Haber produced a brilliant one-handed save to thwart the Brazilian.
Eight minutes from time, following a quick exchange of passes between Bueno and Andrezinho, the midfielder tried to lift the ball over Haber but the Malta goalkeeper tipped his effort over the bar.
One minute later and after more relentless pressure from the Rainbows, it was 3-1, Tanti roaring down the right before dragging the ball into the path of Bueno whose first attempt was kept out by Haber. However, the ball fell kindly into the Brazilian’s path who somehow managed to find the net with a scrambled effort.