TARXIEN RAINBOWS 0
MARSAXLOKK 2
Majok 64, 68
A late brace from Ayom Majok sealed a much-needed victory for Marsaxlokk, ending a three-match winless run to move up to fifth place in the standings.
Tarxien Rainbows, reduced to ten men just before the half-hour mark, put up a valiant fight and held their own for much of the match.
But their resistance was finally broken by a quick-fire double from the Australian forward, as Enzo Potenza’s side eventually capitalised on their numerical advantage to claim all three points.
Tarxien Rainbows looked dangerous on the counter and nearly struck on 22 minutes.
In a swift break, Alexandre Octavio exploited Marsaxlokk’s high defensive line before laying the ball off to Kwasi Donsu, whose effort drifted just wide of the target.
Just before the half-hour mark, the momentum shifted dramatically. Ibeh Ofufu lunged recklessly at Dodo outside the Marsaxlokk penalty area, prompting referee Daniel Portelli to brandish a straight red card for serious foul play.
The dismissal left Tarxien with ten men and handed Marsaxlokk a crucial advantage for the remainder of the match.
Despite a man down, Tarxien did not defend en masse and tried hard to keep possession at times, managing to come out of it confidently as Jacques Scerri lined up his side in a 4-4-1 formation
In the second half, Marsaxlokk pressed forward with intent, determined to make their numerical advantage count, but a resilient Tarxien defence held firm – at least initially.
On 53 minutes, Juan Carlos tried his luck with a swerving effort from distance, but Andrea Cassar was equal to the task, gathering the ball confidently.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 64th minute.
Marcelo Barros slipped a precise pass through to Ayom Majok, who surged into the box and unleashed a rising shot past the onrushing Cassar to put Marsaxlokk ahead.
Just a minute later, Marsaxlokk nearly doubled their lead. This time, Majok turned provider, squaring the ball for José Arias, whose close-range effort was crucially blocked by Cassar’s outstretched foot to keep Tarxien in the game.
But the pressure told again. On 67 minutes, substitute Ensell Attard won possession in midfield and played a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Majok, who accelerated into the area and slotted past Cassar for his second of the match.
Tarxien had a rare opportunity to pull one back late on.
In a rare foray into Marsaxlokk’s box, Nhaysson floated a ball into the area, but Alexandre Octavio was denied a shooting chance by a well-timed defensive block before he could turn and finish.
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