Dingli Swallows promoted

Dingli Swallows 2
Zebbug Rangers 0

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Despite having six regular players missing, Dingli Swallows were still good enough to beat strugglers Zebbug Rangers and clinch promotion to Division One.

George Saliba, who is on loan at Dingli from Zebbug, put the Swallows ahead with a superb drive on 19 minutes. Rangers came back strongly and five minutes later were awarded a penalty for a foul on Eric Sciberras. However, captain Gordon Mallia shot wide from the spot.

Zebbug wasted another glaring opportunity through Rodney Bugeja and a Keith Farrugia free-kick sailed just over the Dingli goal. Sci-berras was unlucky not to equalise early in the second half when his effort hit the post.

Zebbug's hopes were cut short 20 minutes from time when Jason Cachia rifled home their second. Jonathan Sapiano came close to hit a third goal for Dingli when his shot finished just wide of the far post.

Dingli: M. Abela, A. Portelli, D. Roe (M. Micallef), E. Casha, C. Ciappara (J. Sapiano), R. Farrugia, J. Zammit (J. Micallef), V. Fiteni, G. Saliba, J. Cachia, C. Scicluna.

Zebbug: D. Galea, R. Attard, K. Farrugia, J. Mallia, K. Xuereb, E. Cachia (M. Ciantar), A. Ciantar, R. Bugeja, E. Sciberras, G. Mallia (N. Francalanza), J. Felice (C. Borg).

Referee: Darren Calleja.

Mellieha 3
Lija Athletic 2

Mellieha scored two second-half goals to seal a comeback win over Lija and put themselves just one step away from promotion with only two matches to go.

After 18 minutes the northerners opened the score when Wayne Borg St John curled the ball past a surprised Lija goalkeeper Luke Bonnici with a calibrated free-kick.

Lija hit back immediately and drew level nine minutes before half-time. Antignolo set up Gera who cooly slotted the ball home.

Gera struck again on 41 minutes to put Lija 2-1 in front after heading in from routine distance.

Mellieha looked stunned and it took them several minutes after the interval to regain composure. They restored equilibrium on 73 minutes when Hubert Vella scored from a Borg St John cross.

Tarik almost hit Mellieha's third a minute later but seven minutes from time he was not to be denied after pouncing on some poor Lija defending to strike home the winner.

Mellieha: D. Vella, W. Borg, W. Buttigieg, K. Gauci (M. Borg), D. Fenech (L. Cauchi), R. Vella, W. Borg St John, I. Tarik, H. Vella, C. Borg, D. Cauchi.

Lija: L. Bonnici, M. Mangion, A. Ellul (B. Lowell), G. Lanzon (C. Lanzon), D. Scerri, C. Ciantar, D. Cremona, G. Barry, N. Gatt, A. Gera (A. Pendry), B. Antignolo.

Referee: Glen Tonna.

Gudja United 1
Melita 4

Melita consolidated their mid-table position after beating the already-relegated Gudja United in a one-sided match.

In the first half, Joseph Vassallo twice came close to putting Melita ahead as Gudja goalkeeper Glen Zammit did well to stop efforts from Johan Mifsud and Kane Micallef.

Melita finally forced a breakthrough on 34 minutes when Micallef finished off a Mark Hyzler move. It was 2-0 a minute later, this time Michael Martin beat Xerxen with a shot from outside the box.

Melita never relented and Micallef headed the third goal on 53 minutes. Julian Galea made it 4-0 and 12 minutes from time Carlos Scicluna scored a consolation goal for Gudja.

Gudja: G. Zammit (M. Xerxen), C. Baldacchino, M. Galea, J. Zahra (R. Caruana), B. Testaferrata, E. Gauci, R. Micallef (M. Bugeja) C. Grech, L. Falzon, C. Scicluna, T. Vella.

Melita: M. Sapiano, J. Mifsud, M. Mamo (N. Attard), D. Gravino (M. Galea), C. Mifsud Bonnici, M. Martin, M. Hyzler, J. Galea, G. Gribbon, J. Vassallo (S. Galea), K. Micallef.

Referee: Duncan Sultana.

St Andrews 2
Birzebbuga St Peter's 2

St Andrews were on their way to a vital win last weekend but a defensive blunder cost them dearly as Birzebbuga struck a last-gasp equaliser.

Interested onlookers Sta Venera were the happier at the final whistle as now they are sure of Division Two football next season.

St Andrews were awarded a penalty for a foul on Adrian Galea after six minutes.

Goalkeeper Frederick Tabone stepped up for the kick and made no mistake from the spot.

Birzebbuga were close to an equaliser through Noel Tabone and Vince Camilleri and at the other end St Andrews created two clear opportunities through Ian Borg. But on 37 minutes, the southerners drew level following a Neville Farrugia goal.

St Andrews had a Jonathan Briscoe White 'goal' annulled for offside but five minutes later Patrick Briscoe White scored following a cross by Edward Hili.

St Andrews were the better team for most of the second half but the unexpected happened deep into stoppage time when Farrugia was first to react in the St Andrews box before hitting home the equaliser.

St Andrews: F. Tabone, N. Chetcuti (N. Micallef), E. Hili, J. Sank, S. Falzon, A. Galea (S. Sammut), P. Briscoe White, J. Briscoe White, I. Borg, J. Gatt Coleiro, Ad. Galea (K. Camilleri).

Birzebbuga: L. Fardell, K. Farrugia, R. Farrugia (J.P. Barbara), B. Darmanin, L. Burke, D. Baldacchino (M. Ciappara), J. Cassar, N. Tabone (J. Galea), A. Muscat, V. Camilleri, N. Farrugia.

Referee: Mario Apap.

Division Three

Xghajra Tornadoes 0
Qrendi 0

Qrendi dropped two points in their bid to qualify for the play-offs after a goalless draw against lowly Xghajra.

Qrendi tried hard to find a way through but somehow shots by Kurt Grima and Anthony Galea never reached the desired destination. Xghajra keeper Keith Galea was also in fine form to keep his net intact throughout the match.

Despite Qrendi's territory supremacy, Xghajra still had their chances and almost snatched the points late on but a Neil Attard shot flashed just wide.

Xghajra: K. Galea, M. Magro (J. Cachia), D. Axisa, F. Mizzi, B. Magro, A. Muscat, M. Portelli, A. Azzopardi, J. Abela, M. Drago (A. Agius), N. Attard.

Qrendi: K. Camilleri, R. Galea, M. Grech, A. Galea, S. Sacco, S. Vella, J. Azzopardi, W. Fenech (K. Agius I), K. Grima, J. Mercieca (K. Agius II), T. Farrugia.

Referee: Aaron Fenech.

Fgura United 0
Sirens 0

This top-of-the-table clash ended all-square as both sides failed to find a way through. Sirens are second in the standings but Fgura slipped to fourth as they were leapfrogged by Zurrieq.

After ten minutes Sirens keeper Glen Buttigieg did well to stop a Clint Ellul shot. Sirens had a Kenneth Zammit free-kick which was saved with difficulty by Ranier Farrugia.

Both sides looked more adventurous after the break and scoring chances were created at both ends of the pitch.

Fgura had two close opportunities through Aldo Pace and Clint Ellul and in the 76th minute Farrugia denied Sirens again off a shot by Kristian Galea.

The Fgura keeper was outstanding in the last few minutes when he made two excellent saves to keep out efforts by Mark Camilleri and Galea.

Fgura: R. Farrugia, I. Cassar, N. Bonello, C. Camilleri, E. Lia, J. Borg (A. Pace), D. Said, C. Ellul, M. Spiteri, S. Felice, V. Testaferrata.

Sirens: G. Buttigieg, K. Zammit, G. Magri, C. Muscat, K. Galea, E. Bonnici, P. Barbara (J. Mercieca), A. Galea, R. Bonett (R. Theuma), M. Camilleri, C. Grech (V. Saliba).

Referee: Sammy Attard.

Luqa St Andrews 0
Zurrieq 1

This was another fine performance by Zurrieq who are still in the running for promotion but Luqa are now out of contention.

After going close through Jason Saliba, Zurrieq managed to break the deadlock in the 23rd minute through Robert Bajada. He took advantage of an error by Luqa custodian John Agius to score the goal that mattered.

Zurrieq had a Matthew Genuis free-kick bouncing off the woodwork with Luqa's reaction producing close attempts by Randolph Penza and Chris Penza.

In the opening minutes of the second half both teams ended up with ten players when the referee red carded Adrian Psaila (Luqa) and Robert Bajada (Zurrieq) in separate incidents.

Luqa pressed hard for an equaliser but Zurrieq closed all avenues to their goal to preserve their slim lead.

Luqa: J. Agius, C. Penza, N. Falzon, N. Zammit, O. Cutajar, E. Cumbo, R. Penza, M. Said (C. Farrugia), A. Pirrone (C. Caruana), O. Psaila, A. Psaila.

Zurrieq: J. Azzopardi, C. Gatt, J. Lia, J. Camilleri, K. Sacco, J. Saliba, M. Abdilla (L. Zammit), G. Chetcuti (J. Farrugia, C. Shomba), D. Zammit, M. Genuis, R. Bajada.

Referee: Fyodor Zammit.

Sta Lucija 1
Attard 6

On Monday, Attard won a direct clash between two teams occupying a low position in the league table.

The result meant that Ta' Xbiex will have to re-apply next season to take part in Division Three.

Andrew Agius, Fabian Cutajar (2) and Mark Saliba put Attard 4-1 ahead at the break after Christian Curmi had pulled one back for the Saints on 39 minutes.

The second half was a mere formality with Attard hitting two other goals through Daniel Agius and Elon Cassar.

Sta Lucija: D. Cachia, A. Sciortino (O. Magri), C. Cutajar, L. Portelli, S. Lanzon, R. Agius, J. Portelli, T. Micallef, J. Catania, J. Grioli (P. Bugeja), C. Curmi.

Attard: O. Formosa, A. Gambin, D. Agius (K. Zahra), M. Buttigieg, S. Mizzi (M. Cauchi), F. Cutajar, J. Axisa, A. Agius, M. Saliba, E. Cassar, L. Borg (D. Haber).

Referee: Thomas Debono.

Zejtun Corinthians 0
Gharghur 6

Gharghur played the better football as they chalked up their eighth win of the season. The hat-trick scored by Lawrence Vella means that he is once again the leading scorer with 15 goals.

Wayne Mallia opened the score after only two minutes and Vella doubled his team's lead on the half-hour mark.

Gharghur sustained the pressure after the change of ends with Vella making it 3-0 on 72 minutes and two minutes later Christian Glass headed in a fourth goal.

Gharghur added two further goals late on through Vella and Mallia.

Zejtun: M. Mifsud, C. Bonnici, S. Debono Grech, O. Carabott, E. Caruana, B. Grech, D. Falzon, M. Gerada, G. Mifsud, A. Portelli (A. Barbara), G. Azzopardi Busuttil.

Gharghur: G. Edwards, D. Galea, C. Dingli (D. Borg), A. Cachia, A. Yeomans, C. Glass, C. Mifsud (M. Sant), L. Vella, W. Mallia, R. Cassar, J. Bonello (R. Debattista).

Referee: Alexei Tabone.