Melita 3

Pieta H 1

The promotion issue is now wide open as co-leaders Pieta Hotspur suffered their second consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of Melita, another title contender.

Melita, Pieta and Rabat are now leaders with the latter having a game in hand. The match was keenly contested and Melita were in the end worthy winners, thanks to their brilliant first half performance.

Pieta were without Giaccaglia, Sciberras and Muscat were employed in defence and Refalo returned back to the side. Melita powered their way forward in the first half and took the lead on 11 minutes when Matthew Borg opened for Luke Micallef who beat Montfort with an angled shot.

Pieta were not effective in their counter proposals and Melita easily controlled the match with Matthew Borg and Julian Galea in splendid form. On 26 minutes Pieta goalkeeper Montfort made a great save when he saved a point blank header from Sierra Camacho who was unmarked by a Gribbon header.

But a minute later Montfort had to surrender for the second time. A Luke Micallef cross from the right was controlled by Sierra Camacho who back-heeled towards Julian Galea whose cross was headed home by Nicolo Baldacchino.

Montfort was again called into action when he rushed to block Nicolo Baldacchino who was put through by Matthew Borg. On 36 minutes Pieta pulled one back when Jurgen Pisani crossed from the left flank towards Larso Mallia whose header finished in the low corner of the net.

But three minutes later Melita re-established their two-goal lead when Julian Galea passed towards Nicolo Baldacchino who headed past Montfort for his second goal of the game.

Before the end of the first half Jurgen Pisani blasted over the bar following a good pass by Adrian Farrugia, and Melita goalkeeper Sapiano saved a Vinicius Pereira freekick.

In the second half Pieta had more of the ball and practically pushed Melita in their own half, but Matthew Sapiano was never really tested. He only was called in action to block a Jurgen Pisani header, and Vinicius Pereira Dos Santos grounder.

Melita controlled the match with relative ease and even had some scoring opportunities through some fast breaks with Montfort saving off substitute Kane Micallef.

Melita: M. Sapiano, M. Sierra Camacho, G. Gribbon, M. Martin (S. Galea), M. Borg (G. Alario), N. Baldacchino (K. Micallef), J. Galea, M. Valenzia, L. Micallef, K. Vella Petroni, J. Vukanic.

Pieta H: M. Montfort, C. Spiteri, B. Sciberras, Q. Refalo (K. Cutajar), Z. Muscat, V. Pereira Dos Santos, L. Mallia, C. Cassar, J. Zarate, J. Pisani, A. Farrugia (M. Schembri)

Referee: Mario Apap