Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/467065
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2015 35 Sport FOOTBALL Balzan ....................... 1 Mosta ........................ 1 EDWARD FALZON BOTH teams could not go beyond a 1-1 draw to play out yet another close contest for the third time this season. Mosta Coach Peter Smith made three changes to the team which lost to Sliema as he replaced Yan- nick Ossok, Adrian Borg, and the injured Haruna Babangida with Mark Brincat, Tyrone Farrugia and Dyson Falzon. Balzan had Gianmarco Piccioni and Bojan Kaljevic returning to the starting line-up. The two re- placed Samir Arab and Lydon Micallef while goalkeeper Steve Sultana was back in goal replac- ing Christian Cassar. Mosta were in front after just seven minutes when goalkeeper Sultana partially saved a Grech effort and off the rebound, Ni- coise put the ball into the net. Balzan however had other ideas and drew level just three minutes later when Grima passed the ball towards Kaljeviv who beat keep- er Omar Borg with a powerful drive. On 30 minutes, Balzan almost went ahead when Piccioni un- leashed a powerful shot which was pushed away for a corner by Borg. Before the break, Zarate slid a low cross towards Kaljevic whose low drive ended on the side-netting. Mosta themselves almost scored, hitting Balzan on the counter at- tack when Nicoise exchanged the ball with Magro with Balzan de- fender Bezzina blocking his at- tempted effort in time. Balzan threatened again three minutes later with Piccioni 's header being tipped away by Borg from a good Guerrero cross. On 77 minutes, Mosta could have scored what potentially could have been the winner when Rob- erts unleashed a scorcher off the outside of his foot that swerved past Sultana with the ball ending just wide. Balzan: Sultana, Grioli, Grima (Mifsud Triganza 66'), Guerrero (Guobadia 81'), Zarate, Bezzina, Kaljevic, Agius (Darmanin 80'), Brincat, Piccioni, Valero Mosta: Borg , Magro, Farrugia, Brincat, Pulo, Roberts, Grech, Ekani, Falzon (Darbo 60'), Zam- mit (Fortune 74'), Nicoise Referee: Alan Mario Sant Yellow Cards: C.Brincat, Farru- gia, Roberts, Zammit, Grech Scorers: Nicoise 7' (M), Kaljevic 10' (B), BOV Man of the Match: Gary Roberts Floriana ........................... 2 Pieta Hotspurs ................. 0 EDWARD FALZON FLORIANA beat Pieta Hotspurs 2-0 in the first match being played at the Tedesco Stadium despite playing with a man down for the final 30 minutes. For Pieta this was a bad blow in their fight against relegation and though they managed to control their oppo- nents for the entire first half, the Hot- spurs collapsed as soon as they found themselves a goal down. Floriana defender Steve Bonnici had to leave the pitch after the half hour through a sustained muscle injury and was replaced by Emanuel Briffa. Pieta's solid defend- ing in the first half frustrated the greens with the team operat- ing on counter attacks through the dangerous running of Argentine Claudio Frances. Floriana however managed to go in front in the early minutes of the second half and from then on were in total control of the match. The first goal came courtesy of the usual Matteo Piciollo six minutes into the second period when the Pieta de- fence failed to cope with a Pisani free kick, and the Italian forward headed the ball into the net. Close to the 60th minute, Piciollo missed a great chance to score his second when Plut passed the ball from the right to the Italian but his effort completely missed the tar- get. Moments before Floriana scored their second, Sacha Borg was show shown a red card after collecting two yel- lows. Despite playing with a man down, Floriana doubled the score to put the game be- yond any doubt. In fact on 76 minutes, it was an unlucky Karl Micallef own goal which all but secured Floriana's three points. Plut managed to beat Mont- fort with speed and with his grounder hitting the post, the ball bounced on- to Micallef's foot with the ball ending in the back of the net. Floriana: Calleja Cremona, Moreira Cobo, Emerson, Pisani, C.Borg, Plut (Coronado 83'), Piciollo, Conor Borg (Micallef 86'), Muir, S.Borg, Bonnici (Briffa35') Pieta Hotspurs: Monfort, Micallef, Dos Santos, Grech, Pisani, Gabriel Da Silva (Cesare 55'), Rodgriguez Da Silva, Attard (Agius 77'), Nnaemeka (Costa 55'), Frances, Micallef Referee Clayton Pisani Yellow Cards: S.Borg, Plut, Frances, Piciollo, K.Micallef, Pisani, Briffa Red Cards: 62' Sacha Borg, Scorers: 51' Piciollo, 76' Own Goal BOV Man of the Match: Steve Pisani Balzan, Mosta share spoils in close encounter Floriana put two past Pieta