Virgens’ late strike stuns Tarxien Rainbows and keeps Gżira United perfect

TARXIEN RAINBOWS 1

Valverde 19

GZIRA UNITED 2

Bonilla 28, Virgens 90

Gżira United survived the second-half dismissal of Milos Stojanovic as they maintained their perfect record when notching a third successive win, defeating Tarxien Rainbows 2-1.

It was a hard blow for the Rainbows who produced a solid display but were undone by a defensive error that regaled the winner to the Maroons who will preserve top spot with nine points from three matches.

The Rainbows had made a bright start as they took the lead after 19 minutes from a devastating counter attack.

Anthony Lokosa shrugged off Mihajlo Stojanovic off the ball before squaring neatly for Ángel Valverde, who finished tapped home from close in.

Tarxien nearly doubled their lead shortly afterwards. Abdelrahman Gaafar delivered a precise square pass for Marko Musulin, who found himself with the goal gaping, but the striker incredibly fired over.

Gżira made Tarxien pay for that miss on 28 minutes. Johan Bonilla struck a superb rising shot that flew into the top corner.

Tarxien responded well to the setback and continued to threaten.

On 43 minutes, a dangerous effort involving Lokosa tested the Gżira defence, from Huanne Nhayson’s pass, with his shot being palmed away by Colombo.

Right on the stroke of half-time, Gżira came agonisingly close to take the lead. Andrew Borg did brilliantly to carry the ball forward before finding Maxuell Maia who saw his effort cleared off the line by Petar Panic.

Tarxien began the second half on the front foot and almost regained the lead on 54 minutes.

Lokosa produced a powerful run down before teeing up substitute Luke Borg, who, with only Eduardo Colombo to beat, shot straight at the Gżira goalkeeper.

The match turned dramatically on 70 minutes when Stojanovic’s difficult outing ended when he was sent off after denying Lokosa a clear goalscoring opportunity.

From the resulting free-kick, Ángel Valverde’s shot was brilliantly turned to a corner by Colombo.

Tarxien continued to pile on the pressure. Claudio Barbosa produced a brilliant individual run, accelerating past Isemol N’Sa Chrisnovic before unleashing a rising shot that forced Colombo into yet another impressive save.

Tarxien thought they had finally found the breakthrough in the dying moments when Nhaysonn placed the ball past Colombo but the ‘goal’ was annulled for a foul on the goalkeeper.

Instead, it was Gżira who won it when Tarxien’s Luke Anthony Borg attempted a backpass from near the halfway line, but the ball fell short and was intercepted by substitute Fabricio Virgens, and the forward kept his composure to shoot past Spiteri.

The Gżira forward took his shirt in celebration and was shown a second yellow card and subsequently dismissed.  

TARXIEN RAINBOWS

M. Spiteri, M. D’Alessandro, A. Gaafar, A. Valverde, H. Wesley (46 A. Borg), A. Lokosa, C. Barbosa, H. Nhaysonn, M. Musulin (70 Y. Mosquera), P. Panic, A. Vella.

GŻIRA UNITED

E. Colombo, D. Abela, A. Borg (74 M Van de Bovenkamp), M. Maxuell, C. Failla, L. Riascos, S. Bastic (74 F. Virgens), I. Chrisnovic, J. Calderon (81 S. Perlaza), M. Stojanovic.

Referee: Ezekiel Barbara

Yellow cards: Wesley, Lokosa, Nhaysonn, Virgens.

Red card: Stojanovic (G) 70, Virgens (G ) 90.