Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/580873
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2015 Sport 55 FOOTBALL Valletta march on with victory over Tarxien Tarxien Rainbows ...... 1 Valletta ................... 3 VALLETTA put in another good performance with a 3-1 victory over Tarxien Rainbows. Valletta showed they meant business when they took the lead just after three minutes of play. Off a pass by Lly welyn Cremo- na, Abdelkarim Nafti 's had his powerful shot from just inside the area beat goalkeeper Andrea Cassar to gice Valletta the lead. Valletta doubled their lead on the 13th minute when Valletta's Njongo Priso's shot was def lect- ed by Tarxien's Bruno Giglio de Oliviera, the ball went past And- rea Cassar for an own goal. Tarxien managed to get back into the match on the 21st minute when off a corner by Joao Pedro Oliveira Santos, Luke Montebello beat goalkeeper Henry Bonello with his header to make the score 2-1. On the 63rd minute, Fedrico Matias Falcone almost increased Valletta's lead but he was denied by the woodwork. On the 77th minute, off a cross by Mifsud Triganza, Abdelkarim Nafti 's header hit the cross bar and the ball bounced on the goal line, pos- sibly landing past the line, but the match officials were not con- vinced. The match turned for the worse for Tarx- ien on the 78th minute when Alex Alves was sent off after receiving his sec- ond yellow card when he fouled Roderick Briffa. Three minutes from time, Val- letta made sure they collected all three points when substitute Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza beat goalkeeper Andrea Cassar with his shot from just outside the area to make the final score 3-1. TAR XIEN R AINBOWS And- rea Cassar, Ebiabowei Baker, Manuel Caruana (85' Ayrton Azzopardi), Bruno Giglio de Ol- iveira, Triston Caruana, Lucky Omeruo, Carlos Hevia Menen- dez (66' Danilo Meira Santos), Luke Montebello, Daniel Zerafa (72' Brandon Muscat), Alex da Paixao Alves, Joao Pedro Olivei- ra Santos. Subs not used: Sean Mintof f, Timothy Tabone Desira, Roder- ick Bajada, Matthew Tabone. Coach: Jacques Scerri VALLETTA Henry Bonello, Ian Azzop- ardi, Ryan Camileri, Juan Gill Cruz, Rod- erick Brif fa, Njongo Priso (75' Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza), Federico Ma- tias Falcone (83' Albert Bruce), Llywelyn Cremona, Claudio Pani, Uchenna Calistus Umeh, Abdelkarim Nafti (89' Jurgen Suda). Subs not used: Nicky Vella, Dan- iel Camilleri, Russel Fenech, Jean Borg. Coach: Paul Zammit Referee: Clayton Pisani Assistant Referees: Mitchell Scerri, David Castillo Fourth Of ficial: Philip Farrugia Yellow cards: Umeh, Nafti, He- via, Omeruo, Alves Red Cards: 78' Alex da Paixao Alves Scorers: 3' Abdelkarim Nafti, 13' own goal Bruno Giglio de Olivi- era, 21' Luke Montebello, 87' Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza BOV Man of the Match: Llywe- lyn Cremona Piciollo inspires Floriana victory over Sliema Floriana .......................3 Sliema Wanderers .........0 MATTEO Piciollo put in a perfect display to inspire Floriana to a 3-0 victory over Sliema Wanderers. Floriana started the match as the better side and took the lead as early as the 18th minute when Matteo Piciollo shot beat Sliema's goalkeeper Glenn Zammit. Florianan continued to press while Sliema produced few chanc- es in front of goal. On the 67th minute, Matteo Piciollo scored his second goal of the match. Mario Fontanella and Piciollo exchanged the ball between each other before Matteo had his shot beat goalkeeper Glen Zammit and make the score 2-0. On the 88th minute, Floriana se- cured all three points when off a cross by Piciollo, Steve Pisani left no chance for Sliema's goalkeeper. FLORIANA Matthew Calleja Cremona, Antonio Monticelli, En- rico Pepe, Clyde Borg (79' Mauri- cio Villa), Conor Borg (67' Steve Pisani), Jurgen Pisani, Filippo An- drea Scozzese, Matteo Picciollo, Emanuel Briffa, Nicolas Chiesa (90' Firas Abulezz), Mario Fonta- nella Subs not used: Tyrone Gauci, Luke Micallef, Daniel Agius, Steve Bon- nici. Coach: Luis Oliveira SLIEMA WANDERERS Glenn Zammit, Alex Muscat, Mark Scerri (75' Peter Xuereb), Michael Mifsud, Rafael Pompeo Rodrigues Ledesma, Pedro Henrique dos San- tos Calcado, Clifford Gatt Bald- acchino (70' Aidan Jake Friggieri), Johann Bezzina (40' Marko Potezica), Gary Muir, Stefano Bianciar- di, Luke Dimech. Subs not used: Entonjo Elezaj, Benjamin Essel, John Mintoff, Jeremiah Ani. Coach: Stephen Azzop- ardi Referee: Tristan Farrugia Cann Assistant Referees: Roberto Vella, Martin Borg Additional Assistant Referees: Es- ther Azzopardi, Mario Apap Fourth Official: Thomas Debono Yellow Cards: Chiesa, Scerri, Pedrinho Scorers: 13' Matteo Picciollo, 67' Matteo Picciollo, 88' Steve Pisani BOV Player of the Match: Matteo Picciollo Aguero scores five as Chelsea lose SERGIO Aguero scored five times in 20 minutes as Manchester City came from behind to thrash New- castle 6-1 and return to the Bar- clays Premier League summit. Aleksandar Mitrovic had giv- en the winless Magpies a shock lead at the Etihad Stadium but Aguero burst to life either side of half-time with a nine-minute hat- trick. He bagged another pair before being substituted in the 66th minute, while the in-form Kevin De Bruyne was also on target as Newcastle went bottom. Chelsea capitulated and were booed off as Southampton won at Stamford Bridge for the first time in almost 14 years to leave Jose Mourinho contemplating a fourth loss from eight league games this season. Captain John Terry was restored but Saints exposed the now famil- iar failings in the defence which just five months ago formed the foundation for winning the title. Chelsea have conceded at least two goals in seven of their eight Premier League games this sea- son - the exception the 2-0 defeat of Arsenal - and time and again Sadio Mane, Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic found holes in a 3-1 win. Willian scored a fourth free- kick goal in four games to open the scoring, but Chelsea after- wards scarcely tested Maarten Stekelenburg as they fell to a first home loss to Saints since January 2002. A rare Steven Davis goal levelled matters and Mane put the visitors ahead after mistakes by Gary Ca- hill and John Terry, before Pelle got Southampton's third. Sunderland edged above their rivals with a 2-2 draw at home to West Ham but a first win of the season was let slip. Steven Fletcher and Jeremain Lens put the Black Cats two up in 22 minutes, the latter with a lovely chipped finish. But Carl Jenkinson pulled one back in first-half injury-time, Lens was sent off for a second yel- low card and Dimitri Payet lev- elled on the hour. Crystal Palace moved third in the table after a 2-0 home win in the early kick-off against West Brom. It was 0-0 until the 68th minute, when Yannick Bolasie netted, and Yohan Cabaye's late penalty sealed it. By then the Baggies had already lost Jonny Evans and James Mor- rison to injury. Leicester, beaten by Arsenal last time out, returned to winning ways with a 2-1 success at Nor- wich. Jamie Vardy won and converted a debatable penalty in the 28th minute, taking his tally to seven in eight appearances this season, before Jeffrey Schlupp doubled the lead. Dieumerci Mbokani's first goal for the Canaries reduced the ar- rears but there was no equaliser. A solitary strike from Marko Arnautovic saw Stoke take a 1-0 win at Aston Villa, who remain in the bottom three after failing to find a way past Jack Butland. Arnautovic, who had earlier been denied by a marginal offside decision, beat Brad Guzan 10 min- utes into the second half to hand the Potters a first away win since the same fixture in February. Glenn Murray opened his Bournemouth account in the 1-1 draw against Watford at Dean Court, but missed a penalty to win it late on. The Hornets were gifted their equaliser when goalkeeper Artur Boruc misplaced his kicked to striker Odion Ighalo. Sergio Aguero of Manchester City celebrates his fifth goal of the match