PIETÀ HOTSPURS         0

TARXIEN RAINBOWS   3

Nilsson 45

Paolucci  67 pen., 74

Tarxien Rainbows found little difficulty to overcome relegation rivals Pieta Hotspurs in a one-sided encounter at the National Stadium.

It was the Hotspurs who threatened first after ten minutes when Christian Grech hit a firm drive that was blocked by Andrea Cassar, the Tarxien goalkeeper.

The Rainbows should have taken the lead on 15 minutes when Jens Wemmer found Marco Botta unmarked inside the area but the Italian scrambled his shot wide.

Eight minutes from the break, Stefan Radovanovic did all the spade work to set up Gabriel Aquilina who fired wide.

The Hotspurs produced a slick move on 40 minutes when Busuttil found Neil Pace Cocks who quickly sent a cross across the face of goal but Grech failed to connect in front of a gaping goal.

Tarxien had their coach Jose Borg dismissed for dissent on 43 minutes but that failed to stop them from taking the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Faria sent a dipping cross toward Alex Nilsson who headed home.  

Tarxien should have sealed the match on 65 minutes when Aquilina played in Nilsson but the Swede was denied by Nicky Vella.

But a minute later, Nilsson was brought down in the area by Christian Degabriele and Michele Paolucci made no mistake from the spot.

The third goal did arrive on 74 minutes when Wemmer burst forward and hit a low shot that was deflected into the path of Paolucci who blasted the ball past Vella.

In stoppage time, Pietà were denied by the woodwork when Dylan Agius saw his shot hitting the bar.

Tarxien striker Michele Paolucci was voted as the BOV Player of the Match.