Four-star Tarxien too strong for Pembroke

Tarxien Rainbows 4
Pembroke Athleta 0

Tarxien Rainbows consolidated their sixth position with an easy win over Pembroke whose top-flight status is also secure.

The Rainbows took the lead on the 25th minute when Argentine forward Claudio Frances headed home from close range after connecting with Ayrton Azzopardi’s cross.

Tarxien’s dominance paid off when one minute before the break, Frances scored his second with a powerful shot from inside the area.

Following the break, Pembroke’s Gustavo Villalobos almost reduced the deficit but his long-range shot went wide.

The third goal arrived on the 66th minute when Frances put Joao Pedro Oliveira Santos through and the Brazilian beat Matthew Farrugia with a cute lob.

Eleven minutes from time, Tarxien wrapped up all three points with a fourth goal by the industrious Ayrton Azzopardi, who put the ball past Farrugia with a powerful low shot.

PEMBROKE Matthew Farrugia, Obinna Obiefule (68’ Gustavo de Paulo da Nobrega E Silva), Manolito Micallef, Tyron Fenech (55’ Siraj Eddin Arab), Zoran Levnaic, Alexander Cini, Rennie Tanti (60’ Leighton Grech), Gustavo Villalobos, Owen Bugeja, Terence Agius, Ariel Laudisi.
Subs not used: Matthew Camilleri, Sunday Eboh, Geoffrey Spiteri, Kyle O’Brien.
Coach: Winston Muscat

TARXIEN Andre Cassar, Ebiabowei Baker, Triston Caruana, Brandon Muscat, Alex Nilsson (46’ Luke Montebello), Ayrton Azzopardi (84’ Roderick Bajada), Sergio Fernandez Prendes, Alex da Paixao Alves (81’ Manuel Caruana), Matthew Tabone, Joao Pedro Oliviera Santos, Claudio Frances.
Subs not used: Sean Mintoff, Daniel Zerafa, Ryan Spiteri, John Mintoff.
Coach: Jacques Scerri

Referee: Stefan Pace
Assistant referees: Roberto Vella, Chris Francalanza
Fourth Official: Trustin Farrugia Cann
Yellow Cards: Pedrinho, Prendes, T. Caruana, Lecao
Scorers: 25’ Claudio Frances, 44’ Claudio Francis, 66’ Joao Pedro Oliviera Santos, 79’ Ayrton Azzopardi
BOV Player of the Match: Claudio Frances

Qormi boost survival chances with shock win

Qormi     1
Sliema Wanderers  0
Before yesterday’s game Qormi were destined for relegation but a surprise victory over Sliema handed them a lifeline.
The three points give Qormi a slim chance of forcing a decider for the play-off spot should they manage to beat St Andrews in the final game of the season and Naxxar lose to Sliema.
An early goal by Qormi’s talisman defender Noah Ojoula was enough to beat the Blues.
Qormi survived an early scare when they were outnumbered in a blistering counterattack but Denni Rocha dos Santos’s shot from the edge of the area hit the foot of the upright.
Sliema were the most dangerous but Qormi shocked their opponents by taking the lead against the run of play.
On the 16th minute, Noah Olawole Ojuola’s header from close range beat goalkeeper Glenn Zammit to give his side a surprise lead.
Sliema’s wastefulness and Qormi’s stubborn defending meant that Qormi took all three points and allows the Yellows to live yet another day.

QORMI Jean Matthias Vella, Emerson Vella, Kurt Magro (88’ Clint Barbara), Djamel Leeflang, Alessio Cassar, Ousmane Sidibe, Noah Olawole Ojuola, Yannick Yankam, Clifford Gauci, Iven Zammit, Go Nagaoka (66’ Terence Vella).
Subs not used: Miguel Falzon, Joshua Barbara, Immy Micallef, Luke Farrugia, Juan Carlos Vieira Peixoto.
Coach: Johann Scicluna

SLIEMA Glenn Zammit, Alex Muscat, Stefano Bianciardi, Aidan Friggieri, Njongo Priso, Marko Potezica, Michele Sansone (46’ Jean Paul Farrugia), Peter Xuereb, Johann Bezzina (64’ Mark Scerri), Denni Rocha dos Santos, Gary Muir.
Subs not used: Entonjo Elezaj, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Kurt Zahra, Benjamin Essel, Luke Dimech.
Coach: Alfonso Greco
Referee: Matthew De Gabriele
Assistant Referees: Duncan Sultana, Peter Abela
Fourth Official: Fyodor Zammit
Yellow Cards: Bianciardi
Scorers: 16’ Noah Olawole Ojuola
BOV Player of the Match: Noah Olawole Ojuola
Attendance at the Hibernians Stadium: 242