10-man Balzan condemn Saints

Balzan Youths 3
San Ġwann 2

Ten-man Balzan condemned San Ġwann to Division Two next season with a 3-2 victory that kept the Youths' promotion hopes alive.

San Ġwann started the game on the offensive but had to wait until the 19th minute to open the score when Sergio Hili scored a beauty with a curling effort from the left side to put his team in front.

Balzan tried to bounce back immediately and Clayton Caruana was unlucky to see his shot come off by the upright.

A Simon Shead header was stopped by San Ġwann keeper Jean Matthias Vella but the Saints doubled their tally on 26 minutes when Ryan Sell entered the area and drove the ball home after dribbling past keeper Frederick Tabone.

Balzan suffered another setback on 31 minutes when they had Renie Forace sent off for dissent.

San Ġwann again went close on 32 minutes when Sell tried to get past the Balzan custodian but this time Tabone won the tussle.

Despite their numerical handicap Balzan pulled a goal back nine minutes from the break when Shead beat Vella following an inch-perfect David Fenech cross from the left.

The game lost most of its pace as the second half got underway even though San Ġwann went close in the 56th minute when a Lee Cumbo drive from 25 metres out hit the crossbar.

Shead then had a good opportunity to equalise when he came face to face with the San Ġwann goalkeeper, following some good work by Lyden Micallef.

Balzan managed to equalise with 15 minutes to go with a gem of a goal from a swift counter attack. It was Aaron Agius who sprinted forward, played a one-two with Shead and, as the goalkeeper was coming out of his blocks, Shead got the pass back to drive the ball home.

Shead completed an unlikely comeback for Balzan with a headed goal ten minutes from time following another Fenech inswinger from a corner. The goal was Shead's 16th of the season. He is the division's leading scorer.

Balzan: F. Tabone, S. Aquilina, D. Agius, G. Tanti, C. Micallef, B. Bondin, D. Fenech, M. Sciortino (A. Agius), R. Forace, S. Shead (M. Borg), C. Caruana (L. Micallef).

San Ġwann: J. M. Vella, Q. Bregman, M. Caruana, M. Francica, L. Cumbo, A. Borg, C. Cuschieri (K. Vella), P. Xuereb (L. Galea), S. Pisani, R. Sell, S. Hili (N. Curmi).

Referee: Glenn Tonna.

Man of the match: Simon Shead (Balzan Youths).

Late own goal foils St Patrick

St Patrick 3
St George's 3

A Ryan Mifsud own goal two minutes into stoppage time practically condemned St Patrick to Division Two football next season. The 3-3 draw also meant that St George's are now out of the promotion race and Melita safe from the drop.

St Patrick held the upperhand in the initial stages and after only three minutes they protested heavily for a penalty as Daniel Milovanovic went down in the box following a Gordon Mallia challenge.

Milovanovic tried his luck from the distance with the ball finishing just over the bar as St Patrick continued to press forward. On one occasion, St George's defender Emmanuel Sevasta was on the right spot to clear the ball off the line following a Luke Sciberras effort from a free-kick.

St George's keeper Thomas Galea saved his side with a superb block off Milovanovic's header following a Simon Zerafa centre but on 41 minutes St Patrick took a deserved lead when Zerafa headed home a Juergen Farrugia ball from the left.

Then, just before the break, Milovanovic zig-zagged his way past two defenders before placing the ball beyond Galea's reach to make it 2-0.

A revitalised St George's got back into the game early in the second half when they pulled a goal back. Anthony Ewurun chipped the ball to Chris Ciappara who hit home. The Blues continued to show the better qualities but on 67 minutes substitute Steve Dimech punished a hesitant St George's defence with a third goal for St Patrick.

St George's were stunned. However, 14 minutes from time they reduced the deficit with a Josef Dalli goal.

In a frantic finale, Benoir Fenech missed a sitter for St George's and Ewurun's claims for a penalty were turned down by the referee.

Then, with victory looming for St Patrick, they conceded a last-gasp equaliser. An Emerson Amaira header was stopped by keeper Mercieca but the ball took an unlucky deflection off Mifsud and rolled into the net.

St Patrick: J. Mercieca, T. Farrugia, R. Mifsud, D. Gauci, S. Zerafa, L. Sciberras, J. Farrugia (S. Dimech), A. Ellul (G. Failla), Y. Tonna (B. Bugeja), D. Milovanovic, M. Pullicino.

St George's: T. Galea, E. Sevasta (J. Bugeja), A. Bonello (D. Galea), E. Amaira, B. Fenech, J. Dalli, G. Mallia, A. Ewurun, S. Sciberras, N. Caruana (S. Farrugia), C. Ciappara.

Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.

Man of the match: Benoir Fenech (St George's).

Playing today (Ħamrun): 7 p.m. Marsaxlokk vs Mqabba.