Valletta 1
Barry 61;
Pietà Hotspurs 2
Gabriel 68; Xavier 90;
On a night of shocks, Pietà Hotspurs defied the odds after edging champions Valletta in a combative encounter.
The game was almost a carbon-copy of its precursor that saw Tarxien stun Birkirkara as Pietà, who had not won once in their opening six games, served up an exhibition of counter-attacking football that left the careless Citizens dazed and confused.
As in the previous match, centre-stage was taken by two Brazilian players as striker Rafael Xavier struck a last-gasp winner after Gabriel had come off the bench to cancel out Hamza Barry’s opener.
The Hotspurs were well-drilled, always leaving four men at the back and inviting Valletta to attack them only to roar forward with speed of thought and legs.
Valletta, who have now lost three of their opening seven games, will probably feel aggrieved by the result as they dictated the tempo and were twice denied by goalkeeper David Cassar before the Hotspurs snatched the winner, but the champions ultimately paid the price for leaving too many gaps at the back.
Barry had stepped into the boots of Hugo Faria after the Portuguese failed to recover from a bout of influenza.
With Lateef Elford-Alliyu out, Luke Montebello was handed the chance to press his claims for a regular place as Valletta’s attacking spearhead.
Pietà coach Noel Coleiro responded to his team’s 2-0 defeat to Sliema by making three changes. Nikola Tasic was preferred to Gabriel while Cleaven Cassar and Terence Agius began ahead of Cain Attard and Orosco Anonam.
Xavier took up the lone striker’s role with Argentine playmaker Claudio Daniel Frances given encouragement to use his speed and trickery to open up the Valletta defence.
After six minutes, Frances picked out Xavier at the far post and the latter’s header drifted past Nicky Vella but Luke Dimech had tracked back to clear the danger.
Valletta struggled to get going.
On 24 minutes, Kyle Cesare re-leased Frances who turned adroitly before mustering a curling drive that whizzed past the far post.
Pietà’s potential to hurt Valletta on the counter was underlined when Xavier charged past the sliding Barry who was cautioned for bringing down the Brazilian.
It took a brave block from Jurgen Pisani to prevent the Hotspurs falling behind as the Malta U-21 international hurled his body in the way of Roderick Briffa’s volley.
The exchanges remained brisk.
Briffa was wide with a first-time effort while Pisani capitalised on the swathes of open space in the City defence to run forward but his grounder was saved by Vella.
A minute from half-time, Valletta appealed for a penalty when Barry’s drive looked to have come off Leonardo Fortunato’s hands but referee Philip Farrugia pointed to the corner flag.
City were looking to quicken the pace in attack in a bid to unlock the Hotspurs’ back four.
At the other end, Ryan Camilleri distinguished himself when flying into the air to cut out Agius’s menacing cross.
Valletta should have scored a minute short of the hour when Alex Terra met Briffa’s cross with an overhead volley that arced into the box but Montebello headed wide with the goal at his mercy.
The deadlock was broken on the hour.
Llywelyn Cremona’s cross was deflected by the leaping Terra with the ball falling at the feet of Barry who unleashed a ferocious drive that soared into the net.
Raphael Kooh Sohna came close to make it 2-0 but his header was saved in two attempts by Cassar.
The Hotspurs equalised midway into the second half.
Valletta were caught out at the back as Xavier bore down on goal through the middle before serving Gabriel. The former Valletta midfielder took a touch to wrong-foot Vella and slid the ball into the net.
Valletta had it all to do.
Kooh Sohna rifled over after holding off Fortunato to collect Barry’s pass. Abdelkarim Nafti, who had come on for Montebello, did likewise after receiving from Bajada while, at the other end, Gabriel teed up Xavier who missed the target.
It was end to end stuff now.
Valletta would have scored but for a great save from Cassar who fisted away Dimech’s drive.
Cassar then denied Barry who had been teed up by Dimech.
The woodwork came to Valletta’s rescue as Xavier rattled the upright.
The alarm signals went unheeded and, on the cusp of time, Xavier punished the Citizens when chipping the ball over Vella after a swift breakaway.
Valletta
N. Vella-5, I. Azzopardi-6 (46 S. Bajada-5), R. Camilleri-6, R. Fenech-6, R. Briffa-5, L. Montebello-5 (74 A. Nafti), H. Barry-7.5, L. Cremona-6.5, A. Zahra-5 (58 R. Kooh Sohna-5.5), A. Terra-5.5, L. Dimech-6.5.
Pietà Hotspurs
D. Cassar-7.5, C. Cassar-6 (74 L. Micallef), C. Grech-6.5, L. Fortunato-7, J. Pisani-6.5, R. Rodrigues-6, N. Tasic-6 (64 Gabriel-7), K. Cesare-6.5 (59 C. Attard-7), T. Agius-6, C.D. Frances-7, R. Xavier-8.
Referee: Philip Farrugia.
Yellow cards: Tasic; Barry; Cesare, Xavier.
BOV player of the match: Hamza Barry (Valletta).