Fontanella’s late winner rewards Floriana

Football - BOV Premier League

Following two winless matches, Floriana coach Giovanni Tedesco freshened his side yesterday. Ruiz and Varela were both suspended as Justin Haber returned in goal. Tedesco gave starts to Andre Scicluna, Antonio Monticelli, Sebastian Nayar, Steve Pisani and Ryan Camenzuli with Matthew Grech, Clyde Borg, Maurizio Vella and Alex Cini relegated to the bench.

The intensity that went missing in the Greens’ last matches, was back in evidence yesterday. It was they who showed the urgency, consistently first on the second ball all afternoon in a match they never looked like losing.

Tarxien had lost all their previous four matches, in which they failed to score. Yesterday they had Sergio Prendes back in the starting line-up. But their cutting edge was again blunted and the goal drought has been stretched to 90 more minutes.

Floriana won the right to play their football and their control in the initial stages was impressive. On a Steve Pisani corner from the right, after seven minutes, Samb headed the ball against the bar.

And midway through the half, on a Chiesa cross from the right, Fontanella hit narrowly wide.

After defending stoutly for much of the first half hour, Tarxien carried the first threat after 36 minutes. Caruana’s free kick from the left fell to Nilsson, whose firm header was repelled superbly by keeper Haber. A minute later, Chiesa reached for Nayar’s floating free kick at the other end but keeper Schranz was equal to task and produced a reflex save into a corner.

With halftime looming, Tarxien threatened again. They raked a high ball inside the Floriana area but Ponce’s shot was blocked with difficulty by keeper Haber.

Floriana started the second half promisingly enough and created more scoring opportunities. Chiesa played the ball forward for Fontanella to lay it in the path of Samb who shot against the side netting.

Towards the hour, Samb chased a long ball forward by Fontanella but, when challenged by Zerafa, he narrowly missed the target.

On 66 minutes the Greens went close to breaking the deadlock. On Steve Pisani’s dangerous free kick, Tarxien’s clearance fell to Monticelli whose cross was headed by Fontanella against the post and Nayar’s shot from the rebound was blocked on the line.

On 70 minutes a Steve Pisani free kick went through the Tarxien wall but keeper Schranz stretched himself to hold out the ball. Floriana kept working the Tarxien keeper as Chiesa tested him again with a shot from a distance.

The match’s defining moment came on 75 minutes. Sacha Borg felled Steve Pisani inside the area to concede a penalty. But Nayar marred a superlative performance when he skied the ball from the spot.

But Floriana’s attacking ambition kept tormenting their opponents. With two minutes remaining, Nayar played a deep ball from the left for Mario Fontanell to hit firsttime past the helpless Schranz.

It was more than Floriana deserved, although Tarxien went close to an equaliser when Nilsson’s header, off Baker’s cross, was turned into a corner by the agile keeper Haber.

■ Mario Fontanella rewarded Floriana’s efforts with a late winner, two minutes from time, against a Tarxien Rainbows side in critical shortage of goals. Floriana had slightly the edge in the first half and might count themselves unlucky not to have...