Sirens 0
Mdina 1
Mdina went up to the third place in the table with 16 points, when they beat Sirens with the score of 1-0, also contriving to miss a penalty.
This was the fourth defeat for Sirens from the seven matches played so far this season, where they keep struggling in the middle of the grid with eight points.
There was balance throughout, where both sides had their fair share of opportunities to take the three points home - Sirens deserved a point from this match.
Mdina were the first to get close to opening the scoring in the 37th minute, when Southward’s powerful effort went inches wide. Three minutes later, it was Sirens’ turn to get close to the target, when Bonavia‘s header went slightly high.
The only goal in the match eventually came in the 50th minute for Mdina, when Ayrton Buhagiar’s powerful effort from outside the area beat goalkeeper Vella and finished in the upper corner of the net.
Ten minutes from stoppage time, Mdina had the opportunity to seal the match, when Francalanza was fouled in the area, with the referee awarding a penalty. Yet from the spot, goal-scorer Buhagiar shot high.
Sirens: J.P. Vella, C. Agius, G. Magri, J. Grech, G. Vella, K. Bonavia, G. Falzon, D. Sant (R. Sciberras, G. Galea, G. Grant (K. Galea), G. Gauci (S. Copperstone)
Mdina: M. Barbara, A. Spiteri, K. Formosa, G. Camilleri, A. Catania, A. Gatt, R. Southward, M. Saliba (N. Micallef), A. Buhagiar, J. Buhagiar, C. Vella (M. Francalanza)
Referee: Luke Portelli
Xghajra 2
Qrend 0
In a clash between two teams currently at the bottom of the table, Xghajra dominated over Qrendi and took the three points home, beating them 2-0, thanks to a brace by Lizio Grech.
This win has lifted them two places on the grid, with a total of eight points, tied with the same Qrendi. Xghajra were the better side throughout the match, where the score could have been much higher.
Xghajra missed two sitters in the first half, the first one 15 minutes into the match when a cross by Karl Micallef found the unmarked Saliba, whose shot on target went inches wide. Five minutes later, Magro’s header on a cross by Micallef went slightly high over the crossbar.
In the second half, substitute Lizio Grech scored twice to give his side the deserved victory. The first goal came in the 65th minute, when Grech beat Damato with a powerful shot at the top of the net.
Two minutes before stoppage time, Qrendi’s defence fouled Manaf in the area, with the referee awarding a penalty in favour of Xghajra. From the spot, Lizio Grech did not miss.
Xghajra: R. Camilleri, G. Saliba, F. Mizzi, K. Caruana, N. Attard, B. Magro (J. Cacia), D. Axisa, A. Vella, A. Manaf, G. Micallef (L. Grech), K. Micallef (C. Gerada)
Qrendi: C. Damato, S. Galea, A. Buttigieg, B. Demicoli, D. Caruana, G. Azzopardi (L. Schembri), M. Farrugia, C. Debattista, C. Azzopardi, A. Pendry, O. Camenzuli
Referee: Etienne Mangion
Ghaxaq 1
Marsascala 0
Ghaxaq held on to their second place in the table when they triumphed over Marsascala with the minimal score of 1-0, where now they have a total of 17 points, one point less than leaders Pembroke.
It was quite an uneventful match, where both teams toiled to overcome the opponents’ defence, especially Marsascala who were rarely offensive.
The only action worthy of note in the first half was the action leading to the only goal of the match, which saw Bjorn Dalli fleeing the Marsascala defence before putting the ball past goalkeeper Peplow.
Twenty minutes before stoppage time, Ghaxaq were close to doubling their lead, when Dalli went past the opponents’ defence again, but this time Peplow intercepted the ball before the striker had time to shoot on target.
Ghaxaq: J. Verbina, C. Xuereb, M. Cassar, L. Alla, J. Gatt (P. Bugeja), J. Caruana (M. Vassallo), M. Grech (M. Axiaq), F. Galea, B. Parnis, A. Caruana, B. Dalli
Marsascala: J. Peplow, N. Stoychev Slavchev, E. Desira, M. Pace, J. Scicluna, J. Galdes, D. Falzon (A. Yeomans), C. Dobre Ionut, B. Grech (M. Said), S. Saliba, A. Domenicus
Referee: Carl Frendo Cumbo
Pembroke 2
St Lucia 1
Pembroke held on to their place at the top of the table when they beat St Lucia 2-1, where now they lead with 19 points, two more than Ghaxaq who are in second place. St Lucia have now dropped to fourth place with 13 points, tied with Fgura.
Pembroke dominated the first 45 minutes, and opened the scoring 20 minutes into the match, when Adrian Galea beat Carabott with a powerful shot from outside the area.
St Lucia were more compact in the second half, and four minutes into the second half they were awarded a penalty when D’Amato was fouled in the area by Martinovic. From the spot, Basil Chibueze equalised for St Lucia.
Fifteen minutes before stoppage time, Vojul Martinovic handed Pembroke the merited victory, when he beat Carabott with a shot in the corner of the net from a direct free-kick.
St Lucia: D. Carabott, J. Galea, H. Friggieri, C. Goodrum, M. Spiteri (J. Azzopardi), J. Bugeja, C. Bugeja, S. D’Amato, B. Chibueze, J. Noodhead, A. Sapiano
Pembroke: M. Carter, M. Mamo, R. Caruana, T. Naudi, V. Martinovic, J. C. Borg, A. Galea, L. Cilia, G. Spiteri (K. Sultana), C. Leonardi, L. Grech
Referee: Ivan Pace
Swieqi 2
Kalkara 0
Swieqi won their third match of the season after they beat lowly Kalkara 2-0. This was the seventh defeat for Kalkara who are still at the bottom with no point while Swieqi now have 11 points and are occupying sixth place.
On the sixth minute a strong shot from Musha was saved by Bugeja. Swieqi went in-front on the 10th minute when Fabien Debono’s shot managed to beat Azzopardi and even Agius who tried to avoid the goal. On the 26th minute a shot from Clayton Spiteri gave the illusion of the goal but his shot went wide. Spiteri had another shot on the 43rd minute but his shot again went wide.
Swieqi doubled their lead in the 53rd minute. A corner from Ivan Scicluna found Simon Sammut who headed backwards and Fabien Debono headed to score his second goal.
On the 83rd minute a shot from Musha went wide while on the other side three minutes later, from a cross by Christopher Micallef, Timothy Hampton saw his header being saved by Azzopardi.
Swieqi: L. Bugeja, J. Pace, C. Dalli, B. Buhagiar, K. Calleja, N. Zammit, S. Sammut (C. Micallef), S. Diacono (D. McKeon), F. Debono, I .Scicluna, T. Hampton
Kalkara: F. Azzopardi, C. Micallef, S. Camilleri, M. Agius, M. Cassar (C.Tabone), J. Cassar, D. Mifsud, G. Azzopardi (J. Camilleri), C. Grima (F.Grech), A. Musha, C. Spiteri.
Referee: Darell Agius
Mgarr 4
Marsa 1
Mgarr registered their second successive win this season after a losing streak in their last outings, when they won their duel against Marsa with the comfortable score of 4-1, thus keeping their place in the middle of the table with 12 points.
Marsa, on the other hand, are still without a win this season, and have gone down to the penultimate spot on the grid with just two points.
Mgarr dictated play throughout the match and gained a well-deserved three points. They opened the scoring after 20 minutes, when after a good run along the left flank, Johann Said beat the custodian with a powerful effort from outside the area.
Two minutes before the break, Mgarr doubled their lead, when from a cross by Deguara, Chris Tabone beat Mifsud with a looping header.
Mgarr continued to dominate in the second half, where Marsa tried hard to overcome the opponent’ defence. In the 55th minute, Chris Abela made it three for Mgarr, when he beat Mifsud with a powerful strike from an acute angle.
Ten minutes before stoppage time, Yusif Abdullah reduced the deficit for Marsa, when he surprised the Mgarr defence and put the ball past the goalkeeper. But two minutes later, Chris Abela sealed the match for Mgarr, when he surprised Marsa’s goalkeeper for the second time with a lovely chip from the centre of the pitch.
Mgarr: J. Muscat, G. Said, J. Ebejer, M. Bugeja (K. Pace), W. Camilleri, J. Said, C. Tabone, R. Marmara, C. Abela, J. Gauci (P. Fenech), M. Deguara (M. Muscat)
Marsa: L. Mifsud, E. Vella, S. Cutajar, B. Zammit, C. Cremona, K. Scerri (W. Debattista), J. Camilleri, J. P. Zammit, R. Xuereb (Y. Abdullah), P. Chircop, M. Scerri (D. Chircop)
Referee: Emmanuel Grech