Ten-man Lija Athletics obtained a dramatic equalizer on 91 minutes against St George’s in an interesting and most important match from the upper part of the table.

The Saints still smarting from their first defeat against Balzan in their last outing, were heading for an important victory thanks to a first half penalty scored by one of their best players Glenn Bonello.

However Lija held the initiative for long stretches even after being reduced to ten players in the last fifteen minutes of the match. The Saints defended for long stretches and fialed to be creative in their breaks, when they could have easily scored a second decisive goal.

Lija started on the attack with Antoine Sacco hitting slightly wide on four minutes. Two minutes one if Lija’s best Daniel Scerri rounded two defenders before hitting slightly over the bar.

On fifteen minutes St George’s went close with a Glenn Bonello effort who was well served by Brazilian Ruiz. On 26 minutes Glenn Bonello was rather unlucky hit the crossbar direct from a freekick.

On 35 minutes St George’s took the lead when Glenn Bonello was floored by Matthew Fleri Soler and from the resultant penalty the same Glenn Bonello made no mistake with a precise grounder.

On the resumption Lija surged forward with more determination and after only three minutes an Antoine Sacco lob after a mistimed sortie by goalkeeper Galea, was cleared off the goal line by Dylan Zarb.

Minutes later a Keith Darmanin freekick slightly missed the base of the upright. Without the suspended Admir Dzanovic Lija were finding the going hard in attack as all their crosses were cleared by the Saints’ rearguard.

On 68 minutes the Saints finally had a good counter break with Glenn Bonello hitting over the bar after a good run by Ruiz. Five minutes later Ruiz was brutally floored by Kurt Formosa with referee Azzopardi sending off the Lija player.

With ten players Lija still insisted on the attack with the Saints defending to keep their slender lead. But in the first minute of injury time Lija obtained a deserved equalizer when Antoine Sacco fired a missile that rocked the crossbar and bounced behind the goal line for a deserved equalizer.

Lija A S. Mintoff, D. Scerri, M. Potezica, W. Borg St. John, K. Darmanin, K. Formosa, A. Scicluna, A. Sacco, B. Antognolo, M. Fleri Soler, T. Fleri Soler (D. Attard)(L. Borg)

St.George’s T. Galea, L. Stivala, B. Fenech (T. Farrugia), E. Sevasta, D. Zahra, E. Amaira, A. Bonello, G. Bonello (J. Bugeja), J. Ruiz, D. Zarb, M. Barbara (R. Sell)

Referee Adrian Azzopardi