Mgarr U 1

Swieqi U 0

Mgarr moved to third place in the table with a slender 1-0 victory over Swieqi in a tightly contested match. Mgarr dominated for long stretches, hit the post on two occasions but only scored the winner from a highly disputed penalty.

Swieqi only came to life near the end of the game where they pushed dangerously forward for the equaliser, but Mgarr held on to their slender and valuable lead.

Mgarr were the better team in the first half and Chris Abela’s shot missed the target by a whisker. On 25 minutes Mgarr were unlucky when Mark Deguara’s effort from the edge of the area hit the base of the upright.

Swieqi’s only chance of the first half came to Matthew Fenech whose close range effort was brilliantly blocked by goalkeeper James Borg. Mgarr took the lead on the 39th minute when Mark Deguara was pushed by Ivan Scicluna for a rather dubious penalty and from the penalty spot, Chris Abela fired home.

In the second half Swieqi goalkeeper Debattista made a great save off a Chris Abela shot and on 72 minutes Russell Marmara was unlucky when he hit the upright after a Swieqi defensive blunder.

Swieqi dominated the final minutes of the match but failed to snatch an equaliser.

Mgarr U: J. Borg, K. Caruana, P. Fenech (M. Mifsud), J. Ebejer (B. Said), V. Petrovic, J. Gauci, K. Vella, A. Aquilina, M. Deguara, R. Marmara (Z. Vella), C. Abela.

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

Referee: Sandro Spiteri

Mtarfa 1

Qrendi 1

A dominant Mtarfa side failed to beat Qrendi in an entertaining match between two sides hovering in the lower places of the table. Mtarfa were always on the attack but were hesitant and sometimes unlucky in front of goal and had to settle for a point.

Mtarfa had more of the ball in the first half but the first real danger came from Qrendi when the Mtarfa goalkeeper made a great save off a Joseph Ellul header.

On 23 minutes Mtarfa missed a sitter through Omar Smeir who shot wide from an ideal position.

Mtarfa had near misses with shots from Doda and Smeir but on 38 minutes, against the run of play, Qrendi took the lead. Mark Ellul nipped in between a defender and goalkeeper Sammut to head home after a series of defensive blunders.

On the resumption, Mtarfa went close with a Doda header and drew level on 51 minutes with a Shaun Peplow scorcher finishing at the back of the net.

Mtarfa were now constantly on the attack and were unlucky on 69 minutes when a Haruna Doda header smashed against the upright.

On 75 minutes Brian Zammit saved a Smier dipper with the help of the crossbar.

Mtarfa: K. Sammut, J. Fenech, R. Sammut, J. Azzopardi, R. Zammit, J. Mwema Munjad, S. Peplow, H. Doda, F. Azzopardi (L. Vella), G. Cumbo, O. Smeir.

Qrendi: B. Zammit, B. Demicoli, L. Schembri (L. Magri), S. Galea (G. Azzopardi), A. Formosa, L. Vidal, J. Camilleri, M. Farrugia, M. Ellul, J. Ellul, A. Muscat (K. Azzopardi)

Referee: Glenn Tonna