Lija-Iklin   0

Mellieha   2

Lija-Iklin needed to win their final game to retain Section B status but they failed to do so despite playing against Mellieha who fielded only nine players.

Mellieha ended their commitments in 5th place on 25 points from 20 games while Lija-Iklin finished in penultimate position on 15 points also from 20 games.

Timothy Portelli should have opened the score for Lija-Iklin after only two minutes but he drove out from inside the area with only Mellieha keeper Luke Borg to beat.

Mellieha opened the score in the 7th minute when Andy Zammit served Damian Vella with a through ball who after advancing scored with a grounder from the edge of the area.

At the other end, Timothy Portelli served Leandro Xerri in the area but Borg saved his shot to a corner.

Lija-Iklin kept pressing. Aquilina was fouled on the right flank and from the free kick by the same player Borg partly saved the ball which was cleared away by a defender.

Andrew Sare’ saw Borg saving his effort from outside the area. The same Borg then denied Timothy Portelli.

The second period was also dominated by Lija-Ilin but they failed to score. Mark Galea served Roderick Portelli in the area and Borg denied him with a diving save to a corner.

Portelli then served Aquilina with a square pass in the area but Borg again denied him. Later he turned the ball  to a corner from a shot by Roderick Portelli after an Aquilina through ball in the area.

In a rare Mellieha attack, Nathan Camilleri served Damian Vella on the right flank and the ball sailed over the bar from his cross-shot.

Lija-Iklin went close through Xerri who missed the upright with a header.

In the 67th minute, Mellieha doubled the score when Fabian Axisa served Camilleri with a through ball in the area and was tripped by a defender. Mark Farrugia made no mistake from the resultant penalty.

Before the end, Aquilina saw his effort missing the far post by inches.

Referee: Anthony Buhagiar

Player of the match: Christian Aquilina (Lija-Iklin)