Xghajra 1

Mdina 1

Xghajra and Mdina shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw. This match was very balanced with Xghajra having their edge on their opponents in the dying minutes. Xghajra now have five points, while Mdina are third with 10 points.

Xghajra went ahead in their first attempt on the sixth minute. It was Kevin Tonna who received a good cross and with a great shot managed to put his side in front.

After this goal the chances for both teams were very few. We had to wait until the 43rd minute to see some action as Andrea Spiteri went close after a good shot from outside the box.

In first half stoppage time Mdina evened the tie. It was a powerful free-kick by Robert Southend that gave no chance to Camilleri. Few seconds later another free-kick from Southend went wide.

Mdina had a good action on the 64th minute with Trevor Fenech having the final shot but it was easy for Camilleri to save.

On the 69th minute Camilleri turned into a corner a shot from Matthew Francalanza while on the other side a shot from Lizio Grech went off target.

On the 84th minute Mdina went close when a header from Gilbert Camilleri went a bit wide. Xghajra almost won the match when on the 93rd minute a cross-shot from Chris Cioffi hit the post.

Xghajra: R. Camilleri, A. Vella, S. Camilleri, M. Leonardi, N. Attard (G. Saliba), K. Caruana, A. Manaf, K. Micallef, K. Tonna, L. Grech (J. Cini), J. Cachia (C. Cioffi)

Mdina: C. Aquilina, A. Spiteri, L. Mercieca, G. Camilleri, A. Catania, T. Fenech (A. Buhagiar), R. Southend, A. Gatt (J. Buhagiar), N. Micallef, C. Vella, M. Francalanza (M.Saliba).

Referee: Philip Farrugia

Swieqi 1

Mgarr 0

Swieqi won their second match this season after beating Mgarr 1-0. It was a balanced match with Mgarr being the better team in the first half while Swieqi were superior to their opponents.

In the first half Mgarr were territorialy better than Swieqi but the chances were few.

In the third minute a shot from Steven Diacono was saved by James Borg. Mgarr were close to take the lead when on the 21st minute a powerful shot from Chris Abela was saved partially by Luca Bugeja. On the 37th minute a free-kick from Chris Abela found Mark Deguara but his header went off target.

On the 56th minute a shot from Daniel Bianco went a bit wide while on the 69th minute a shot from Steven Diacono also went off target.

Swieqi took the lead on the 73rd minute after a cross from the left by striker Fabien Debono found Daniel Bianco who headed home.

Swieqi had the chance to close the game on the 90th minute but Fabien Debono missed from doing that from an ideal position.

Swieqi: L. Bugeja, B. Buhagiar, I. Scicluna, S. Borg, K. Calleja, N. Zammit, S. Sammut, S. Diacono, F. Debono, E. Scibberas (G. Edwards), D. Bianco (J. Debono)

Mgarr: J. Borg, M. Mifsud, G. Said, S. Camilleri, C. Tabone (J. Said), C. Abela, R. Marmara (J. Gauci), M. Deguara, M. Bugeja, J. Ebejer, K. Vella (M. Muscat)

Referee: Karl Frendo Cumbo

Ghaxaq 2

Kalkara 0

Ghaxaq obtained their second consecutive victory beating bottom placed Kalkara with a goal in each half. Ghaxaq fully deserved their victory in rather ill-tempered match with three players sent off.

It must be said that Kalkara practically played the whole match with a man less as they had Clayton Micallef sent off after only 10 minutes. He was sent off for a nasty foul and this had its toll on the final result.

However although dominating, Ghaxaq had to wait till the final seconds of the first half to open the score when Leonard Alla headed home from a corner.

On the resumption Kalkara were reduced to nine men when Melvin Agius was sent off and Ghaxaq sealed the issue on 54 minutes when Bjorn Dalli scored direct from a freekick. On 76 minutes Ghaxaq had Joseph Gatt sent off for dissent.

Ghaxaq: J. Verbina, E. Dimech, C. Borg (M. Zammit), M. Cassar, L. Alla, J.L. Caruana, R. D’Amato (L. Camilleri), F. Galea (J. Gatt), B. Parnis, A. Caruana, B. Dalli.

Kalkara: F. Azzopardi, C. Grima, J. Camilleri, C. Micallef, K. Bonavia (S. Camilleri), M. Cassar (S. Vella), J. Cassar, M. Agius, C. Spiteri, A. Musha, R. Gialanze (J. Fenech)

Sirens 0

Marsascala 1

Marsascala obtained their first victory on the field of play when they beat Sirens thanks to a first half penalty. The winning goal was scored by veteran Nikolai Slavchev who, at 41 years, proved to be decisive.

He first scored the winning goal from the penalty spot on the half hour, and late in the game he again came to his side’s rescue when he cleared off the goal line a Stephen Pisani header.

Earlier in the second half Sirens were unlucky when a Giovanni Galea grounder skimmed the base of the upright.

Sirens: N. Attard, C. Agius, G. Magri, D. Sammut, D. Galea, K. Bonavia, R. Sciberras, (S. Copperstone), G. Grant (S. Pisani), G. Galea, G. Falzon, G. Gauci (C. Pickard)

Marsascala: J. Peplow, J. Scicluna, E. Desira, N. Slavchev, J. debono, A. Yeomans, J. Galdes, D. Falzon (S. Sultana), A. Domenicus (M. Pace), J.C. Dubre, B. Azzopardi (B. Grech)

Referee: Mario Apap

Qrendi 3

Mtarfa 1

Qrendi registered their second win this season as they beat Mtarfa 3-1.

Charlo Debattista netted twice in a match in which the winning side put on a tenacious display.

These three points lifted Qrendi a couple of places on the grid, with total of eight points, while Mtarfa remain in the lower end of the table with four points.

All goals were scored in the first 45 minutes, where despite Mtarfa’s efforts to save the match, they failed to penetrate the opponents’ defence.

Qrendi took the lead in the 25th minute thanks to Brazn Demicoli, who from Farrugia’s corner, beat Galea with a header.

Barely a minute later, Qrendi increased their lead thanks to Charlo Debattista who, by a personal initiative, went past two Mtarfa defenders and tapped the ball past the custodian.

On the half-hour mark Qrendi scored again and it was Charlo Debattista who beat Galea for the second time, with a powerful drive from outside the area, after Galea’s precise pass.

Mtarfa pulled one back four minutes before the break, when Paul Azzopardi chipped the ball in the far corner of the net.

Qrendi: B. Zammit, P. Muscat, S. Galea (K. Azzoprdi), M. Psaila, B. Demicoli, G. Azzopardi, R. Darmanin (A. Buttigieg), M. Farrugia, P. Bezzina, A. Muscat (A. Pendry), C. Debattista

Mtarfa: D. Galea, C. Colletta, J. Azzopardi, L. Abdilla (T. Azzopardi), R. Sammut, S. Peplow, G. Caruana, L. Vella (G. Curmi), P. Azzopardi (R. Bonello), R. Zammit, L. Borg

Referee: Paul Apap

St Lucia 3

Marsa 1

St Lucia continued their winning streak after beating Marsa 3-1, thanks to a hat-trick by Chibueze who proved to be deadly to Marsa’s defence.

The Saints were evidently better than their opponents, especially in counter-attacking, and now find themselves in the upper part of the grid with 10 points.

Marsa, on the other hand, are still seeking their first win this season, and are at the bottom of the grid with just one point.

The only action worthy of note in the first half was St Lucia’s lead which came just two minutes before the break, when after fleeing the Marsa defence, Basil Chibueze went past goalkeeper Grima and tapped the ball in the empty net.

Marsa were more agressive in the second half, and in the 53rd minute they equalised thanks to Philip Chircop who beat the goalkeeper with a low drive from outside the area.

St Lucia scored twice in the last 10 minutes of the match, as Chibueze handed his team the merited victory.

First he went past three defenders and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper’s head and in the back of the net. Five minutes before stoppage time, Grima did not restrain Chibueze’s first-time effort, and from the rebound it was the same striker who hit home.

St Lucia: D. Carabott, C. Goodrum, J. Galea, K. Friggieri, B. Chetcuti (G. Damato), M. Farrugia, S. Damato, B. Chibueze (J. Micallef), J. Woodhead (J. Azzopardi), C. Bugeja, J. Bugeja

Marsa: D. Grima, J. Rizzo, S. Cutajar, L. Bugeja, J. P. Zammit, P. Chircop, B. Zammit, E. Vella, Y. Abdullahi (J. Camilleri), W. Debattista, K. Scerri

Referee: Muhammed Khalil

Fgura 1

Pembroke 3

Pembroke registered their fifth win from five outings when they defeated Fgura 3-1, thanks to a brace by Carlos Leonardi.

Pembroke secured their place at the top of the grid with maximum points, whileFgura suffered their second loss and continue to struggle in the middle of the table with seven points.

Pembroke opened the scoring in the 35th minute, when after a good run along the left flank, team captain Carlos Leonardi beat Attard with a low shot.

Ten minutes later, the same Leonardi beat the goaliue with a header, this time from a precise cross by Galea.

Fgura were more aggressive in the second half, and when it all looked as if Pembroke would have an easy three points, Fgua pulled one back five minutes into the second half, when Zammit was fouled in the area. Referee Barbara awarded a penalty from which Matthew Spiteri saw his attempt partially saved by the goalie only for the same Spiteri to tap the ball home from the rebound.

Fgura’s efforts were cut short, when in the 55th minute Pembroke secured their three points thanks to Daniel Calleja Cremona, who after skilfully controlling Leonardi’s pass, surprised Attard with a chip from outside the area.

Fgura: R. Attard, R. Adami, S. Aquilina, N. Zerafa (A. Lagana), M. Sammut, V. Camilleri, M. Spiteri (C. Bordieri), L. Bonnett, L. Vella (R. Galea), R. Congalves Severino, M. Zammit

Pembroke: R. Debattista, K. Sultana, R. Caruana, M. Mamo, J. Mifsud, V. Martinovic, A. Galea, G. Spiteri, C. Leonardi, D. Calleja Cremona (J. C. Borg), L. Cilia (B. Cremona)

Referee: Gordon Barbara