Mario Muscat hails massive win in Mosta’s bid to retain top-flight status

Mario Muscat said that Mosta’s victory over Balzan was massive as the Blues step up their fight to retain their top-flight status for another season.

Last Saturday, the Blues found themselves in a pickle when they trailed Balzan 1-0 at the end of a first half which has seen them well on top.

After the break, Balzan had the opportunities to kill off their opponents but their failure to take their chances came back to haunt them as Mosta scored three times to seal a thrilling 3-2 win at the Tony Bezzina Stadium.

The result lifted Mosta into second place in the Play-Out standings on 28 points, five clear of second-from-bottom Balzan, and the Blues now need a win from their remaining three matches to assure themselves of top-flight football next season.

“We knew that it was a massive clash for us against one of our relegation rivals,” Muscat told the Times of Malta.

“If one looks at how the match developed, I think Balzan could feel hard-done by the final outcome. In the first half, we were the better side but Balzan managed to take the lead against the run of play.

“In the second half, Balzan could have easily doubled their advantage but failed to take their chances and that was the turning point as once we equalised we took control of the match and managed to go on and score two more goals to seal the three points.”

But despite this win, Muscat has refused to rest on his laurels and said that the job is far from done.

Veteran striker Michael Mifsud played a key role in Mosta’s comeback win as the veteran forward came off the bench to not only score his team’s second goal but also set-up Sunday

Akinbule’s third goal.

“Michael Mifsud has showed last weekend what a great player he is,” Muscat said.

“Although he was passing through a difficult patch, where he found little space in the team, he still came on and made all the difference in such an important match.

“After the game I told the players that they should thank Michael Mifsud for our victory. When he came on, he made a huge contribution scoring the second goal and then set up our third goal. He is a real team player.”

Relegation battle

Muscat said that while the win against Balzan was very important, he said there was still more work to be done.

“This was a very important win, but we still have more work to do if we are to assure ourselves of our top-flight status,” Muscat said.

“It would be a big mistake if we think that we have finished off the job. We may have a five-point advantage over Balzan but we need to stay focused.

“Next up is another direct clash against Sta Lucia and it’s important that we take the field for this match with the same attitude.

“We need one win to assure ourselves of our Premier League status next season and hopefully we can finish the job against Sta Lucia.”