Pietà Hotspurs save point with last chance against Marsaxlokk

PIETÀ HOTSPURS    1

S. Okoh 89

MARSAXLOKK           1

T. Agius 78

PIETA HOTSPURS

S. Alampasu-6.5, C. Bangura-6 (86 A. Latif), O. Temitope-5, D. Zerafa-7, J. Ghio 6, T. Agius-5 (81 S. Okoh), A. Schembri Wismayer-7.5 (81 K. Leonardi), Z. Leonardi-6 (90 S. Mizzi), A. Ogungbe-6.5, A. Camara-6.5, T. Yamaguchi-5.

MARSAXLOKK

M. Drobnjak-5, A. Attard-6 (74 A. Effiong), K. Keqi-5, W. Serrano-6, P. Xuereb-6, S. Ferraris-5, O. Carniello-6, S. Moracci-6 (67 Wellington), D. Vukovic-5.5, D. Agius-6.5, T. Fonseca-6 (80 J. Aguilar).

Referee Daniel Portelli.

Yellow cards Bangura, Attard, Ferraris, Serrano, Agius.

Red card Ferraris (M) 67.

BOV Player of the Match Alan Schembri Wismayer (Pietà Hotspurs)

A battle between Pietà Hotspurs and Marsaxlokk, two sides fighting for survival, ended in a 1-1 draw at the Centenary Stadium.

While the Hotspurs were hoping to break a two-match losing streak, Marsaxlokk had been on a two-match unbeaten run with a win against Birkirkara and a draw against champions Hibernians.

Hotspurs coach Rodney Bugeja started Amadou Camara in place of Amadu Latif. As for Marsaxlokk, coach Pablo Doffo put in Peter Xuereb and Santiago Moracci instead of Uzeh Edafe and Leandro Aguirre.

A drab first half saw both sides in trouble as windy conditions affected the rhythm of the game, both sets of players struggling to keep the ball in play.

In fact, the only real chance of the half came to Pieta when from an Alan Schembri Wismayer freekick, Camara tipped the ball towards goal, but was denied by goalkeeper Marko Drobnjak.

The second half was an entirely different story and as the elements turned stronger, so did the level of the game.

Six minutes past the break, Marsaxlokk’s Daniel Agius hit a freekick and Tiago Fonseca’s effort was stopped by Pieta shotstopper Sunday Alampasu.

The southseasiders were close once again on the hour when an Ayrton Attard corner looked heading into goal but the Hotspurs managed to clear.

Pietà celebrated what looked like a ‘goal’ from Camara on 65 minutes but the effort was annulled by referee Daniel Portelli for a foul.

Two minutes later, Marsaxlokk were handed a blow when Santiago Ferraris received his marching orders after a second yellow card.

However, this was fuel for Doffo’s side as they were a man less but a goal ahead ten minutes later.

Substitute Alfred Effiong crossed into the area and Hotspurs captain Terrence Agius slid to try and clear but the ball landed into his own net instead.

Marsaxlokk could have added another on 79 minutes but the goal was annulled after a foul on Ampasu.

The match was stopped due to very bad visibility but the return to play played to Pieta’s hands as they brought the game to a parity very late on when Jake Ghio’s freekick was met by Samuel Okoh who hit an outside shot into the net.