Greens aim to retain initiative in battle for second place

Floriana will be aiming to cement their grip on second place when they face Ħamrun Spartans in the first match of the Easter programme this afternoon (kick-off 3 p.m.).

With the runners-up in the BOV Premier League guaranteed a berth in the Europa League next season, the quest for the consolation prize is the only pending issue of the 2010/11 campaign after the relegation battle was settled two weeks ago and Valletta secured the title last Sunday following their 1-0 win over Marsaxlokk.

For all their rivalry with Valletta, Floriana will have greeted the Citizens’ title-clinching victory over Marsaxlokk as it dealt a hammer blow to the latter’s hopes of claiming second spot.

It was indeed a fruitful weekend for the Greens. Having shown commendable resilience in grinding out a 2-1 win over Tarxien Rainbows despite playing with 10 men for over 50 minutes, Floriana retained second spot after Birkirkara were surprisingly held to a 2-2 draw by Ħamrun Spartans.

As Birkirkara have a daunting clash with Valletta on Monday, Floriana will open up a five-point lead over the faltering Stripes if they see off Ħamrun.

“I was pleased with the team’s performance against Tarxien,” Michael Woods, the Floriana coach, told The Times.

“Losing a player to a red card in the first half was a blow but we scored a second goal in the second half and held out for the win.

“We will be chasing another three points from our clash with Ħamrun to stay second and keep the pressure on Birkirkara.”

The one-match bans imposed on Pablo Doffo, the Floriana defender who was sent off against Tarxien, and Thomas Paris (four yellow cards) mean that Woods must make at least two changes from the last game.

Although Floriana are in pole position to grab the runners-up spot, Woods warned that the race is far from over.

“The issue is still wide open as two points is not a big lead,” Woods said.

“The final games may prove decisive.”

Ħamrun have long dropped out of contention for second place but their 2-2 draw with Birkirkara last Sunday showed that the Spartans can’t be underestimated.

“I’ve told my players that Ħamrun’s draw with Birkirkara shows that they are also capable of taking points from their match against us,” Woods observed.

“Ħamrun can play with con-fidence as they’re without pressure.”

The Spartans rode their luck in the first half of their game against Birkirkara but their improved second-half showing earned them an unlikely point, their first after four straight defeats.

“Our performance in the first half was disappointing but we organised ourselves after the break,” Steve D’Amato, the Ħamrun coach, said.

“The players put in a bold effort in the second half and that was very encouraging to see after four consecutive defeats.

“As far as I’m concerned, I want my team to gain as many points as possible from our remaining three games. We are sixth in the table but we can still finish fifth and that’s what we should aim for.”

Lee James Agius, Jovan Vukanic and Dylan Kokavessis are back in the reckoning for the Spartans after recovering from injuries but Martin Hrubsa, Mark Anthony Bonnici and Dene Shields are still sidelined while Dragan Milovic is unavailable.

Having been pegged back by the Spartans, Birkirkara will expect them to show the same level of commitment in today’s game against Floriana.

“We set out to win every game,” D’Amato said.

“That’s my mentality. There is no pressure on our team and I think it’s easier for the players to perform well when they can express themselves.

“We also have a responsibility towards the other teams, especially those who are fighting for second place, but we’re playing for ourselves.”

Results this season: Floriana vs Ħamrun Spartans 2-1, 3-1, 2-0.

Make-or-break

Marsaxlokk have no margin for error in their final three games after their 1-0 defeat to Valletta left them four points behind the second-placed Floriana.

Today’s match against the fifth-placed Tarxien Rainbows (kick-off 5 p.m.) is make-or-break for Marsaxlokk if they want to stay in the hunt for the runners-up spot.

Patrick Curmi, the Marsaxlokk coach, admitted that the upset to Valletta had dented their chances of finishing second but insisted that not all is lost.

“We tried hard to gain something from our clash with Valletta, especially after Floriana’s win over Tarxien the day before,” Curmi said.

“Our task has become more uphill after last weekend’s defeat but we’re not disheartened.

“We are still in the race for second or third place but we must win all three of our remaining games to reach one of those two targets.”

Captain Carlo Mamo is ruled out by suspension but otherwise Curmi has a full squad at his disposal.

Tarxien’s hopes of claiming a top-three finish are very remote as they are seven points adrift of third place.

The Rainbows are now pinning their European hopes on the FA Trophy after reaching the semi-finals but coach Noel Coleiro is also eager for his team to put an end to their negative run in the league which saw them lose six of their seven Championship Pool games.

“The FA Trophy is our top priority now but I hope that we pick up some points from our final three league games as that would help to raise the team’s morale,” Coleiro said.

“In the past few matches, we had our good moments but we’re not taking our chances whereas in the first phase of the league, we were more clinical in front of goal.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose all those games in the Cham-pionship Pool because most were close affairs but there’s no point dwelling on what might have been.

“We should try to reverse the negative trend.”

Flank defender Steve Sadowski misses out for Tarxien after getting a one-match ban for four yellow cards.

Coleiro may also have to cope without defender Lee Galea who is struggling with a hamstring problem while Justin Grioli is doubtful after falling sick during the week.

Results this season: Marsaxlokk vs Tarxien 0-0, 2-4, 1-0.

Playing Monday

National Stadium: 7.30 p.m. Valletta vs Birkirkara.