Tarxien Rainbows cancel two-goal deficit to secure draw against Mosta

TARXIEN RAINBOWS ​2-2 MOSTA
​Nhayson 45, Musulin 49 (T); Emmanuel 33, Goncalves 39 (M)

Tarxien Rainbows came back from two goals down to rescue a point in a 2-2 draw with Mosta in a clash between the bottom two teams from the Bottom 6.

A draw which hardly suited any side as the two remain in the bottom two places with the Rainbows now lying three points behind Żabbar St. Patrick, two ahead of Mosta. 

The two teams went out in search of an early goal. Erico Junior entered the area from the right but his low shot was parried by Akpan on 4 minutes and one minute later, a cross shot by Nevin Portelli from the right was blocked by goalkeeper Miguel Spiteri. On 8 minutes, Marko Musulin headed wide off an inviting cross by Andreas Vella. 

A long-distance effort by Kwasi Donsu was blocked by Akpan on 25 minutes with the ball reaching Nhayson from whose cross, Luke Anthony Borg had a header turned into a corner by the Mosta goalkeeper. The Rainbows maintained the pressure and on the half hour, Petar Panic hit the upright with a header following a deflection by Akpan. 

Against the run of play, Mosta managed to take the lead on 33 minutes. Prince Chizubor Emmanuel won possession in midfield and advanced on the left before pulling to a more central position, beating goalkeeper Miguel Spiteri with a shot in the bottom right corner from the edge of the area. 

Tarxien replied with an angled shot by Musulin fro the left which scraped past the post two minutes later.

However on 39 minutes, Mosta doubled the score. Giancarlo Goncalves doubled the score for Mosta with the Brazilian beating the Tarxien custodian from close range. 

Claudio Murici had a free kick from the left neutralised by Akpan on 45 minutes but two minutes in added time, Tarxien reduced the gap. Murici delivered a corner from the right and Nhayson headed the ball home past goalkeeper Akpan. 

Four minutes in the second half, Tarxien levelled matters. Marko Musulin received an assist on the right and with a low shot from just inside the area beat the Mosta goalkeeper. 

The Rainbows were reduced to ten men on 70 minutes after Erico Junior was sent off by referee Alex Johnson after Mosta challenged his decision not to punish a foul on Kurt Zammit. 

Five minutes from time, substitute Patrick Schmidt concluded a good run on the left with a low shot which beat the Mosta goalkeeper but the goal was disallowed for an offside. 

Tarxien threatened once again two minutes in added time with substitute Angel Valverde hitting just wide from inside the area and a minute later, Marcus Grima had a shot from outside the area neutralised by Udoh Akpan.