St Andrew's maintain pace after beating Magpies 2-0

St Andrew's 2
Rabat Ajax 0

St Andrew's made it three wins from four matches to go top of the league, one point ahead of Gżira United who have a game in hand.

No team was able to impose any kind of supremacy in the opening stages but on 17 minutes the Saints broke the deadlock when David Cuschieri headed in from a Michael Ellul free-kick.

The Saints held the initiative and a Neil Chetcuti free-kick was saved by Azzopardi. Eight minutes from half-time, the Rabat keeper again did well when stopping a point-blank effort from Michael Calleja.

Rabat dictated the run of play in the second half but it was the Saints who created the real scoring opportunities, mainly through Kurt Coleiro.

The Magpies were thwarted by Gauci who stopped a David Azzopardi free-kick and efforts by Smeir, Alan Zahra and Carmel Tonna finished just wide.

Rabat maintained the pressure but deep into stoppage time Calleja sealed the issue for the Saints with a timely goal following an inviting cross by Nicky Vella Petroni.

St Andrew's: R. Gauci, N. Chetcuti, B. Diacono, P. Briscoe White, J. Bugeja, M. Calleja, A. Debono, M. Ellul (M. Valenzia), K. Coleiro (N. Vella Petroni), M. Grima, D. Cuschieri (K. Galea).

Rabat: J. Azzopardi, N. Caruana, C. Schembri, A. Mifsud, A. Zahra (M. Micallef), A. Smeir, D. Galea, A. Wingfield (L. Portelli), E. Muscat, C. Tonna (F. Schembri), D. Azzopardi.

Referee: Duncan Sultana.

Senglea Athletic 0
Żurrieq 3

Iro Curmi's Żurrieq obtained their first win of the season in a match they dominated for long stretches.

Striker Daniel Zammit was the Reds' main protagonist as he led the side to victory with a hat-trick.

After a period of sustained balance, Żurrieq shot into the lead when Zammit finished off some good work by Clive Shumba.

Bjorn Dalli and Samuel Cassar had their efforts stopped by the Żurrieq keeper and at the other end a Dino Bonnici free-kick just missed the target.

Żurrieq held the initiative after the break and doubled their lead on 51 minutes, this time Zammit hitting in past goalkeeper George Attard from the edge of the penalty area.

Senglea were nowhere to be seen and Żurrieq continued to create the better chances.

Nine minutes from time Zammit sealed a perfect day for him and his team with a third goal after a perfect service from Jason Saliba.

Senglea: G. Attard, B. Zerafa, S. Cassar, H. Hughes, E. Azzopardi, D. Grech, A. Sciortino (D. Tonna), J. Abela (D. Zahra), K. Galea, B. Dalli, C. Borg (O. Ellul).

Żurrieq: J. Azzopardi, D. Zammit (A. Gove), D. Bellizzi, A. Barbara, D. Bonnici, M. Spiteri (L. Vella), J. Saliba, C. Shumba (L. Zammit), O. Ogun, Joh. Briffa, C. Gatt.

Referee: Andrew James Sammut.

Sta Venera 0
Żebbuġ Rangers 1

Żebbuġ Rangers also chalked up their first win of the season with Marlon Vella scoring the all-important goal four minutes from time.

The opening stages belonged to Sta Venera. They were twice very close through Stefan Farrugia and Jeffrey Zammit whose shots were saved by promising Rangers goalkeeper Brandon Bartolo.

Gradually, Żebbuġ started coming more into the picture. Mark Deguara was just off target and a Joseph Mercieca shot almost had the better of Azzopardi in the Saints' goal.

Balance prevailed after the change of ends with both sets of defenders giving very little away and closing all gaps to their goal.

Lightnings midfielder Glen Micallef shot just wide and veteran striker Nenad Veselji almost marked his debut with a goal for the Saints who kept pushing for an opener.

However, Rangers held tight and on 86 minutes a shot by Anthony Lagana was partially blocked by Azzopardi but Vella was on hand to ram in the match-winner.

In added time Micallef was a whisker away from an equaliser but his shot bounced off the bar.

Sta Venera: F. Azzopardi, G. Magri, M. Muscat, D. Zuccaro, R. Borg, A. Ellul, S. Farrugia, I. Zammit (D. Calleja), J. Zammit (M. Ebejer), G. Micallef, N. Veselji.

Żebbuġ: B. Bartolo, J. Mercieca, K. Farrugia, J. Saliba, R. Ellul, J. Cilia, G. Saliba, S. Calleja, A. Lagana, M. Deguara (G. Scerri), M. Vella (E. Calleja).

Referee: Thomas Debono.

Lija Athletic 2
Gozo FC 0

Two Beppe Antignolo goals earned Lija a useful victory over Gozo FC who were outplayed after the break after an encouraging first-half show.

Luka Desira Buttigieg hit badly for Lija when all alone in front of goal and Keith Darmanin headed just wide from a cross by Andre Scicluna.

The Gozitans hit back with a Charles Hili attempt that was cleared off the goal line.

Lija were seeing more of the ball but Gozo never lost composure and hit Lija on the break, a shot by Kenneth Mercieca almost reaching the desired target.

On another occasion, the Lija keeper made a fine save to deny Hili but in added time Antignolo opened the score with a grounder after his first shot had come off the woodwork.

Lija almost made the game safe soon after the interval but a Darmanin shot hit the post.

Marco Gerada, the Lija coach, was sent off for protests but his players maintained control and on 69 minutes another attempt by Antignolo was cleared off the goal line by Gozitan defender Peter Buttigieg.

Antignolo made the points safe for Lija late on with a second goal that was followed by a red card to Gozo's Christopher Sciortino.

Lija: L. Bonnici, M. Mangion, L. Lagana (A. Spiteri), D. Scerri, L. Desira Buttigieg (D. Cremona), L. Cilia (E. Azzopardi), K. Darmanin, J.P. Scerri, T. Saliba, A. Scicluna, B. Antignolo.

Gozo FC: J. Grech, J. Cefai, J. Buttigieg (O. Farrugia), P. Buttigieg, S. Attard (C. Bugeja), B. Meilaq, K. Mercieca, C. Hili (R. Grech), C. Sciortino, J. Vella, R. Buttigieg.

Referee: Sandro Spiteri.