Floriana's Kemar Reid tries to break through against Naxxar Lions. Photo: Domenic Borg
NAXXAR LIONS 0
FLORIANA 2
Sasere 58 pen., 90
NAXXAR LIONS
M. Debono, N. Micallef, Pedro Vitor (90 O. Portelli), N. Pace Cocks (85 K. Haber), Gustavo, Sergio, M. Fenech (66 E. Farias), Caxambu (65 K. Ito), F. Barbosa, D. Jackson, Y. Ito (65 Matheus).
FLORIANA
C. Maffoumbi, O. El Hasni, K. Reid (90 K. Nwoko), Thiaguinho (77 G. Yameogo), D. Vella, O. Spiteri, M. Garcia, C. Zammit Lonardelli (77 J. Grech), F. Sasere (90 M. Veselji), A. Kouro, Fernandinho.
Referee T. Farrugia Cann.
Yellow cards Caxambu, Garcia.
Floriana bagged their second successive league win when they edged past Naxxar Lions at the Tony Bezzina Stadium.
Franklin Sasere was Floriana hero as the Nigerian forward bagged up a brace that secured three important points that lifted the team to fourth place in the Premier League standings on eight points.
The first half was completely dominated by Floriana who took control of proceedings and tried continuously to breach the Naxxar defence in search of an opening goal.
The Greens’ best chance in the opening half arrived in the opening stages of the match.
Thiaguinho should have put Floriana ahead after 11 minutes when the speedy Brazilian latched onto a throughpass and sped inside the area and with only goalkeeper Matthias Debono to beat he shot straight into the Naxxar goalkeeper.
Thiaguinho remained Floriana’s main source of a threat as midway through the first half he sthpped up to take a free-kick from a lateral position and his stinging cross-shot failed to take any takers as El Hasni did not make contact with the ball that drifted wide.
Just before the half-time whistle, Kemar Reid sped clear on the right and his shot was turned to a corner by by Debono.
Floriana kept up the pressure after the break and Carlo Zammit Lonardelli raced clear on the right and sent a cross towards Dunstan Vella who fired wide.
The Greens pressure was finally rewarded on 58 minutes when they were awarded a penalty as Zammit Lonardelli was floored just inside the area by Pedro Vitor and from the spot, Franklin Sasere sent Debono the wrong way.
Here coach George Vella moved to bring in reinforcements when he roped in Edson Farias, Katsuma Ito and Matheus in a bid to add more firepower to his team’s attacking play.
Farias tried his luck from the distance on 72 minutes, but his effort drifted wide.
Seven minutes later, substitute Guy Yameogo almost added a second goal, but his dipping header flashed just past the upright.
Five minutes from time, substitute Kayne Haber hit a curling drive that kissed the bar before finishing out of play.
But it was Floriana who wrapped up the points in stoppage time when Sasere showed great footwork to turn home Jake Grech’s shot.
