Fgura 2

Mdina 1

Fgura managed to recover from an early goal and turn the match in their favour going on to defeat Mdina 2-1, thus keeping their second place on the standings with 47 points.

Mdina on the other hand seem to have lost their duel with Ghaxaq for third place, and they now reside in fourth place with 38 points.

Mdina opened the scoring 12 minutes into the match, when from a cross by Grech, Matthew Francalanza beat Fgura’s defence with a lovely effort from outside the area. On the half-hour mark, the Knights were close to doubling their lead, when Buhagiar chipped towards Southward, whose long-distance effort skimmed the woodwork.

Fgura pulled one back on 55 minutes, when Mdina’s goalkeeper Aquilina caught Bonnet’s foot in the area, with Riccardo Goncalves Severino scoring the ensuing penalty.

Three minutes later Fgura sealed the match, when they were awarded a freekick outside the area for Camilleri’s foul at Bonnett’s expense. From Adami’s freekick, Vincent Camilleri’s looping header took Mdina’s defence by surprise.

Fgura: R. Attard, M. Portelli, S. Aquilina, R. Adami, K. Scerri, V. Camilleri, R. Goncalves Severino (R. Briffa), M. Spiteri, N. Zerafa, L. Vella (R. Galea), L. Bonnet (G. Scerri)

Mdina: M. Aquilina, A. Spiteri, K. Formosa, G. Camilleri (M. Prudencio), A. Catania, A. Gatt, R. Soutward, A. Buhagiar, J. Buhagiar, Y. Grech, M. Francalanza

Referee: Andre Arciola

Ghaxaq 3

Mtarfa 0

Ghaxaq returned to winning ways when they beat Mtarfa 3-0, after having only gained one point from their last two outings.

They now have a total of 41 points and remain in third place, going three points clear of Mdina who lost their encounter against Fgura, where Mdina have a game in hand.

The all-whites opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, when after a good run D’Amato crossed central towards Marvin Grech who tapped the ball at the back of the net with a low shot. Four minutes later, Grech beat Sammut for the second time from a personal action.

On 71 minutes Ghaxaq were down to ten men when Ryan D’Amato was sent off for violent conduct and retaliation. They sealed the match fifteen minutes from time, with a splendid long-distance drive by Leonard Alla.

Ghaxaq: J. Verbina, E. Dimech, M. Vassallo (M. Zammit), L. Alla (W. Carabott), M. Ellul, T. Caruana (C. Xuereb), M. Grech, A. Farrugia, R. D’Amato, F. Galea, B. Parnis

Mtarfa: K. Sammut, L. Portelli, R. Sammut, E. Falzon, J. Fenech, J. Munjao Mwema, G. Cumbo (G. Curmi), A. Wingfield (F. Azzopardi), S. Peplow, L. Vella, P. Azzopardi (D. Haruna)

Referee: Anthony Buhagiar

Mgarr 4

Kalkara 3

In a highly motivated and exciting match, Mgarr triumphed over Kalkara 4-3, thus going to a total of 40 points, while Kalkara remain at the bottom of the grid with four points. Without doubt, this was Kalkara’s best performance of the season, where they certainly deserved at least a point.

The greens had a good start, and hit the crossbar 10 minutes into the match by a Dalziel Zammit header on a cross by Gauci. It was eventually Mgarr who opened the scoring on 37 minutes, when after fleeing Kalkara’s defence, Chris Abela hit home with a low shot. Five minutes later Karl Vella doubled the lead when after receiving from Abela, he put at the back of the net with a splendid shot.

Kalkara pulled one back one minute from the end of the first half, when from a freekick by Stefan Camilleri, Matthew Cassar beat the opposing defence with a low shot from inside the area. They managed to equalise two minutes into the second half, when after a good run by Jacob Camilleri, he went past goalkeeper Borg who had very poor timing, and concluded between the empty posts.

Yet barely three minutes later, Mgarr took the lead again, when after a combination between Abela and Russel Marmara, it was the latter who hit home with a low curl.

On 55 minutes, goalkeeper Bajada who had a very good match saved in style Gauci’s header from over the line, and three minutes later Jacob Camilleri went past goalkeeper Borg again, who had another poor showing, and tried his luck from an acute angle, with the ball being cleared from over the line by defender Camilleri.

On 76 minutes both sides were down to 10 men, when Chris Tabone and Abduljawhed Musha were sent off for Mgarr and Kalkara respectively for violent conduct..

Mgarr sealed the match three minutes form time, when Chris Abela hit home with a splendid long-distance drive, with goalkeeper Bajada completely helpless in the situation.

Kalkara didn’t give up and fought till the end, reducing the gap once again one minute from stoppage time, when after yet another poor showing from goalkeeper Borg, it was once again Jacob Camilleri who chipped the ball past the custodian and at the back of the net.

Mgarr: J. Borg, P. Fenech (G. Said), K. Caruana, W. Camilleri (A. Aquilina), K. Pace, J. Gauci, C. Tabone, R. Marmara, K. Vella (M. Psaila), C. Abela, M. Deguara

Kalkara: C. Bajada, S. Camilleri, J. Camilleri, J. Zahra, C. Zammit, D. Zammit, C. Bilocca, C. Caruana, M. Cassar, D. Gauci, A. Musha

Referee: Keith Buhagiar

Swieqi 0

Pembroke 0

Pembroke failed to take home maximum points for the second consecutive week, when they were held to a goalless draw by neighbours Swieqi. They remain at the top of the standings with 52 points, where Fgura in second place keep eating away the gap, now with 47 points.

Pembroke were decidedly better than their opponents, where they had various scoring opportunities and would have probably deserved the three points. They went close on the half-hour mark, when Martinovic passed to Mifsud, who saw his effort from outside the area skim the upright, and four minutes later Cilia’s shot from a short distance went inches wide.

On 55 minutes, Swieqi’s goalkeeper saved in style a header by Matthew Borg from over the line, and ten minutes later a low shot from Martinovic was once again saved by Debattista.

Swieqi’s best opportunity came in the second minute of injury time, when Kurtulush’s chip went over goalkeeper Calleja and hit the crossbar, before being cleared away by Pembroke’s defence.

Swieqi: J. Debattista, B. Buhagiar, T. Hampton (T. Kurtulush), S. Borg, D. McKean (I. Scicluna), N. Zammit, S. Sammut, S. Diacono, F. Debono, E. Sciberras (M. Fenech), P. Spiteri

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

Referee: Martin Borg

St Lucia 3

Marsascala 2

In a match witnessed by just 13 spectators, four on one side and nine on the other, St Lucia were victorious over Marsascala with a goal scored just one minute before time, where the winning side played the last ten minutes with ten men.

St Lucia have gone up to a total of 36 points now, lifting themselves above Xghajra on the standings, while Marsascala remain with 21 points.

Marsascala opened the scoring 18 minutes into the match, when on a header by Said, Nazzareno Abela’s effort ended at the back of the net. One minute later, St Lucia equalised thanks to Nico Corrito first-timer form a short distance.

Marsascala took the lead again at the start of the second half, when from a cross by Schembri, Christopher Zammit took the opposing defence by surprised and heeled the ball home.

Yet St Lucia did not give up and equalised again on 6t3 minutes, when after receiving from Corrito, Hubert Friggieri hit on target with a low shot.

Ten minutes from time St Lucia were down to ten men when goalkeeper Duane Carabott handled the ball outside his area.

Yet they still managed to take the three points home a minute form the end, thanks to a splendid long-distance freekick by Melvin Agius.

St Lucia: D. Carabott, C. Camilleri, M. Agius, J. Galea, C. Bugeja, J. Bugeja, M. Farrugia (M. Spiteri), H. Friggieri, N. Corito, A. Sapiano (R. Cilia), G. D’Amato (C. Goodrum)

Marsascala: L. Camilleri, C. Bordieri, J. Galdes, S. Callus, M. Pace (D. Falzon), F. Peplow, M. Said (J. Scicluna), C. Schembri, C. Zammit, N. Abela, A. Dominicus

Referee: Matthew Degabriele

Xghajra 1

Marsa 0

Xghajra registered their fourth consecutive win when they beat Marsa 1-0, thus continuing their battle in the middle of the standings with 35 points. This was the eighth consecutive defeat for Marsa, who have only registered nine points this season from two victories and two draws.

Xghajra were decidedly better than their opponents and far more offensive. They went close to opening the scoring 11 minutes into the match, when after a good run by Pendry who went past three defenders, his effort on target from an acute angle skimmed the upright. Ten minutes later Pendry crossed central, with the ball going all along the line behind the goalkeeper, and Polenec’s tap went just slightly wide.

Vella’s effort also hit the upright on 36 minutes from a personal action by Polenec.

Xghajra’s efforts were rewarded on 66 minutes, when Sultana caught Grech’s foot in the area, with Milan Polenec scoring the ensuing penalty.

Xghajra: R. Camilleri, G. Saliba, M. Magro (A. Manaf), A. Muscat, C. Magro, D. Axisa, A. Vella (C. Micallef), M. Polenec, M. Nosko, A. Pendry, L. Grech (N. Attard)

Marsa: S. Danilov (D. Grima), C. Cremona, S. Sultana, D. Chircop, S. Cutajar, J. P. Zammit, S. Grech (L. Camilleri), C. Cioffi, D. Agius, K. Brincat, Y. Abdullahi

Referee: Etienne Mangion

Sirens 2

Qrendi 1

In an encounter between two squads in the lower end of the grid, Sirens were victorious over lower-side Qrendi at 2-1, with both goals being scored in the first half. This was the first victory for Sirens in their last five outings, who lifted themselves higher in the standings, now with 22 points.

Sirens opened the scoring on nine minutes, when George Falzon tried his luck from the centre of the pitch, which took goalkeeper Zammit completely by surprise.

Qrendi were awarded a penalty on 21 minutes for Grech’s foul in the area. From the spot, Luka Magri didn’t miss. On the half-hour mark, Sirens missed a sitter when after a good run by Stephen Pisani, Denzil Pisani’s effort skimmed the woodwork.

Five minutes later, George Falzon sealed the match for Sirens, with another splendid long-distance drive from outside the area, which stunned Qrendi’s defence.

Sirens: N. Attard, R. Theuma, D. Sant, G. Neda, J. Grech, G. Jaffa, D. Pisani, R. Sciberras, S. Pisani, B. Borg (R. Debono), G. Falzon

Qrendi: R. Zammit, A. Formosa, L. Schembri, M. Ellul, P. Muscat (L. Vidal), J. Ellul, J. Camilleri (S. Galea), L. Magri, M. Farrugia, A. Muscat, C. Azzopardi

Referee: Sandro Spiteri