Naxxar beat Rabat 3-1 to go second

Naxxar Lions 3
Rabat Ajax 1

Naxxar had the better of lowly Rabat yesterday to leapfrog neighbours Lija into the runners-up position in the standings behind St Patrick.

Massimo Cremona's team played with 10 players for several minutes and had to come from behind to beat a never-say-die Rabat who looked good enough to produce an upset.

The Ajax, with a couple of regulars missing, were the brighter side in the opening half. They attacked for long stretches but were erratic in front of goal. They did take the lead after 10 minutes when Joseph Farrugia's perfect throughball came Engoya Onesime's way and the ball was shot past Psaila in the Naxxar goal.

The Magpies continued to press forward as Naxxar suffered a serious blow on 27 minutes when Dean Gera was sent off for dissent, an infringement spotted by the assistant referee.

Despite playing with a man less, the Lions equalised on 38 minutes when Chima Dozie's shot took a deflection to deceive goalkeeper George Edwards - 1-1.

Naxxar almost went into the break 2-1 up but Michael Gatt's drive was cleared off the line by Jonathan Bezzina.

Naxxar did go ahead 12 minutes after the restart when Dozie, released by Spiteri, showed tremendous pace before rounding Edwards and placing inside an empty net.

Two minutes later Rabat's Christian Muscat was red-carded for retaliation and with numerical equality Naxxar went on to seal the match with a third goal on 70 minutes.

Dozie, who was tripped in the box, scored from the ensuing penalty.

With four matches to go the race for promotion is hotting up to a tense finale. At the other end, however, Rabat already seemed destined to lower grade football next season.

Naxxar: P. Psaila, K. Fenech, R. Schembri, G. Mock, P. Sixsmith, P. Fenech, R. Spiteri (C. Mifsud), Ivan Zammit (T. Fenech), C. Dozie, M. Gatt (Ismael Zammit), D. Gera.

Rabat: G. Edwards, A. Borg, J. Bezzina, M. Micallef, J. Tonna, R. Camilleri (A. Smeir), A. Zahra, C. Muscat, D. Galea (J. Caruana), J. Farrugia, U. Engoya Onesime.

Referee: J.R. Attard.

San Gwann 0
Mqabba 3

Despite having three key players missing from their line-up yesterday, Edwin Gauci, Edmund Lufi and Marco Catania, Mqabba were still strong enough to beat San Gwann and maintain their promotion hopes alive.

San Gwann, after an encouraging start, are now languishing in the red zone very close to a quick return to Division Two football next season.

Perhaps, a 3-0 scoreline was too harsh on them but their opponents' deadly partnership of Chibueze and Muscat was back to form yesterday, giving the San Gwann rearguard a torrid time at the Hibs Ground.

Albert Busuttil also had a fine performance for the winners. Had there been a man-of-the-match accolade that would have surely gone to him.

Mqabba showed their best qualities in the opening half, giving San Gwann little chance to settle down and share the exchanges. Anthony Garzia's team took the lead after 14 minutes when Marlon Briffa spotted goalkeeper Justin Spiteri a few metres off his line and dipped the ball in the Saints' net.

San Gwann had a Karl Sciberras strike that almost had the better of goalkeeper Kris Calleja but then it was all Mqabba who could have doubled their lead on more than one occasion before the break only for their forwards to let them down in their finishing.

Mqabba did make it 2-0 after 66 minutes. Keith Mallia found Chibueze free in the opponents' box and the Nigerian easily tapped the ball home.

Igor Stefanovic then launched a series of raids for San Gwann on the Mqabba goal but Calleja was solid in his play to maintain a clean sheet.

Eight minutes from time, the Saints hopes were quashed when from a quick counter-break Chibueze made it 3-0... it was his 17th goal of the season.

San Gwann: J. Spiteri, A. Gatt (A. Gambin), G. Magri, A. Saliba, C. Agius, C. Cuschieri, J. Achokwu, K. Loughborough (R. Caruana), K. Sciberras, M. Psaila (A. Decesare), I. Stefanovic.

Mqabba: K. Calleja (J. Debono), R. Farrugia, A. Busuttil, M. Gauci, M.A. Psaila, J.P. Muscat (C. Calleja), M. Briffa (E. Borg), K. Mallia, M. Borg, I. Chibueze, A. Formosa.

Referee: Joe Attard.