Pembroke Ath-Marsa 3-2

Pembroke Athleta dominated the proceedings throughout the first period and after just two minutes their captain Carlo Leonardi shot just wide off the near post.

Then a shot by Jean Claude Borg was well saved by the Marsa goalkeeper Jean Claude Borg and on other occasions, attempts by Borg and Steve Micallef just missed the target.

Marsa failed to react with Pembroke again being denied certain goals by Keith Brincat who brought off excellent saves to deny Jean Claude Borg, Carlo Leonardi and William Mallia.

Just before the break the Marsa keeper once again denied Pembroke with two superb saves off close-range shots by Jean Claude Borg and Carlo Leonardi.

Just five minutes after the restart Marsa took the lead through a penalty given for a foul by Junior Sank on Charlot Debattista, the latter duly converting from the spot.

In the 55th minute in a swift counter-attack, Marsa made it 2-0 through Charlot Debattista’s second goal following a good move by Johan Camilleri with Pembroke gradually regaining the initiative.

They hit the post off a shot by Jean Claude Borg but in the 68th minute they pulled a goal back through Carlo Leonardi following a personal effort.

Then the Marsa keeper brought off another excellent save to deny Jean Claude Borg but in the 78th minute Pembroke drew level through a penalty given for a foul on Daniel Calleja and converted by Carlo Leonardi.

Pembroke were now dominating the match and after twice hitting the post off efforts by Andre Cachia and Dyan Azzoipardi, they deservedly got the winning goal five minutes from time through a rising shot by their captain Carlo Leonardi who notched his personal hat-trick.

Referee: Keith Buhagiar.

Sirens-Kalkara 3-1

Sirens dictated the run of play throughout the first-half and after just a few seconds a point-blank shot by Glen Gauci was saved by Kalkara’s keeper Fulvio Azzopardi.

Then a free-kick taken by Leandro Blanco De Castro ht the crossbar with Kalkara responding through Michael Zammit whose angled shot just missed the target.

In the 14th minute Sirens took a deserved lead through a shot by Giovanni Galea following a through-pass by Glenn Gauci and six minutes later they made it 2-0 through an angled shot by George Falzon. T

hey then wasted a clear opportunity through Ryan Sciberras and were denied on two occasions by Fulvio Azzopardi off attempts by Giovanni Galea and Daniel Sant.

However in the 34th minute Kalkara reduced the arrears through a Sinclair Camilleri long-range free-kick which took the Sirens’ keeper by surprise.

After the change of ends Sirens continued to be the better team but the first opportunity belonged to Kalkara through a crosshot by Conrad Tabone which was saved by Romeo Schembri.

In the 61st minute Sirens practically sealed the issue through a beauty of a goal as Giovanni Galea managed to beat Fulvio Azzopardi with an overhead kick.

Then Sirens were again close through Jonathan Grech and Giovanni Galea with Kalkara wasting a clear opportunity through Abduljawed Musha.

In the 80th minute Sirens’ striker Giovanni Galea almost notched his hat-trick but his shot ended just wide and four minutes from time Kalkara were close through Michael Zammit.

Referee: Luke Portelli.