Kalkara 0

Pembroke 1

The clash between the team at the summit of the table Pembroke, and the team at the very bottom Kalkara ended with a marginal win for the leaders, where the winner arrived just six minutes before stoppage time.

Pembroke held tight to their spot at the top of the table where they lead with a total of 31 points. Kalkara, on the other hand ,cemented their name at the bottom of the grid with just three points, where they have lost ten of their 11 outings.

The only action worthy of note in the first half came Pembroke’s way in the 35th minute, when Cremona’s long-distance drive skimmed the woodwork. Cremona went close again in the 61st minute, here his effort this time was saved by the goalkeeper in style.

Ten minutes before the final whistle, Cilia passed a precise ball to Leonardi, which ball was intercepted by Kalkara’s defence before the latter could strike home.

The sole goal of the match finally arrived six minutes before stoppage time thanks to substitute Lee Grech who, after a good run along the left flank, put the ball past goalkeeper Azzopardi with a low shot.

Kalkara: F. Azzopardi, C. Cachia, A. Musha, D. Mifsud, S. Camilleri, C. Zammit (C. Caruana), M. Cassar, J. Zahra, M. Agius, D. Gauci, G. Azzopardi (C. Tabone)

Pembroke: M. Calleja Cremona, N. Coleiro Gatt, M. Mamo, A. Galea (L. Grech), L. Cilia, V. Martinovic, C. Leonardi (J. C. Borg), D. Cremona, J. Mifsud, R. Caruana, G. Spiteri

Referee: Emmanuel Grech

Ghaxaq 2

Sirens 1

Sirens suffered their third consecutive loss when they were defeated by Ghaxaq. Ghaxaq kept hold to their second place on the grid with a total of 27 points, whereas Sirens keep dropping places where they have just 10 points after 11 outings.

Sirens opened the scoring 13 minutes into the match, when Giovanni Galea curled the ball from underneath goalkeeper Verbina and concluded home.

Yet Sirens’ lead was shortlived, since eight minutes later, Albert Caruana beat Attard with a powerful first-timer, after receiving from Dalli.

Twenty minutes from the final whistle, substitute Ryan D’Amato put his side in the lead when he surprised his opponents with a powerful long-distance drive. In the third minute of injury time, D’Amato was close to increasing Ghaxaq’s lead, when after fleeing the Sirens’ defence, his shot was saved in style by the goalkeeper.

Ghaxaq: J. Verbina, E. Dimech, M. Cassar (C. Xuereb), M. Axiaq, P. Bugeja, M. Ellul, J. L. Caruana (R. D’Amato), F. Galea, B. Parnis, A. Caruana, B. Dalli

Sirens: N. Attard, G. Magri, G. Vella, K. Galea, M. Sammut, S. Pisani, G. Galea, G. Falzon, D. Sant, J. Grech, B. Borg

Referee: Esther Azzopardi

Xghajra 2

Fgura 1

Xghajra surprised Fgura when they won their duel, depsite having been a goal down in the first half. This was the third consecutive win for Xghajra, who now have 18 points in all, while Fgura are still with a total of 20 points.

Initially Fgura took the lead after just 15 minutes of play, when Robert Adami beat Camilleri with a lovely strike from a direct freekick. Five minutes from the end of the first half, Milan Polenec levelled the match again when he beat Fgura’s defence with a lovey effort from a direct freekick, from a very acute angle.

Just a few minutes into the second half, Xghajra were close to taking the lead, when after a good run by Nosko who passed the ball central to unmarked Grech, the latter’s shot on target went incredibly high.

The Green’s efforts were rewarded in the 69th minute, when from a cross by Mauro, susbtitute Karl Micallef chipped the ball in the corner of the net.

Three minutes from the final whistle, Xghajra were reduced to ten men, when Milan Polenec was sent off for a nasty foul.

Xghajra: R. Camilleri, N. Attard (K. Camilleri), F. Mizzi, C. Magro, B. Mauro, A. Vella, A. Manaf, M. Polenec, M. Nosko, L. Grech (C. Cioffi)

Fgura: W. Bianco, N. Zerafa, S. Aquilina, M. Portelli, K. Scerri, R. Adami, V. Camilleri (L. Vella), M. Spiteri, M. Zammit, L. (Bonnett), R. Concalves Severino

Referee: Andrea Arciola

Marsa 1

Marsascala 0

Marsa registered their first win this season when they triumphed over Marsascala 1-0, thus reaching a total of six points, while still threading in the lower half of the standings. Marsascala, who are in a slightly better position, remained at their previous tally of eight points.

Brincat was close to opening the scoring for Marsa just a minute before the break, when his effort skimmed the woodwork. Thirty minutes before the final whistle, Kirsten Brincat sealed the three points for hi side when he took the Marsascala defence by surprise with a lovely shot from inside the area.

Marsascala were down to nine men in the last minutes of the match. In the 88th minute, Juan Galdes committed his second bookable offence and was sent off, and two minutes later Paul Anthony Carabott was immediately sent off for a dangerous foul.

Marsa: D. Grima, B. Zammit, C. Cremona, D. Chircop, S. Cutajar, J.P. Zammit, E. Vella, J. Camilleri, K. Brincat (M. Scerri), Y. Abdullahi, W. Debattista, R. Xuereb

Marsascala: J. Peplow, J. Debono, J. Galdes, J. Scicluna, E. Desira, F. Peplow, P.A. Carabott, C. Dobre Iounut (M. Bugeja), A. Domenicus, H. Pace (M. Grech), E. M. Ahmadou

Referee: Stefan Pace

Mgarr 5

Mtarfa 1

Mgarr had an easy win over Mtarfa with the score of 5-1, where they put on a very convincing performance, dominating throughout the entire match. This win lifted them to the fourth place on the table with a total of 21 points, tied with Mdina.

Mgarr opened the scoring 26 minutes into the match when Matthew M uscat beat Mtarfa’s defence with a long-distance drive. They increased their lead thanks to Chris Abela, who after a good run along the left flank, beat Sammut with a low shot.

Mtarfa pulled one back in the 66th minute when Ryan Zammit surprised Mgarr’s defence with a shot from outside the area form an acute angle.

But 15 minutes from the end, Mgarr increased their lead once again, when after fleeing the opposing defence, Abela passed central towards Gordon Said who tapped the ball at the back of the net. Four minutes later, Alan Zahra increased Mtarfa’s suffering with a lovely effort.

Three minutes from stoppage time, Mtarfa’s goalkeeper Sammut was seen catching Abela’s foot in the area, with the referee sending off the custodian and awarding a penalty for Mgarr. From the spot, Chris Abela hit home.

Mgarr: J. Borg, J. Ebejer, J. Said, K. Pace, G. Said, J. Gauci, R. Marmara, A. Zahra, P. Fenech (C. Tabone), C. Abela, M. Muscat

Mtarfa: K. Sammut, E. Falzon (P. Azzopardi), J. Azzopardi, J. Fenech, R. Sammut, J. P. Ciantar, L. Vella, A. Wingfield, D. Mohammed Abdilla, R. Zammit, F. Azzopardi (D. Galea)

Referee: Erin Yurtserver