St Andrew's and Lija win but Maroons lose pace

Rabat Ajax 1
St Andrew's 2

An Anatole Debono winner, deep into stoppage time, earned leaders St Andrew's their 11th victory of the season in a difficult match against relegation-troubled Rabat.

The Saints dominated play for most of the opening stages and were close through efforts by Michael Ellul and Nicky Vella Petroni.

Rabat came more into the picture and a Chris Schembri shot was stopped in style by Reuben Gauci. An attempt by Joseph Caruana just missed the Saints' goal and on the half-hour Rabat were unlucky when a header by Justin Felice hit the upright.

On resumption, Rabat continued to share the exchanges and in the 57th minute a shot by Schembri was saved by Gauci. But, St Andrew's forged ahead on 65 minutes when Ellul beat Cilia from a free-kick.

Rabat deservedly drew level a few minutes later thanks to an Adam Smeir goal but the Magpies were unable to preserve a point when Debono rammed home the winning goal on 94 minutes following a Michael Valenzia cross.

Rabat: J. Cilia, C. Schembri (A. Zahra), J. Caruana, S. Gauci, J. Felice (A. Wingfield), A. Smeir, D. Falzon, K. Cassar, E. Muscat, C. Tonna (K. Said), D. Azzopardi.

St Andrew's: R. Gauci, N. Chetcuti, A. Camilleri Kamsky, J. Briscoe White, J. Bugeja, M. Ellul, M. Valenzia, W. Camilleri (M. Grima), M. Calleja, A. Debono, N. Vella Petroni (P. Briscoe White).

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.

Senglea Athletic 0
Żebbuġ Rangers 1

A goal scored by substitute Mark Deguara in added time earned Żebbuġ a precious win as they have now leapfroged Senglea and Żurrieq to a safer midtable position.

Żebbuġ were close first after 13 minutes when Stephen Calleja's shot finished just over. However, it was Senglea who created the best chance of the half when on 25 minutes a shot by Timmy Thomas flashed past the upright.

As the second half got underway, Senglea were denied by Martin Pace off a Thomas effort and, at the other end, Calleja's shot finished just over.

The match seemed heading to a draw when Żebbuġ struck, Deguara finishing off a good move by Gilbert Scerri. Senglea finished the match with ten men when Erin Azzopardi was dismissed for a foul on Joseph Mercieca.

Senglea: G. Attard, B. Zerafa, E. Azzopardi, F. Dingli (R. Tanti), A. Sciortino, D. Cosaitis, C. Borg (H. Hughes), T. Thomas, R. Degiorgio (B. Dalli), N. Abela, J. Spiteri.

Żebbuġ: M. Pace, S. Calleja (J. Cilia), J. Mercieca, E. Calleja, P. Ciantar, J. Fenech, S. Privitelli, A. Lagana, St. Calleja (G. Scerri), O. Rababah, M. Ciantar (M. Deguara).

Referee: Thomas Debono.

Sta Venera 2
Birżebbuġa St Peter's 1

Sta Venera completed a double over Birżebbuġa this season. This was a crucial victory for the Lightnings who have now moved away from the lower places in the standings.

Birżebbuġa did all the running in the first half. Carlos Camenzuli shot just wide when all alone infront of goal early on and he had another shot cleared off the line by Stefan Farrugia.

Sta Venera then took the lead when George Falzon finished off a good move by Mark Grech. But, the seasiders came back strongly and drew level on 23 minutes from a Robert Adami free-kick.

Birżebbuġa kept up the pressure and were close through Camenzuli. However, it was Sta Venera who struck again on 38 minutes when Glenn Micallef fired the ball home from routine distance.

Birżebbuġa saw more of the ball after the interval even though Sta Venera had a good chance to score again but Grech's shot was saved by Mansueto.

Adami and Camenzuli tried to lift Birżebbuġa but to no avail. On one occasion, an Adami centre was headed in by Camenzuli but the 'goal' was annulled for offside.

Sta Venera: J. Agius, A. Ellul, G. Magri, M. Muscat, G. Micallef (D. Calleja), S. Farrugia, M. Grech, R. Borg, Is. Zammit (A. Hili), A. Camilleri, G. Falzon (N. Veselji).

Birżebbuġa: G. Mansueto, D. Baldacchino (C. Cachia), E. Saliba, A. Buttigieg (B. Darmanin), C. Formosa, N. Tabone, R. Adami, A. Mangion, R. Celeste, C. Camenzuli, K. Muscat.

Referee: Mohammed Khalil.

Għargħur 0
Gżira United 0

Gżira fell back in the promotion race as they could not go beyond a goalless draw against lowly Għargħur.

Għargħur had the better opportunities during the first half and after eight minutes Shaun Vella headed just wide from a Clint Farrugia corner. Then a shot by Vella was saved by Camilleri.

Gżira looked overconfident but replied on 29 minutes when a James Tabone free-kick was saved by Mark Aquilina. Then, just before the break, the Maroons had a Richard Attard shot which was blocked by a Għargħur defender.

Eight minutes after the restart, Għargħur's Vella saw his shot from close in kept out by Camilleri. But, gradually, Gżira started to impose their play and an Attard shot was neutralised by Aquilina.

Gżira doubled up their efforts late in the match but were again denied by the opponents' keeper off a point-blank effort by Attard.

A minute from time Għargħur were reduced to ten players when Jonathan Galea was sent off for a second caution.

Għargħur: M. Aquilina, D. Borg, R. Debattista, M. Mercieca, C. Farrugia, J. Galea, C. Zammit, R. Southward, S. Vella, C. Vella, D. Cremona.

Gżira: K. Camilleri, A. White, H. Gatt Bonello, J. Tabone, N. Gatt Coleiro, K. Bonello, J. Felice, T. Micallef (A. Galea), M. Mifsud, R. Attard, N. Corito (A. Pirrone, J. Gatt).

Referee: Duncan Sultana.

Gozo FC 3
Lija Athletic 4

Lija boosted their promotion hopes with a hard-earned win at the Gozo Stadium.

Although Lija and Gozo are at the two extremes of the standings, the match was well contested as Lija seemed heading towards a comfortable win by the end of the first half but Gozo hit back admirably only to suffer a goal in added time.

The hosts opened the score after five minutes through John Camilleri but Lija were not demoralised and until half-time they were 3-1 up following goals by Keith Darmanin (penalty), Jean Paul Scerri and Matthew Schembri.

Gozo did not throw in the towel though and their second-half revival was rewarded on 58 minutes when Colin Ciantar committed an own goal in an attempt to clear a dangerous Camilleri ball inside Lija's box.

Gozo grew in confidence and levelled matters 12 minutes from time through an excellent strike by Josef Buttigieg that surprised keeper Bonnici.

Gozo almost scored a late winner but it was the visitors who had the ball in the net in the first minute of stoppage time when Heathcliff Schembri surprised the Gozitan keeper with a free-kick from the distance.

Gozo FC: D. Pace, P. Buttigieg, J. Buttigieg, S. Attard, M. Formosa, J. Camilleri, E. Grima, C. Bugeja (M. Muscat), B. Njoku, D. Mercieca, A. Debono.

Lija: L. Bonnici, A. Spiteri (M. Camilleri), D. Scerri, A. Sacco, L. Cilia, K. Darmanin, J.P. Scerri, M. Schembri (M. Borg), M. Mangion, C. Ciantar (B. Antignolo), H. Schembri.

Referee: Andrew J. Sammut.