Santa Lucia .............................. 0
Gzira U ..................................... 0
Santa Lucia: R. Caruana, G. Bohrer Mentz, K. Pinheiro (D. Agius 53'), D. Mendoza, M. De Jesus Santana, K. Ante Rosero, J. Walker, O. Elouni (N. Borg 66'), J. Zerafa, C. Escobar, W. Gomes (L. Galea 80').
Gzira U: J. Haber, F. Barbosa, G. Conti, N. Muscat (L. Brincat 87'), R. Soares, J. Corbolan, H. Kone (Z. Scerri 46'), S. Borg, A. Samb (A. Cohen 46'), M. Davis, J. De Assis
Referee: Fyodor Zammit
Ass. Referees: Duncan Sultana, Theodore Zammit
Fourth official: Darryl Agius
Yellow cards: J. Zerafa 31', J. Walker 62', J. Haber 62', R. Soares 67', D. Agius 78', S. Borg 82', M. Davis 90', F. Barbosa 92', Z. Scerri 94'
Red card: J. Walker 75'
Player of the match: Kevin Ante Rosero (Santa Lucia)
TMI Best three: 1. K. Ante Roser, 2. M. Davis, 3. A. Cohen
After beating champions Valletta in the first match, newly promoted Santa Lucia confirmed their potential holding Gzira to a scoreless draw.
Santa Lucia were the better team in the first half, but twith the introduction of Cohen and Zachary at the start of the second half, the Maroons dominated the second part and could have easily snatched a winner as Santa Lucia had to struggle hard to keep the pace especially in the last fifteen minutes when they were reduced to ten players.
Gzira coach Giovanni Tedesco made some changes to the team with Davis and Sacha Borg in the starting line-up and with Andrew Cohen and Zachary Scerri relegated to the substitute's bench.
In the early minutes Gzira had more possession of the ball with Kone testing Caruana. Santa Lucia were however menacing when gaining possession of the ball with Santana and Rosero's pace creating panic in the Gzira rearguard.
Half way through the first half Jefferson managed to beat a couple of players to create some space at the edge of the area but his low shot was well blocked by Caruana. On 27 minutes Santa Lucija's first attempt with Elouni's freekick saved by Haber.
On the half hour Santa Lucia's best move with Santana put through by Mendoza, forcing Haber to make difficult from an acute angle. Three minutes later there was a misunderstanding between Barbosa and Haber on Santana's pressing, but Haber somehow managed to clear the danger.
On 41 minutes Santa Lucia were close to taking the lead with an impressive Santana run on the right flank and an inviting pass towards Ante Rosero who all alone in front of goal was denied by a brilliant Haber save. Just before the break Santa Lucia's last attempt with a Gomes header going wide.
At the start of the second half Giovanni Tedesco made two changes to the side with Zachary Scerri and Andrew Cohen moving in for Hamed Kone and Amadou Samb. After barely three minutes Gzira with close with a fast break from Davis who ran all the way from his own half before hitting slightly wide.
In this action Santa Lucia lost defender Pinheiro who was having a brilliant match at the back. On 56 minutes Maycon Santana missed a sitter after a good Ante Rosero move on the right. On 62 minutes Andrew Cohen found the back of the net direct from a freekick but the goal was ruled offside.
Two minutes later a Gomes drive went slightly over the bar and Ante Rosero hit the base of the upright from a near to impossible angle.
On 75 minutes Santa Lucia were down to ten men when Jacob Walker received a second booking. Gzira now increased their pressure and Cohen missed a glorious chance first-timing wide a very good cross from the right from Davis.
Six minutes from time it was Davis who missed the target from an ideal position with his shot just missing the top corner. Gzira went in full forcing in the last minutes with Santa Lucia in evident trouble with Bohrer blocking on the goal line a Jefferson close range shot.
The same Bohrer had the last attempt from a freekick which was well saved by Haber.