Floriana thump Pietà Hotpsurs

PIETÀ HOTSPURS    1

Temitope 78

FLORIANA       3

Veselji 15; Reid  66

Ciolacu 79

PIETÀ HOTSPURS

R. Cini-6, S. Okoh-6, C. Bangura-5.5, S. Mizzi-6 (80 I. Farrugia), O. Temitope-7 (90 L. Gatt), J. Ghio-6.5 (72 K. Briffa), A. Schembri Wismayer-6.5 (80 T. Agius), Y. Morita-5.5 (46 P. Lapira), A. Ogungbe-6, K. Leonardi-7, T. Yamaguchi-6.

FLORIANA

G. Kitanov-6.5 (72 D. Formosa), O. El Hasni-6, Z. Cassar-6, M. Veselji-7, K. Reid-7 (77 A. Ciolacu), U. Arias-6.5, L. De Grazia-6.5, L. Trillo-6, E. Callegari-6, J. Busuttil-6.5 (77 J. Scicluna), A. Garzia-6 (54 C. Zammit Lonardelli).

Referee Stefan Pace

Yellow cards Garzia, Ghio.

BOV Player of the match Mattia Veselji (Floriana).

Floriana got back to winning ways when they beat bottom side Pietà Hotspurs at the Tony Bezzina Stadium.

The Greens largely dominated proceedings but the Hotspurs proved no pushovers and two goals down, they managed to get one back.

However, a late penalty closed off the match for Floriana, who now occupy the seventh spot in the Premier League standings. 

Coming from a 1-0 loss to Sirens in the previous matchday, the Hotspurs made five changes to their squad, giving the nod to Reeves Cini in between the sticks, as well as Sheldon Mizzi, Jake Ghio, Kian Leonardi, and Takuma Yamaguchi.

Floriana, also on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Hibernians, handed a start to Oualid El Hasni, Zachary Cassar, Mattia Veselji, and Aleandro Garzia.

Pietà fired first after four minutes of play through Yamaguchi but it was Floriana who dominated possession and nearly made it count on six minutes when Ulises Arias fired in a cross-shot which was only tipped away by Cini.

Fifteen minutes in, the Greens made their dominance count when Veselji swerved past two defenders and hit an angled shot into the bottom corner to put his team ahead.

Leonardi provided Pietà’s response on 24 minutes when an interception led the ball to the Hotspurs midfielder who dribbled past two players and sped towards the Floriana area but his final effort went wide.

After the change of ends, Pieta looked to hit bac through Leonardi but his shot from distance went whiskers away.

However, it was Floriana who went further ahead in the 66th minute when after a miscommunication in midfield, Kemar Reid intercepted a pass and pushed towards goal, turning the Pietà goalkeeper and firing into the empty net.

Pietà pulled a goal back on 78 minutes. A pass into a slot in front of the Floriana area gave Ojo Temitope the opportunity to fire past Formosa and give his team a chance on 78 minutes.

The game was all but over however, as just a minute later a foul on newly brought on James Scicluna forced referee Stefan Pace to point to the spot.

Fellow substitute Andrei Ciolacu made no mistake to send Cini the other way.