Valletta look convincing enough in second half

Football - BOV Premier League

missal. They now remain deeply embroiled in the relegation struggle.

Both teams had drawn their previous matches and did not change much yesterday.

The Rainbows had Antonio Mitrev starting the match for the suspended Andre’ Scicluna.

Tarxien’s plan was to defend in numbers and use the linkup play of Faria and Tounkara on the counterattack. That succeeded to a degree until the interval.

They threw bodies in the way. They doubled up. They hoofed and headed balls, hurtled into tackles.

Valletta, often contained and unnerved when their opponents broke, could have been undone after eight minutes. Viera’s short pass inside the area found Faria, who was blocked by keeper Vella. Faria injured his shoulder but could play on.

Valletta kept struggling for rhythm. Alba prompted their first chance after 17 minutes with his rising shot that was tipped over in a corner by Tarxien keeper Cassar.

Valletta had been ascendant towards the end of the half. Beltre’ played a low pass to Saleh, who was blocked by Radovanovic. And, on Beltre’s second cross from the right, Prosa’s glancing header flashed across the face of the Tarxien goal.

Valletta increased their momentum in the second half and, when after hardly five minutes, Piciollo progressed inside the Tarxien area from the right, his angled shot was saved into a corner by the goalkeeper. From the resultant Alba flag kick, Santiago Malano headed the Citizens in front. Within five more minutes, Valletta scored their second goal. Matteo Piciollo broke away through the middle, as Tarxien failed to intercept a long clearance, and beat keeper Cassar with a low strike.

Their resistance broken, Tarxien’s brains scrambled for the remainder of the match.

There were no more goals after that, although there could have been as Valletta kept going and missed chances through the irripressible Piciollo, narrowly missing the target, short of the hour and Alba was denied by Cassar’s smart save on his rising shot on 63 minutes.

There was more frustration for the Rainbows when their defender Baker was sent off on 66 minutes for his second booking.

Even with an extra man, Valletta kept spurning more chances though. On 77 minutes keeper Cassar turned a shot from substitute Nwoko into a corner. The same player put his effort wide ten minutes from time.

Mental and physical fatigue kicked in for Tarxien before the end. They had still failed to conjure a proper chance though.

Valletta underlined their superiority with two second half goals, thanks to a convincing performance after a sluggish opening 45 minutes, to beat Tarxien Rainbows and keep up the fight with leaders Balzan. Matteo Piciollo, given the nod ahead of Nwoko...