Senglea held for Tarxien’s first point

Football - BOV Premier League

that included a debut to Argentine left back Julian Leyton and a start to Terence Vella, playing wide behind strikers Palmieri and Caseras.

Tarxien went into this match with no win from their first four matches and their dispirited run looked like going on as Senglea showed the better cut- ting edge in attack.

Senglea always looked the team with the better game plan. Virano, Vella and Paz were being allowed too much space in midfield and that always caused embarrassment to the Tarxien rearguard.

Confidence told too, growing through their ranks once Ivan Paz put them ahead midway through the opening half. He took possession inside the Tarxien area on the right, turned away from defender Scicluna, and beat keeper Christian Cassar with a low diagonal shot.

From then on, Senglea took a stranglehold, not so much in terms of possession, but in their control of the contest.

Before the break Vella had an effort blocked inside the area and then sent the ball across the face of the Tarxien goal, only for McKay to clear the danger.

Tarxien failed to put up a fight in the first half, except for a 25th minute Faria header that went narrowly off target.

Those obvious problems in front of goal were reflected in the first 45 minutes, as they stayed cautious, leaving Ryan Darmanin too isolated up front.

The Tarxien striker made his mark on 67 minutes though.

He ran in well for substitute Benes’ cross from the right, outpacing the two cntral defenders, to hit past the helpless keeper Aquilina.

Senglea searched for the winner after that and had the majority of the play when there was always a sense that they had another gear to move into, enough know-how to emerge unscathed. Yet they looked like running out of ideas.

Ten minutes from time, Vella should have done better as he ran clear through the middle but shot straight on the onrushing keeper Cassar.

In added time, Caseras headed a Paz corner over.

Ultimately, that was as good as it got for Senglea, though, as Tarxien ended up with their first point and some reprieve in a campaign that looks ominously clouded.

■ Senglea Athletic missed an opportunity to make it three wins in a row, and navigate their way through unchartered waters with the top three, when held by bottom side Tarxien Rainbows in a 1-1 draw at Victor Tedesco Stadium.Senglea took a deserved first half lead through Ivan Paz but the Rainbows restored parity in the second, courtesy of a Ryan Darmanin stricke, after they found some semblance of order that shut out Senglea’s early dominance.Despite previous two wins, there were changes for Senglea Photo: Matthew Tabone