Floriana 2
Balzan 2

Anthony Evi Parker, Balzan Youths' new-signing, yesterday provided his team with the salvo which had Floriana surrendering two important points in their bid to make it to the top pool.

The 'Green' light was on for Ziya Yildiz's team when they struck twice early in the match to seemingly procure a base for a successful outing.

But the Youths, even if courtesy of some slipshod defending, fought their way back in the second period, with Evi Parker taking the honours.

Those plaudits - he even won the MIA man-of-the-match award - were not so much for continuity in his striking role as for his opportunism in pouncing on the chances which came his way.

Once again, Floriana paid the price for their over-indulgence. Without detracting from the merits of the fighting Youths, one sensed that the Greens were caught between the cross-winds of harbouring their two-nil lead and going for more goals.

Balzan, for whom midfielders Jaroslav Marx and Nikolai Filipov worked incessantly, had other ideas.

The Greens took the lead at the first time of asking. They won a free-kick from a central position just outside the penalty area.

Jonathan Holland's well-hit ball swept past the Balzan barrier and beyond the reach of an unsighted Ernest Barry to be met gleefully by the Floriana players.

Although that third minute breakthrough was not enough to give the Greens a sense of security, it generated enough confidence among their clan.

That lead was widened to an adequate cushion on the quarter-of-an-hour mark.

A free-kick from the right had an attempt at goal blocked by Shawn Tellus. A melee ensued with Riad-Mynel Gango-Rtsa finishing off through a ruck of players.

The Youths' pre-match optimism, stemming from their 2-1 defeat of Valletta in their previous outing, took some battering. Their generosity did not go beyond a couple of set-pieces and flag-kicks which Floriana dealt with quite assuringly.

The Reds' efforts to reduce the leeway could have proved fruitful, but Filipov's left-footed rasping shot ended just wide of the upright. The pressure, albeit abortive, was mainly coming from Balzan.

Their supply lines to Stefan Zahra and Evi Parker were being systematically nipped in the bud by the Greens' rearguard. By contrast, Floriana's sorties into the opposing territory were more coherent.

A slip by Ian Azzopardi allowed Zahra a clear sight of goal, but the angled shot missed the target by inches.

Midfield grafting after the change of ends failed to produce anything tangible. This suited Floriana well, until Evi Parker scored a goal out of nothing 12 minutes into the restart.

He received the ball in a central position almost on the edge of the area and sensing a gratuitous gap, the Nigerian hit low past the driving Matthew Camilleri.

Floriana could not sit on their laurels now as the Youths were further jerked into an awareness that they could at least save their lines. Evi Parker's deflected effort in extremis proved that point.

A terrible hash-up between Julian Briffa and Camilleri, with the former shouldering more culpability, provided an easy route to goal for Evi Parker and the teams were level on 70 minutes.

Floriana were stunned while the Youths' batteries seemed to be recharged.

A square ball from the right had Evi Parker going in for the kill, but an illegitimate challenge on an opponent, annulled Balzan's bright opportunity to go ahead.

The Greens ventured forward and the unbalanced Barry stopped Holland's 20-metre drive with his foot and then tipped to corner a shot from the same player.

So did Camilleri at the other end when denying Evi Parker.

That was that and the teams had to settle for minimum points, with Balzan clearly looking the more satisfied team.

Floriana: M. Camilleri, R. Gango-Rtsa (J. Delia), C. Ciantar, J. Briffa, N. Baldacchino (E. Do Nascimento), J.P. Mifsud Triganza, J. Holland, K. Formosa (C. Mattocks), I. Azzopardi, A. Da Silva, S. Bajada.

Balzan: E. Barry, A. Muscat, D. Agius (N. Gatt), S. Cappitta, S. Tellus, M. Caruana, N. Filipov, J. Marx, A. Evi Parker (M. Martin), S. Zahra (G. Scerri), N. Arpa.

Referee: Lorry Sammut.

Scorers: Holland 3; Gango-Rtsa 15; Evi Parker 57, 70.

Yellow Cards: Agius; Ciantar; Mifsud Triganza; Marx; Bajada; Cappitta; Muscat.

MIA Player Of The Match: Anthony Evi Parker (Balzan Y.).