Zabbar SP 0
Swieqi U 3
Swieqi United deefated Zabbar St Patrick in a relegation play-off yesterday to gain a historic promotion to the First Division league. In this first ever relegation play-off the third placed team from the Second Division ousted the team that finished twelfth in the First Division.
Swieqi managed by Billy Mock, were the batter team on the day as they grew in composure after suffering in the first half an hour. Zabbar failed miserably on the decisive day as they were a pale shadow of the team that gave some brilliant performances throghout the season. For Billy Mock's side it was a just reward after enjoying much of the season in top placing in the Second Division and missing the top two places in the final matches.
The match had a very quite start with Zabbar holding the upper hand in midfield. Zabbar had the first attempt at goal on 13 minutes when Clayton Camilleri passed towards Dylan Micallef whose effort was somehow blocked by the Swieqi custodian.
Four minutes later Micallef had another good run with his shot just missing the crossbar and Diacono tried his luck from the edge of the area, but here again the ball went slightly over the bar.
On 29 minutes Swieqi's first scoring opportunity, whic came from a goalkeeper blunder when he tried to dribble past Nicholas Schembri who took possession of the ball, but his effort with an open goal at his mercy just missed the base of the upright.
This chance sparked Swieqi's performance who started playing better with the Zabbar defence showing signs of weakness. On 37 minutes the Zabbar custodian saved his side with a great save off a Nicholas Schembri header from a Taliana corner.
Two minutes later Swieqi took the lead when Nichoals Schembri dribbled past Sacco and from an acute angle beat Grech with a low drive. Sixty seconds later Zabbar had an immediate reaction with Diacono's shot brilliantly saved by Debattista.
Two minutes from the break Swieqi went very close a second goal when Roderick Taliana pounced on a Zabbar defensive blunder but Grech saved his side with another brilliant save.
Eleven minutes into the second half Swieqi doubled the score when from a corner action, Suraka headed towards Nicholas Schembri who headed home. Zabbar put everything forward in the remaining minutes but they were very erratic in the final meters and the Swieqi defence was never under danger.
In the last minutes of the match Zabbar's Aidan Agius was sent off and in stoppage time Swieqi sealed the match with yet another goal when Calabretta had a fine run on the right before passing towards Luke Scicluna who easily slotted home.
Żabbar SP: J. Grech, K. Borg, K. Cutajar, S. Diacono, C. Stewart (A. Agius 64 min), D. Micallef, D. Pace, S. Pace Briffa (A. Azzopardi 58 min), G. Adamo (C. Magro 62 min), K. Sacco, C. Camilleri.
Swieqi U: J.C. Debattista, M. Laferla, L. Bianco, S. Bugeja, K. Sultana, L. Scicluna, G. Calabretta, K. Muscat, N. Schembri (J. Margarit 79 min), R. Taliana (R. Cutajar 79 min), S. Suraka (S. Gatt Baldacchino 67 min).
Referee: Emanuel Grech