Marsa 0

Xghajra T. 0

Marsa and Xghajra took a point each following a goalless draw. Xghajra were superior to their opponents but an excellent performance by Demis Grima denied the three points to Xghajra. Now Xghajra are on nine points while Marsa are on three.

The first half was more or less quiet with Xghajra being more adventorous. The first real action came on the 25th minute from Xghajra when Carl Caruana took a free-kick, Grima came out blocking the ball and from the rebound Manaf hit the crossbar. Two minutes later Lizio Grech tried his luck but his low shot was blocked by Grima. In stoppage time Grima denied Nosko with a good save.

In the second half Xghajra continued where they left in the first half and on the 51st minute it was again Nosko who went close when his low shot was again saved by Grima.

Marsa had their first real opportunity four minutes later when goalkeeper Grima kicked the ball to Marsa’s Ramon Xuereb but he didn’t capitalise and his shot went wide.

The last minutes were all controlled by Xghajra but Grima was a protagonist when he saved two shots from Vella and substitute Karl Micallef.

Marsa: D. Grima, J. Camilleri (S. Grech), K. Camilleri, F. Fenech (K. Brincat), R. Xuereb, J.P. Zammit, S. Cutajar, W. Debattista (Y. Abdullahi), B. Zammit, C. Cremona, M. Mifsud

Xghajra: R. Camilleri, A. Vella, N. Attard, F. Mizzi, C. Caruana, B. Magro (C. Magro), A. Manaf, D. Axisa, L. Grech (K. Micallef), M. Nosko, M. Polonec (J. Cachia)

Referee: Martin Borg

Qrendi 0

Sirens 0

In a very quiet game, Sirens and Qrendi shared the spoils in a 0-0. Both teams didn’t had their best games this season and the result is a proof to the rhythm of the match.

The first real action came on the 19th minute when a shot from Karl Bonavia went close but wide. Nine minutes later it was Giovann Galea who tried, but his low shot went wide.

Sirens continued to pile the pressure and on the 31st minute a central shot from Gary Grant was saved in two times by D’Amato. Qrendu went close on the 34th minute when an angled shot from Silvano Pace was saved easily by Vella.

Two minutes later D’Amato tipped a shot from George Falzon into a corner. On the 38th minute Qrendi went close when the Sirens defence cleared off the line a header from veteran Patrick Muscat.

Sirens could have gone in front when Giovann Galea turned with a defender but D’Amato saved his central shot. Qrendi had a goal disallowed when on the 58th minute a powerful shot from George Saliba was saved partially by Vella and Adrian Muscat scored but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Sirens had two shots from Stephen Pisani and George Falzon but both shots finished off target. The last shot came on the 92nd minute when D’Amato turned into a corner a shot from substitute Theuma.

Qrendi: C. D’Amato, A. Buttigieg, B. Demicoli, P. Muscat, D. Caruana, S. Pace, G. Saliba, P. Bezzina (S. Buhagiar), R. Darmanin (M. Farrugia), L. Vidal, C. Debattista (A. Muscat)

Sirens: J.P. Vella, C. Agius (A. Debattista), G. Magri, J. Grech, G. Vella, K. Bonavia (R. Sciberras), G. Falzon, D. Sant, G. Galea, G. Grant (R. Theuma), S. Pisani

Referee: Andrew J. Sammut

Kalkara 0

Mgarr 4

Mgarr had an easy win over bottom side Kalkara, when they triumphed with the comfortable score of 4-0, to keep their fifth place on the grid with 15 points. This was the eighth consecutive loss for Kalkara, who remain at the very bottom of the table with no points.

Mgarr took the lead one minute before the break, when Johann Said beat the Kalkara defence with a low strike.

After 68 minutes of play, Chris Abela tried his luck with a powerful effort from outside the area, with the ball being deflected by Kalkara’s defence and ending at the back of the net.

Five minutes later, Mgarr secured their three points, when from a splendidly-contructed personal action, Mark Deguara went past four defenders, including the goalkeeper and tapped the ball home between the unattended posts.

In the 91st minute Kalkara, who have already conceded 22 goals so far this season, suffered another goal when Russel Marmara beat goalkeeper Azzopardi with a looping header on a cross by Cassar.

Mgarr: J. Muscat, J. Ebejer, G. Said, W. Camilleri, K. Pace, J. Said, R. Marmara, J. Gauci, C. Tabone, M. Deguara (P. Fenech), C. Abela

Kalkara: F. Azzopardi, M. Agius, J. Cassar, C. Cachia, C. Zammit, J. Camilleri (C. Micallef), S. Camilleri, J. Zahra, M. Cassar, A. Musha, G. Azzopardi

Referee: Pierre Camilleri

Mdina 2

Fgura 2

Fgura obtained a very important point from their duel against Mdina, when they dramatically equalised the score by scoring two goals in the last two minutes of the match, for a final score of 2-2.

The match was dominated by Mdina for most of its duration, where Fgura only came into the match in the last ten minutes of play.

Mdina opened the scoring two minutes before the break, when after a good run, Justin Buhagiar beat goalkeeper Attard with a powerful low shot from outside the custodian’s area.

Ten minutes into the second half, Mdina doubled their lead thanks to Matthew Francalanza, who took Attard by surprise with a lovely chip who went past the goalkeeper and found itself at the back of the net.

Fgura’s reaction came in the 89th minute, when they were awarded a penalty for a nasty foul in the area, and from the spot, Ricardo Severino Congalves pulled one back for Fgura.

Yet when all seemed going Mdina’s way, Fgura equalised with a highly controversial goal. Mdina’s custodian seemed to take control of the ball following a cross by Spiteri, yet substitute Lydan Vella was seen dispossessing Balbane and put the ball at the back of the net.

The match ended with a series of fierce protesting by Mdina, who did not agree with the referee’s decision to validate Fgura’s second goal.

Mdina: M. Balbane, A. Bajada, C. Bonello, G. Camilleri, A. Catania, R. Southward, A. Gatt, N. Micallef, C. Buhagiar (C. Vella), J. Buhagiar, M. Francalanza

Fgura: R. Attard, R. Adami, N. Zerafa, M. Portelli (C. Bordievi), K. Scerri, S. Aquilina, V. Camilleri, R. Severino Concalves, L. Bonnet (L. Vella), M. Zammit, M. Spiteri

Referee: Kevin Sciberras

Pembroke A 2

Swieqi U. 0

Pembroke gained another three points, reconfirming them first on the table.

During the first half, both teams rarely created any opportunity at scoring, however during the second 45 minutes Pembroke were more insidious.

On the 34th minute, Pembroke’s Vojko Martinovic’s angled free kick from a notable distance was saved by Swieqi’s goalkeeper Luca Bugeja.

Swieqi replied a minute later, but Simon Sammut’s free kick ended high over the crossbar.

Pembroke lost an opportunity during the first injury time when Lydon Cilia’s central free kick, partially saved by goalkeeper Bugeja, found Adrian Bugeja who missed a good shot.

Pembroke took the lead on the 78th minute when Vojko Martinovic’s rising free kick beat Swieqi’s goalkeeper Luca Bugeja.

Four minutes from time, Swieqi’s captain Simon Borg committed a foul on Pembroke’s Matthew Borg granting Pembroke a penalty, the latter then successfully scoring and sealing a win for Pembroke.

Pembroke A: M. Carter (R. Debattista), A. Galea, J.C. Borg, L. Cilia, V. Martinovic, C. Leonardi, M. Borg, J. Mifsud, R. Caruana, G. Spiteri, R. Zammit.

Swieqi U: L. Bugeja, J. Pace, S. Sammut (C. Dalli), B. Buhagiar, K. Calleja (C. Micallef), S. Borg, L. Fenech, S. Diacono, F. Debono (S. Psaila), E. Sciberras, T. Hampton.

Referee: Mario Alan Sant

M’Scala 0

St Lucija 4

St Lucia easily brushed aside Marsascala’s feeble resistance to chalk up another victory and keep the pace with the frontrunners. It was a one-way traffic affair with Marsascala rarely having a glimpse of goal.

Seventeen minutes into the game, St Lucija took the lead when Basil Chibueze scored a low shot from close range. On the 27th minute St Lucia doubled their score following Nico Corito’s central shot, partially saved by Marsascala’s goalkeeper Jerome Peplow with Basil Chibueze concluding with an angled shot.

St Lucia made them three on the 32nd minute when Marlon Farrugia’s cross, in the direction of Basil Chibueze, was missed by the latter but found Nico Corito who took the opportunity and scored with a low shot past Peplow.

M’Scala lost a good opportunity on the 70th minute when substitute Brian Grech’s shot hit the opposing goalkeeper Ryan Cilia’s shoulder. St Lucia scored their fourth and final goal three minutes from time when the substitute Gaynor D’Amato successfully scored an angled shot fired from the edge of the penalty area.

M’Scala: J. Peplow, N. Stoycev Slavchev, J. Galdes, M. Pace, A. Domenius (B. Grech), P.A. Carabott, F. Peplow, D. Iounut-Cristian, N. Abela (K. Cassar), H. Pace, M. Said.

St Lucia: R. Cilia, C. Goodrum (M. Spiteri), H. Friggieri, J. Galea, R. Mifsud, J. Bugeja, C. Bugeja, B. Chetcuti (A. Sapiano), B. Chibueze, N. Corito (G. D’Amato), M. Farrugia

Referee: Matthew Degabriele

Ghaxaq 1

Mtarfa 0

Ghaxaq secured an important three points from their outing against lower side Mtarfa, when they triumphed with the minimal score of 1-0.

This win lifted Ghaxaq to the second place on the grid with 20 points, just two after leaders Pembroke. This was the fifth consecutive loss for Mtarfa, where they remain at the bottom half of the table with just four points.

Ghaxaq opened the scoring 15 minutes into the match, when after a good run past four defenders, Bjorn Dalli beat goalkeeper Galea with a low shot.

On the half hour mark, Mtarfa missed an equalising opportunity, when Peplow’s long-distance effort skimmed the woodwork.

Ghaxaq were close to doubling their lead in the second half, when after a good show of ball control by Dalli who passed on to the unmarked Grech in the area, the latter’s shot on target went incredibly high.

Mtarfa were slightly better in the last 30 minutes of play and put pressure on the opposing defence. In the 66th minute, substitute Francesco Azzopardi tried his luck from an acute angle from outside the area, with the ball being skilfully converted into a corner by Verbina with the tips of his fingers.

Ghaxaq: J. Verbina, E. Dimech, M. Coleiro (J. Caruana), M. Cassar, M. Axiaq, P. Bugeja, M. Grech (M. Vassallo), R. D’Amato, B. Parnis, A. Caruana (B. Darmanin), B. Dalli

Mtarfa: D. Galea, R. Cann, J. Azzopardi, J. Fenech, R. Sammut, E. Falzon, S. Peplow, O. Smier (A. Micallef), G. Caruana (F. Azzopardi), J.P. Ciantar, L. Vella (P. Azzopardi)

Referee: Mohammed Khalil