Floriana 1
Micallef 76;
Valletta 2
Barbosa 1; Denni 34;

Mark Miller enjoyed a winning debut as Valletta coach yesterday as the champions launched their Euro Cup commitments with a straightforward win over neighbouring rivals Floriana.

With both teams still in the early stages of their pre-season preparations, the opening game of this pre-season tournament was a fragmented affair.

As was to be expected, Valletta held the initiative for long stretches, taking a 2-0 first-half lead before a late goal by Mano Micallef revived Floriana’s hopes and set up an interesting finale.

Miller, who indulged in some positional tinkering in the second half, will have been pleased with his team’s overall performance against a limited but nonetheless plucky Floriana side but he can’t have failed to realise that there is still a lot of work to be done to improve his team’s level of fitness and sharpness ahead of their Champions League commitments.

As for Floriana, the players showed encouraging commitment but the squad needs strengthening.

Valletta’s new Brazilian signings, Jusselio Da Silva, Ricardo Da Rocha Filho and Jhonnattann Benites da Conceicao, were named in Miller’s starting formation.

Young goalkeeper Yenz Cini was handed the no.1 shirt as Manuel Bartolo, who is on the books of Msida but played on loan with Floriana last season, started on the bench. Bartolo has been training with the Citizens in the past few days.

Ryan Fenech and Dyson Falzon, who have returned from short loan spells with Sliema Wanderers and Mosta respectively, were also handed first-team roles by Miller yesterday.

For all the difficulties being encountered by Floriana in pre-season, Ivan Woods, the Greens’ interim player-coach, still managed to put together a familiar line-up.

Swedish winger Andre Grabowski was the only foreign player in Floriana’s squad while their substitutes were all young players.

Hardly 30 seconds from the start of the game had passed when Valletta opened the scoring.

Jhonnattann, a nippy striker who looks even smaller than Denni, capitalised on a mistake by Owen Bugeja inside the box before releasing Barbosa who beat Jurgen Borg from close range.

Jhonnattann formed part of Valletta’s three-pronged attack, Ricardo played in midfield and Jusselio partnered Steve Borg in central defence.

With club stalwart Gilbert Agius making his debut as Miller’s assistant and goalkeeper Andrew Hogg seeking pastures new, the captain’s armband was handed to Roderick Briffa.

It was all Valletta in the early stages. On 10 minutes, Fenech made a surging run on the right before dragging the ball back for Denni but the latter’s tame grounder was cleared away by Mano Micallef.

Micallef, the Floriana captain, then had a central shot saved by Cini.

Valletta would have doubled their lead were it not for Borg who leapt to his right to keep out Denni’s piledriver.

After an interlude of disjointed football, Floriana managed to put in a couple of dangerous crosses which the Valletta defence cleared with some difficulty.

But, in their next attack, on 34 minutes, the Citizens doubled their lead. Denni exchanged passes with Jhonnattan before drilling an angled shot past Borg.

The first half ended with Valletta firmly in the driving seat while Floriana, who had Ryan Darmanin leading their attack, struggled for inspiration.

Four minutes into the second half, Edmond Agius curled wide after receiving from Denni.

At the other end, Clyde Borg was unlucky not to pull one back for Floriana as his rising volley rattled the crossbar after Valletta had partially cleared a corner.

Still, Valletta continued to play the better football.

Denni’s dazzling run took him into the box from the left but his angled effort was touched away by Borg before Micallef cleared the ball away.

As the match moved into the final 15 minutes, Floriana finally enjoyed a spell of pressure. They protested for a penalty when, amid a melee just inside the City box, the ball came off Ian Azzopardi’s shoulder.

The Greens managed to narrow the deficit 14 minutes from time, Micallef flicking home at the far post after Darmanin had nodded Joseph Borg’s cross away from the diving Cini. Floriana’s goal sparked an exchange of words between some rival female fans.

Michael Mifsud, who had come on for Ricardo, should have restored Valletta’s two-goal lead but blasted over from Denni’s service.

In stoppage time, Borg denied Valletta a third goal as he repelled Denni’s effort after the Brazilian had been sent clear by Mifsud.

Floriana
Jurgen Borg, Joseph Borg, T. Farrugia, O. Bugeja (7 F. Guzman), M. Micallef, C. Borg (58 B. Farrugia), T. Paris, A. Grabowski, I. Woods, C. Caruana, R. Darmanin.

Valletta
Y. Cini, R. Briffa, S. Borg, J. Da Silva (46 J. Caruana), I. Azzopardi, R. Da Rocha Filho (69 M. Mifsud), J. Benites, Denni, R. Fenech (12 E. Agius), D. Falzon, W. Barbosa.

Referee: André Arciola.

Yellow cards: Joseph Borg; Paris.

Attendance: 1,037.

Playing today
(Centenary Stadium) 18.30 Hibs vs Birkirkara.

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