Mosta 2
Melita 0
(After Extra Time)
Victor Osobu showed his true mettle in extra-time yesterday as the Mosta substitute scored one goal and made the other in this promotion decider against Melita to send the Blues fans in ecstasy.
In front of a packed stadium at Ħamrun, Mosta prevailed in a tight contest at the expense of a battling Melita team who failed to keep the pace in the extra 30 minutes after a scoreless draw.
The game started at a very fast pace and after three minutes it was a mistake by George Gribbon that nearly gave Mosta an early lead. He miscued a shot in his own area and Simon Shead was a whisker away from opening the score but his header flashed wide.
Mosta threatened again when William Camenzuli beat a defender but his shot from just inside the box was deviated to a corner. Melita hit back with a Gribbon shot that flew over the bar following a melee inside the penalty area.
The rhythm dropped for a moment but midway through the half a Shead header finished wide and Melita were unlucky not to forge ahead but somehow the shots from Nicolo Baldacchino and Julian Galea were repelled by Mosta.
Mosta striker Gilbert Martin shouted penalty when he made contact with Alinho but to no avail as keeper Karl Zahra was on the right spot to keep out Camenzuli’s powerful shot.
Shead was through on 55 minutes but Karl Vella Petroni was quick to intercept before the former Tarxien striker could connect to a Ryan Deguara cross.
In a quick, solo move Mosta’s Martin left everyone in his wake but Alinho ran back to clear his effort from over the line as Melita started showing first signs of fatigue.
Shead hit wide from inside the Amateurs’ box but in a quick break Kane Micallef’s shot had the better of Mosta keeper Jonathan Debono only for Kane Farrugia to clear in the nick of time.
The match dragged into extra-time and Shead was unlucky when his shot hit the bar after Bogdanovic’s floating ball had caught Melita unawares.
The goal was in the air however. Osobu sprinted to an inviting through ball and this time the Englishman lifted the net with a shot on the run to put Mosta in front.
Osobu again showed his true qualities a few minutes later when he delivered a perfect ball to Shead who easily slotted home from routine distance.
Mosta’s Bogdanovic was sent off for a second yellow card with ten minutes to go but Melita were unable to lift their game. A minute from time Firas Aboulezz should have scored a third for Mosta but hit wide in front of goal.
Mosta will join championship winners Balzan and runners-up Mqabba in the Premier League next season.
Mosta: J. Debono, A. Borg, K. Farrugia, B. Agius, K. Spiteri, W. Camenzuli, N. Bogdanovic, M. Briggs, R. Deguara (V. Osobu), G. Martin (F. Aboulezz), S. Shead (L. Grima).
Melita: K. Zahra, R. Alinho, L. Martinelli, G. Gribbon, M. Martin, M. Borg (N. Rizzo), K. Micallef, N. Baldacchino (L. Micallef), J. Galea, E. Carnago San Pedro, K. Vella Petroni (M. Cachia).
Referee: Marco Borg.