Saints salvage a draw

St George's 2
Senglea Athletics 2

Neighbouring rivals St George's and Senglea yesterday shared the spoils in a game that only came to life in the second half. Saints substitute Johann Spiteri scored the equaliser two minutes into stoppage time to save the leaders from defeat.

Senglea looked on their way to avenge the 2-0 first-round defeat to St George's but their defence failed to hold on until the final whistle.

The game was played in front of one of the biggest crowds of the season at the Tedesco Stadium.

Senglea came to this match with the intention of halting St George's' stride. They defended en masse even when St George's finished playing with nine players late in the match.

St George's had the first sniff of goal when a Jesmond Delia free-kick was headed just wide by Anthony Bonello. A minute later Senglea opened the score. A Mark Marlow shot was half-cleared by goalkeeper Andrea Gatt, the ball rolled into the path of Jason Borg, whose half volley gave the Saints no.1 no chance.

St George's tried in vain to level matters. Just before the break Anthony Ewurun burst through the Senglea rearguard but his inviting cross was missed by a couple of his colleagues.

The Saints did equalise in the 56th minute when from a Trevor Thomas cross Bonello jumped high to head home.

But Senglea regained the lead in the 69th minute thanks to a Simon Aquilina goal from a corner.

Clive Brincat, of St George's, was sent off after this goal as he tried to confront Senglea midfielder Leonid McKay.

Although with 10 men St George's held control of the match and again put Senglea under pressure with Ewurun missing two opportunities in the space of four minutes.

There was little space for 'fair play' as tension rose high in the crucial stages of the match.

At one point, the ball was rolled out of play for an injured player to receive treatment but instead the Saints resumed play with Trevor Thomas shooting just over with most players static.

It was all drama at the end as St George's had to continue with nine men when Miguel Mifsud sustained an injury and all substitutions were effected.

But Spiteri kept the Saints on track with a last-gasp equaliser after controlling the ball inside the Senglea box.

St George's: A. Gatt, J. Delia, E. Sevasta, A. Bonello, E. Degabriele (L. Lagana), C. Grech, P. Muscat (J. Spiteri), C. Brincat, K. Darmanin (M. Mifsud), A. Ewurun, T. Thomas.

Senglea: G. Attard, L. Attard, D. Cosaitis, S. Aquilina, D. Grech (K. Abela), M. Marlow, L. McKay, C. Caruana, E. Azzopardi, G. Bonello, J. Borg.

Referee: Lorry Sammut.

Tarxien Rainbows 2
Lija Athletic 0

Tarxien consolidated their second place in the standings after beating Lija thanks to two fine second-half goals. Without setting any houses on fire, Tarxien just about deserved their win as they were technically the better side, particularly after the break.

With Alan Tabone, Andre Rocha Da Silva and Simon Shead in form, the game swayed in favour of Jesmond Zerafa's side leaving Lija to fight for survival.

At first, the Rainbows were a shadow of the side that saw them winning games and push hard for promotion. They could have taken the lead as early as the eighth minute when Tabone tested Jonathan Vella from the edge of the area, with the Lija keeper saving well for a corner as the ball looked destined to hit the net.

Although the game was scrappy Tarxien were always technically the better side. In the 19th minute Shead could have done better but shot wide with the goal at his mercy after pouncing on a Lija defender's mistake.

A minute before the break a throughball caught the Tarxien players unawares but Gatt shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Tarxien were still finding the going tough against a well-organised Lija defence after the break but carved out a breakthrough on 65 minutes when Tabone crossed from the right and Shead headed into the left-hand corner of Vella's goal.

Lija tried to save the match and pushed more men forward but were too erratic, especially in their crosses.

They surely went close though on 75 minutes when a John Camilleri header, following a free-kick, was saved in style by Anthony Curmi.

Tarxien, however, put the game beyond Lija's reach five minutes from time when Tabone curled home a calibrated free-kick into the back of the net.

Tarxien: A. Curmi, F. Farrugia (C. Camenzuli), G. Cutajar, E. Saliba, J. Tonna, K. Zammit, M. Micallef, S. Shead (M. Caruana), A. Tabone, K. Coleiro (O. Grech), A. Rocha Da Silva.

Lija: J. Vella, J. Cauchi, J.P. Scerri (B. Lowell), D. Scerri, M. Gatt, J. Camilleri (A. Ellul), R. Farrugia, N. Gatt, P. Camilleri, Z. Anicic, B. Antignolo (G. Cala-bretta).

Referee: Andre Arciola.