Zejtun C                1
Qormi                    0

A goal by substitute Ryan Dalli decided this top of the table clash, with Zejtun moving second over Pieta, who have a game in hand, and with leaders Qormi obliged to pstpone their promotion celebrations.

Zejtun fully deserved their victory as they were the better team in the second half, after a balanced first fourty five minutes.

The match played in front of a very good crowd never reached high standards, but was still entertaining to watch.

Qormi were the better team in the opening phase and on eight minutes a Vukovic header was partially saved by Zarb and from the rebound Gusman's effort was blocked by Camilleri. On fifteen minutes a caetano Da Silva shot sailed over the bar.Zejtun's first attempt came after a good solo move by Adam Smeir with his shot missing the base of the upright by a whisker. On the other end a Yannick Yankam drive was well saved by Zarb.

On 33 minutes Zejtun were rather unlucky when an El Hussieny drive from the edge of the area finished against the base of the upright. Some minutes later the same El Hussieny tried his luck from a distance with the ball just over the bar.

At the start of the second half Zejtun had two scoring opportunities with shots from Adam Smeir sailing over the bar. The match was rather scrappy after these two attempts and only came to life on 74 minutes when Jamie Azzopardi made a brilliant save off an El Hussieny freekick.

Nine minutes from time Zejtun forged ahead thanks to a great strike from substitute Ryan Dalli with the ball finishing in the top corner of the net. Four minutes later Zejtun almost doubled the score with a well orchestrated move finished by Carabott with his shot just over the bar.

Żejtun C: D. Zarb, A. Carabott, N. Tabone, C. Giordemaina, J. A. Castano (A. Scozzese 83 min), D. Albanese, G. Sultana (R. Dalli 73 min), B. Farrugia, A. Smeir, O. Elhussieny (J. Sato 80 min), Y. Camilleri.

Qormi: J. Azzopardi, B. Grech (C. Vella 53 min), L. Adamec, Y. Yankam, L. Busuttil (S. Zammit 86 min), J. Caetano da Silva, A. Abela, A. Cassar, D. Vukovic, T. Gusman (J. Salaroli 61 min), M. Camilleri.

Referee: Fyodor Zammit 

Zebbug burst San Gwann’s bubble

Zebbug R              3
San Gwann          1

San Gwann's impressive eight-match winning streak came to a cropper yesterday as Zebbug had the better in an entertaining match.Zebbug fully deserved this victory and have now moved over the same San Gwann in the table, with a slim hope of fighting for a third place finish.

Zebbug took the lead on 14 minutes when the San gwann defence failed to clear a Miguel Attard cross and Leighton Grech was on hand to hit home from an ideal position. But seven minutesd later San Gwann were back on level terms when Sergio Hili scored direct from a freekick.

After these goals the match was very balanced with Zebbug however having the better scoring opportunities, with an Arilson Mello da Silva freekick and a Leighton Grech shot, both saved by the San Gwann custodian Emmanuel Bartolo.

Four minutes into the second half Zebbug were back in front when Arilson Mello da Silva pounced on a San Gwann defensive lapse to finish off in style with a precise lob.San Gwann failed to react and Zebbug almost made it three on 77 minutes with a Leighton Grech effort brilliantly saved by Bartolo.

In the dying minutes San Gwann pushed desperately forward in a rather confused manner and only tested Farrugia with a Lopes de Souza header.

In stoppage time Zebbug sealed the issue when Curmi was brought down by Bartolo, with the San Gwann even shown the red card.

From the penalty spot substitute Larson Mallia made no mistake.  

Żebbuġ R: J. Farrugia, M. Attard, G. Camilleri, S. Schembri, M. Bonnici, F. Guzman, R. da Silva Gomes, C. Gauci, A. Curmi, A. Mello da Silva (L. Mallia 83 min), L. Grech (L. Gatt 90 min).

San Gwann: E. Bartolo, M. Andres Arieta Suarez, R. Zammit, G. Henshaw, T. Lopes de Souza, A. Borg (N. Abouhaisa 83 min), K. Gatt (D. Fenech 74 min), J. Azzopardi, A. Cachia, S. Hili, C. Gauci.

Referee: Matthew De Gabriele 

Zabbar earn precious point against Mqabba

Mqabba                0
Zabbar SP            0

Zabbar earned a precious point against promotion aspirants Mqabba in a balanced and keenly contested match. Zabbar held the edge in the first half but Mqabba came back strongly on the resumption, but failed to obtain a winner.

The result dents Mqabba’s hopes of making it to the Premier, but on the other hand the result could prove to be fundamental for Zabbar in their relegation struggle.

Mqabba had the game in their hands in the opening minutes but were rarely effective in front of goal. Zabbar took some time to settle down, but had the first attempt at goal on 18 minutes when Diacono crossed towards Dylan Micallef whose header from an ideal position was well saved by Debono.

The same goalkeeper was outstanding five minutes later when he again denied Dylan Micallef who almost deceived the goalkeeper direct from the corner flag. Zabbar were now all over the place and Debono came again to his side’s rescue saving a close range header from Camilleri following a Pace Briffa freekick.

On 31 minuta Mqabba had their first real danger, and it was a glorious chance missed by Shawn Darmanin who miskicked with an open goal at his mercy, following a godd Chimezie run. On 33 minutes Debono was again outstanding diving to save a Karl Sacco header. Two minutes from the break Zabbar goalie Grech made a great save off a Paul Chimezie drive.

On the resumption Mqabba were unlucky when a Paul Chimezie shot hit the upright on 61 minutes. Eight minutes later Chimezie was put through in front of goal but his effort was blocked by Grech with Trebovac hitting wide the rebound.

Mqabba pushed everything forward in the remaining minutes but failed to obtain a winner.

Mqabba: J. Debono, G. Gesualdi, N. Ojuala, M. Borg (R. Tanti 68 min), K. Cutajar, S. Darmanin, P. Chimezie, M. Ciantar (L. Micallef 68 min), M. Del Negro, B. Muscat, A. Saindou Ahamd (T. Trebovac 59 min).

Żabbar SP: J. Grech, K. Borg, K. Cutajar, S. Diacono, C. Camilleri, D. Micallef (C. Magro 68 min), G. Adamo (D. Pace 80 min), K. Sacco, S. Cesare, S. Pace Briffa, N. Silva (C. Stewart 51 min)

Referee: Emannuel Grech

Pembroke move to safer waters

Pembroke A    2
Qrendi             1

Pembroke beat Qrendi with two first half goals to earn an important victory that lands them in safer waters. Pembroke wrapped the match in the first half scoring an early goal through Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and doubled the score just before the break through Priso.

However Qrendi, who have nothing more to claim in their first ever experience in this category, gave a very good figth in the second half, pushing Pembroke inside their own half and going close on several occassions. They managed to pull one back late in the game but failed to snatch an equaliser to suffer the seventh defeat of the season.

Qrendi had the first chance with a Santos da Hora grounder just missing the base of the upright. Two minutes later Pembroke broke the deadlock when Misan passed towards Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza who slotted home from close range.

Qrendi falied to react and Pembroke controlled the match with ease till the 37th minute when the Pembroke goalkeeper was called in action to save long range effort from da Hora. Just before the break Pembroke doubled the score when Njongo Priso’s shot was partially saved by the Qrendi goalkeeper and from the rebound the same Priso fired home.

Qrendi took full control of the match in the second half but only scored on 82 minutes when they were awarded a penalty for a handling infringement, a penalty that was converted in style by Dhonatthan Santos da Hora.

Pembroke A: K. Gerada, C. Alves de Souza, M.A. Borg, Z. Grech, A. Hili, M. Mifsud, D. Cachia (N. Grech 81 min), T. Fenech, N. Priso (A. Giloga 90 min), J.P. Mifsud Triganza, I. Misan.

Qrendi: J. Azzopardi, D. Zarb, D. Martini (J.C. Martins da Silva 54 min), E. Amaira, A. Agius, K. Abela, S. Nakmura, D. Sammut, Z. Bowman, D. Santos da Hora, T. D’Amato.

Referee: Ishmael Barbara