Mosta 3
Mbonu 28; Mitev 37, Micallef 41
Melita 1
Tufegdzic 68
After a somewhat turbulent month in which Mosta attracted publicity for parting ways with their most influential players, the Blues finally had something to smile about yesterday after sealing a Championship Pool place for the first time in their history.
Three successive defeats had threatened to jeopardise Mosta’s top-six bid but a straightforward 3-1 win over the stuttering Melita allayed their worries, in the process ensuring that the team’s efforts in the first four months of the season were not laid to waste.
Mosta may have been weakened by the departures of the likes of goalkeeper Justin Haber, Luke Dimech, Daniel Bogdanovic and Obiefule, but they will have been boosted by the performance of one of their deadline-day signings.
Chikwado Bruno Mbonu put them on the path of an easy win with a 28th-minute opener before two goals in the closing stages of the first half sealed their win.
As in their defeat to Tarxien, Melita looked out-of-sorts in the first half and the sending-off of Andrew Caruana Scicluna did little to boost their flailing morale but, with 10 men, the Reds raised their performance and managed a consolation goal.
Mosta coach Steve D’Amato gave a debut to Nigerian-born striker Mbonu but the other new signings, Samuel Kehinde and Okoro Ugochukwu were among the substitutes. Mbonu was the central striker in Mosta’s three-man attack, replacing Obiefule, with Mano Micallef and Danail Mitev on the wings.
Melita coach Patxi Salinas, who saw out his three-match touchline ban yesterday, made four changes from the team that were comprehensively beaten by Tarxien. The return of Spanish keeper Guillermo Garcia compelleted Salinas to drop one of his outfield foreign players with striker Daniel Cabanillas making way for his compatriot.
Karl Vella Petroni, Nigel Rizzo and Luke Sammut, back from a two-match ban, were the other changes in Melita’s team.
With Cabanillas on the bench, Luke Micallef was handed the task of leading Melita’s attack.
After a tepid opening, Melita produced a good opportunity when, from Rizzo’s corner, Sammut did well to burst through two defenders but his weak effort was blocked by Jeffrey Farrugia, the Mosta goalkeeper.
At the other end, Micallef wasted an inviting chance to put Mosta ahead when miscuing his effort from inside the box.
It took Mbonu only 28 minutes to opened his account. Kurt Magro delivered a perfect assist from the right wing and Mbonu hammered a first-time drive past Garcia.
Lifted by their goal, Mosta didn’t take long to translate their technical superiority into a second goal.
Carlos Campagnoli advanced through the middle before serving Mitev who had time and space to pick his spot before hitting a perfectly-flighted shot that gave Garcia no chance.
Barely four minutes later, Mosta went 3-0 up.
Cutting in from the left, Micallef jinked his way into the box before beating Garcia with a low strike.
Melita’s woes increased when, on the brink of half-time, Caruana Scicluna received a straight red card for swearing.
Five minutes into the second half, Mosta’s Fabio Vignaroli sent in a fine cross from a corner and Ferdinando Apap headed just over from close in.
Mbonu then missed a great chance to score his second as the Nigerian’s surging run took him into the box but his final effort was high as Salinas looked on helplessly from the VIP area.
Midway into the second half, Melita narrowed the deficit. Loan signing Marco Calleja, who had come on for Sammut, floated a measured cross from a corner and Ivan Tufegdzic directed a strong header Farrugia into the net.
Despite being two goals and a man down, Melita, driven on by Rizzo and Michael Martin, tried to muster a reaction. Manuel Ramon Sierra Camacho drifted into the box from the left but his pass was cleared away by the Mosta defenders.
Seven minutes from time, Mbonu’s grounder was stopped by Garcia.
In stoppage time, Okoro, who had come on for Vignaroli, had a lob saved by Garcia.
Mosta: J. Farrugia-5, M. Micallef-7, B. Agius-6, F. Apap-6, R. Grech-6, C. Campagnoli-6.5, D. Mitev-6.5, T. Farrugia-6, F. Vignaroli-6 (64 O. Okoro-5), K. Magro-6.5, B. Chikwado Mbonu-7.
Melita: G. Garcia-5, M.R. Sierra Camacho-6, J. Veloso-4 (60 D. Cabanillas-6), I. Tufegdzic-6.5, K. Vella Petroni-5, G. Gribbon-5.5, M. Martin-6.5, A. Caruana Scicluna, N. Rizzo-6.5, L. Sammut-5 (59 M. Calleja-6), L. Micallef-4 (77 J.P. Attard).
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.
Yellow cards: Vella Petroni; Agius; Grech.
Red card: Caruana Scicluna (M) 45.
BOV player of the match: Chikwado Mbonu (Mosta).