Rampant Floriana outclass Marsaxlokk

MARSAXLOKK 1

Vella 87

FLORIANA 5

Cassar 27; Trillo 32

Arias 38, Busuttil 45 pen; 52

MARSAXLOKK

M. Drobnjak-4, C. Edafe-4, A. Attard-5, P. Xuereb-5 (76 T. Vella), P.P. Sammut-4 (56 S. Ferraris-5), D. Mifsud-4 (56 V. Sanago-4), J. Aguilar-4, R. Scicluna-5, F. Moracci-4, D. Vukovic-4 (86 K. Dimech), D. Aguis-4.

FLORIANA

R. Cutajar-6, A. Magri Overand-6, O. El Hasni-6 (86 E. Micallef), Z. Cassar-6 (86 C. Buttigieg), M. Veselji-7, J. Arias-6.5, O. Spiteri-6, L. Accarino-6 (86 R. Formosa), L. Trillo-6 (65 K. Reid), E. Callegari-6, J. Busuttil-7 (73 A. Melunovic).

Referee: Ezekiel Barbara.

Yellow cards: Drobnjak, Ferraris.

BOV player of the match: Jan Busuttil (Floriana).

Four first-half goals helped Floriana to only their fourth win of the year after outclassing Marsaxlokk at the Centenary Stadium.

Jan Busuttil, who had not scored since the beginning of October in a 1-1 draw against Mosta, struck twice at both ends of half-time including one from the penalty spot, after he had supplied the ball for Lorenzo Trillo’s finish. And the other goals came from Zachary Cassar and José Ulises Arias.

Marsaxlokk, in contrast, on the back of two successive defeats, never looked like scoring in the opening period.

To their credit, Gianluca Atzori’s side started brightly and showed an impressive workrate for much of the first half. The Greens seemingly scored every time they ventured into the Marsaxlokk’s box.

By half-time they had coasted to 4-0.

Busuttil laid the ball off on the right flank to Adam Magri Overand, who cut the ball across to Zachary Cassar who placed it into the top right-hand corner of the goal.

Five minutes later, Busuttil, who was superb throughout, pierced the Marsaxlokk’s defence and Trillo coolly darted past goalkeeper Marko Drobnjak before stroking the ball home.

It got worse for Marsaxlokk when Mattia Veselji slipped the ball for Arias who drilled low past Drobnjak into the low corner.

Arias immediately repaid the compliment, sliding the ball through the middle for Veselji, who collided with Drobnjak with the referee pointing to the spot.

From the spot, Busuttil crashed the ball via Drobnjak’s fingertips and off the far post.

Sadly, for the Floriana crowd, half-time seemingly took the spark out of the team’s fireworks. However, not before Veselji outrageously backheeled the ball for Busuttil who showed sublime control and skill in the box to stab the ball home.

Marsaxlokk actually created the better chances in the second half.

Midway through the restart, Aytron Attard hit the post from Daniel Agius’s cross.

Three minutes from time, substitute Terence Vella scored a consolation goal for the south seasiders with a lightning strike directly from a free-kick.