Floriana rescue point with late goal

FLORIANA 2-2 MOSTA
Dunstan Vella 60, Franklin Sasere 87 pen. (F); Clayton Failla 10 pen., 62 pen. (M)

This match was the tale of three penalties as a last-gasp spot kick from Franklin Sasere saved the Greens from a shock defeat at the hands of Mosta. Floriana were made to pay for a series of defensive errors after they conceded twice from the penalty spot.

Floriana got off to the worst possible start imaginable, going behind inside the first 10 minutes, to a goal that originated from a penalty conceded after Carlo Lonardelli was adjudged to have blocked Clayton Failla’s freekick with his arm. From the ensuing spot kick, Failla buried the ball behind Christofer Mafoumbi.

With Floriana’s defensive duo Oualid El Hasni and Guy Yameogo caught up field, Alexandros Kouro was only the man back and he was unable to deal with Giancarlo Goncalves’s pace but his shot was saved by Mafoumbi.

Prince Afriyie looked to expose Zammit Lonardelli and Matias Garcia for pace with every ball going through the middle of the field whereas Stephen Chiemezie’s physical presence was also causing problems after the Nigerian striker left Yameogo on the floor as both tried to chase the ball.

Floriana’s efforts had the early touches of panic about them, with control poor and passes going astray.  Just before half-time, Gonzalo Gamarra hit a low drive which finished wide.

Whatever coach Darren Abdilla said to his players in his half-time talk, it definitely worked. The Greens had a steely look about them as they strode forward with a renowned panache, exploiting the pace of their players on the wings. On 50 minutes, Zammit Lonardelli delivered an exquisite cross for Matias Garcia who headed the ball out.

Yet, Mosta almost punished Floriana’s flat-out approach when Nathan Agius sliced open the Floriana defence with a delicate throughball for Chiemezie who lifted the ball over the onrushing Mafoumbi but the ball crashed against the crossbar.

On the hour mark, Dunstan Vella gave Floriana a lifeline with a superb individualistic goal running with the ball, before guiding his shot past Ngoubi Demba.

But Mosta responded in style and were back in front, two minutes later as they immediately exposed Floriana’s defensive frailties again. Floriana failed to make their numerical advantage count in the defence , when Afriyie, albeit outnumbered, ran through the defence and fell under the challenge of Gamara. From the ensuing spot-kick, Failla sent Mafoumbi the wrong way.

But two minutes from time, Vella’s surge into the box was halted by the sliding James Arthur, prompting Barbara to order a penalty, the third in the game, this time for Floriana. Franklin Sasere despatched his shot past Ngoubi Demba to level matters.