Lija A 1
Melita 1
Melita and Lija had to settle for a point each with two late goals in the game after a drab first half. The second half was played at a better pace with Melita heading for victory when they forged ahead minutes from time, but deep in stoppage time Lija earned a dramatic winner.
The match had a long stop half way through the second half as the Lija goalkeeper suffered a serious injury after colliding with team mate Benoir Fenech.
The first half was a boring affair with very few scoring chances. Lija had more of the ball but they never really tested goalkeeper Matthew Sapiano. Melita had a couple of attempts late in the first half with a Sierra Camacho header slightly missing the target and a Simon Galea first timer going over the bar.
Just before the break Lija had an Evano Brifa dangerous freekick but Saccao and Ige failed to connect in front of goal.
Melita were more aggressive in the second half and missed a couple of good chances with Luke Micallef an Terpougoff. Lija hit back with shots from Ige which were all saved by Sapiano.
Two minutes from time Melita forged ahead when Terpougoff crossed towards Luke Micallef whose shot on the turn beat Ini in the Lija goal. This was Melita’s golden moment as they should have easily wrapped up the match with further goals, but Luke Micallef, and Kane Micallef missed easy chances in front of goal.
On 96 minutes Michael Martin missed another sitter for melita when he miskicked with an open goal at his mercy. A minute later Lija obtained a dramatic equalizer when Gilbert Camilleri shot home a beauty direct from a freekick to slavage a point for relegation worried Lija.
Lija A J. Caruana (E.A. Ini), C. Giordimaina, T. Fleri Soler, D, Scerri, E. Briffa (B. Camilleri), A. Sacco (D. Mintoff), B. Fenech, A. Scicluna, G. Camilleri, M. Fleri Soler, AA. Ige
Melita M. Sappiano, M.R. Sierra Camacho, G. Gribbon, M. Martin, M. Borg, N. Baldacchino (T. Terpougoff), M. Valenzia (K. Micallef), L. Micallef, K. Vella Petroni, S. Galea (A. Galea Scicluna), J. Vukanic
Referee Esther Azzopardi