Lija A 1

Pieta H 0

Lija Athletic played a very good game yesterday to beat a below par Pieta with a late Ige goal, a goal that puts Melita amongst the elite of Maltese football after a 48-year wait.

Lija dominated the match from start to finish and fully deserved their victory with Ige playing a great match. Lija looked dominant from the first touches of the game and had efforts from Ige and Scicluna slightly missing the target.

On twelve minutes a Benoir Fenech header slightly missed the target, but seven minutes later Pieta had their best chance of the whole game when Pereira Dos Santos failed to beat Ini from an acute angle with the Lija custodian saving with his feet.

Two minutes later Lija hit back with Gilbert Camilleri pasing towards Beu whose close range effort was blocked by Montfort. In the dying stages of the first half Lija were unlucky when an Ige header was cleared off the goal line by defender Clive Spiteri.

On the resumption Pieta had a very good opportunity with Jurgen Pisani hitting the side netting after a Giaccaglia cross. On the other end Beu’s central drive was blocked by Montfort and an Ige shot went off target.

On 65 minutes Giaccaglia passed towards Terence Agius who tried to lob the ball over Ini who saved in style. On 75 minutes Ige made his way on the left flank and passed towards Gilbert Camilleri who missed a sitter with only Montfort to beat.

Three minutes later Lija went close again with an Ige header blocked on the goal line by Cleaven Cassar. Seven minutes from time Lija took a deserved lead when Benoir Fenech passed towards Ige who dribbled past a defender before beating Montfort with a low shot.

Pieta had nothing to offer and in stoppage time Lija could have added a second one when Matthew Fleri Soler hit the post with a shot from just inside the penalty area.

Lija A E. Ini, C. Giordemaina, T. Fleri Soler, D. Scerri, E. Beu, G. Camilleri (D. Mintoff), B. Camilleri (C. Ciantar), B. Fenech, A. Scicluna, M. Fleri Soler, A. Ige (E. Borg).

Pieta H M. Montfort, C. Spiteri, E. Giaccaglia, Q. Refalo, T. Agius, V. Pereira Dos Santos, L.Mallia (Z. Muscat), C. Cassar (C. Attard), J. Zarate, J. Pisani (K. Cutajar), I. Grech

Referee Karl Frendo Cumbo