VALLETTA-3 FLORIANA-0
Valletta further underlined their status as champions-elect this evening as they delivered a stellar display to trounce rivals Floriana 3-0 at the National Stadium.
Buoyed by an early goal from Andrade, Valletta were too for much for Floriana, much to the delight of their numerous fans who turned up in their thousands despite the inclement weather.
Victory for the Citizens took them nine points clear of Birkirkara with only six games left as Floriana stay third on 20 points.
Valletta took only eight minutes to open the scoring. High on confidence after scoring his first City goal in the 1-0 win over Birkirkara, Brazilian striker Andrade put Valletta ahead with a diagonal shot that fizzed past the diving Lofti Said and into the far corner.
The numerous City fans were still on their feet when Floriana came close to an equaliser. Pouncing on a half-clearance in the Valletta box, Thomas Paris produced a firm grounder from the edge of the box that was beaten away by Andrew Hogg. Nigerian striker Daniel Nwoke closed in on the loose ball at the far post but Steve Borg nipped in to clear the danger.
On 24 minutes, Floriana goalkeeper Saidi denied Valletta a second goal as the Tunisian goalkeeper leapt to the right to touch away Fenech’s swerving free-kick, given for Brian Said’s charge on Scerri.
After a period of scrappy football, Valletta regained the initiative, with captain Gilbert Agius at the heart of City’s improvement.
Outfought in midfield, Floriana struggled to create openings as the Valletta defenders kept the likes of Nwoke and Ivan Woods under lock and key.
The Greens had to wait until four minutes from half-time to trouble Valletta. Woods, picking up a short clearance just inside the box, fired over the bar.
At the other end, Gilbert Agius ran forward and released Scerri who blasted high and wide. A long-range shot by Agius was blocked by Saidi in first-half stoppage time.
Valletta doubled their lead within a minute from the start of the second half. Agius’s low cross from the left unhinged the Floriana defence as Scerri pulled the ball back for Denni who unleashed a powerful shot that sent the net bulging.
Buttressed by their two-goal advantage, Valletta stayed on top. They may have added to their lead when Fenech ran into the box from the left and released Andrade who rifled over the bar with only Saidi to beat.
Zerafa was forced into his first substitution just past the hour as Gilbert Agius was taken off on a stretcher after seemingly taking a blow to his head. The City captain was replaced by Kevin Sammut.
Doffo’s dipping drive from a central free-kick unsettled Valletta as the ball dropped in the goalmouth but Hogg diverted the ball away for a corner.
The game was 66 minutes old when Valletta were hit by another blow as Denni was sent off after his flailing elbow caught Mano Micallef in the face.
Ten minutes later, Floriana also finished with 10 men as substitute Owen Bugeja was dismissed after getting a second caution for a foul on Andrade.
Woods came close to reducing the deficit for Floriana but his free-kick came off the base of the post.
Four minutes from time, Valletta applied the killer touch when substitute Ian Zammit drove home after being set up by Omonigho Temile, who had just replaced Scerri.
Valletta captain Gilbert Agius was named BOV player of the match.
Hamrun S 1 Tarxien R 4
Earlier today, Tarxien brushed past Hamrun today to bridge the gap with fourth-placed Marsaxlokk to just one point in the Championship Pool.
It was first blood to the Rainbows in today's ding-dong clash, albeit in a controversial way when an outswinging corner taken by Gianluca Calabretta was headed goalwards by Daniel Mariano Bueno.
The ball hit the underside of the cross bar, bounced down apparently just over the line as it was cleared by James Lee.
The referee Esther Azzopardi was uncertain if it was a goal and consulted the assistant referee, Malcolm Mercieca, who in a moment of drama indicated that it was.
Tarxien seized the moment and ratcheted up the pressure on the Spartans defence and five minutes later, Sergio lashed a fierce drive high past Borg.
But the two-goal cushion only stood fractionally longer than one minute.
Marcelo Pereira picked up the ball from Dyson Falzon and Dene Shields timed his arrival perfectly to score from close range.
The surge in Hamrun’s confidence was instant, with Borg saving twice in quick succession from Shields’ rising effort and Massimo Grima’s shot in front of goal.
It was only a temporary reprieve, though as in the 26 minute Calabretta, a left-footer, playing on the right, collected the ball and sped up to the edge of the area before he delivered a pin-point cross which Costa headed home.
Any fears the supporters had of a slower-paced second half were gloriously dismissed within the first minute of restart.
The Rainbows had missed Ricardo Costa’s influence during this second period of the season but it was the Brazilian midfielder who led the Rainbows charge.
After 46 minutes, the midfielder met Bueno’s pass to fire a firm finish past Borg.
Now rather than the end-to-end action of the first half, much of the activity took place in the Spartans third. In the 51st minute, Grima went close to reduce the arrears with a fizzing free-kick that Cassar punched away.
On the hour mark, Shields stung Cassar’s palms with pile-driver as the pace refused to relent.
In the 71st minute, Costa should have scored his third of the afternoon after he was released by Cristiano Rodriguez but he fizzed a shot wide.
Calabretta was a constant source of danger and was only centimetres off target with an angled drive eight minutes later as Hamrun struggled to contain their former player.
In the final minutes, the players finally began to run out of steam, much to the relief of Noel Coleiro’s side who collected their first points in the championship pool.
Hamrun remain at the bottom of the Championship Pool.