Baldacchino strikes gold as Greens score nap-hand win

Floriana 5
Marsa 1

It turned out to be a day to remember for the precocious Floriana striker Nicolò Baldacchino, yesterday.

His well-taken hat-trick against Marsa may well mean that his team will haul themselves from the relegation quagmire on the day of reckoning.

The Greens, looking for their first victory in the Relegation Pool, were well aware of their precarious position prior to yesterday's clash with the Red-Blues. Nothing short of maximum points would appease them.

They took to the field with this frame of mind, as Marsa, probably a trifle complacent, played into Floriana hands. The Red-Blues tried to make a comeback just before the interval after they had reduced the leeway to 2-1.

But the Greens took over completely in the second period and with Marsa overwhelmed, Baldacchino went on to put the cherry on his team's cake. A treat that coincides with Floriana's titular feast today.

Indeed, it was something Baldacchino will deeply cherish. The Greens' determination to break the ice was all too evident from the opening minutes.

They laid siege on their opponents' fort and were terribly unlucky not to forge in front in their very first raids.

Maurizio Valastro failed to clutch safely with the loose ball running to Grigol Gvazava whose goal-bound shot found Stefano Grima in the way.

The referee then turned down strong appeals for a penalty as a Floriana forward ended on the turf inside the area. Still it was the Greens with their foot on the accelerator.

And it did not take long for them to pick their reward. The fleet-footed Donovan Friggieri ran to meet a ball from the right, the ensuing cross was not cut by a Marsa defender and there was the opportunistic Baldacchino to hit past the Marsa extreme defender. The acknowledgment was more than legitimate.

The Red-Blues were unable to react, but for a couple of crosses to which Matthew Camilleri responded with routine efficiency. Otherwise Marsa, again with Anthony EviParker starting on the bench, had no clue how to unlock Floriana's back-door.

Pressure on the Marsa fort had eased as half-time approached. Marsa tried to wake up to their responsibilities but lacked the continuity and flair to make intelligent inroads.

The Greens were biding their time to hit at the opportune moment. That came five minutes from the interval.

A free-kick from Jonathan Holland was on a perfect trajectory towards the far post where the elusive Baldacchino was on hand to steer past a helpless Valastro.

Floriana's glee was dimmed barely two minutes later. A flag-kick from the right had the Floriana defenders in a tangle. That allowed the nippy Kenneth Abela to slot home and give his team fresh impetus for the second period.

Malcolm Tirchett could have done better than miscue from an almost frontal position inside the area and then hit high from four metres.

In any case, the second period offered interesting prospects for both teams. Enterprise had to make way for caution.

The Greens were again first to profit from this spirit of adventure. That was again epitomised by man-of-the-match Baldacchino, whose eye for goal stood out. He again connected with a header to a Holland free-kick to send his clan wild with delight.

Floriana grew taller. Valastro effected successive saves on Baldacchino and Gvazava. Camilleri denied Chris Borg at the other end of the pitch and then did likewise on Minabo Asechemie.

The Red-Blues realised they had to throw caution completely overboard. They went up in numbers with the Greens now more prone to protect their advantage. EviParker was wide by a hair's breadth.

Floriana regained their authority in the dying minutes and could have gone further ahead on 86 minutes. The incoming Bojko Simeonov blasted over the top from an ideal position.

That was of no consequence. His team had long set the seal on the match. But not before Trevor Cilia and Christian Cassar netted late goals.

Floriana: M. Camilleri, R. Gango -Rtsa, C. Ciantar, I. Azzopardi, J. Schembri, S. Zammit Fava (B. Simeonov), D. Friggieri, C. Mattocks, G. Gvazava (T. Cilia), J. Holland (C. Cassar), N. Baldacchino.

Marsa: M. Valastro, G. Cutajar, S. Grima (A. EviParker), N. Slavtchev, C. Borg, K. Formosa, M. Tirchett (M. Cutajar), R. Dardouri (M. Corbolan), K. Abela, B. Bonnici, M. Asechemie.

Referee: Charlie Agius.

Scorers: Baldacchino 13th, 40th, 49th; Abela 42nd; Cilia 88th; Cassar 90th.

Yellow Cards: Dardouri; Zammit Fava; M. Cutajar; Farrugia; Gango-Rtsa.

Player of the match: Nicolò Baldacchino (Floriana).