Inspired Reds surprise Blues

Mellieħa 1
Żurrieq 2

Żurrieq’s new coach Edmondo Romagnoli looks to have instilled fresh enthusiasm inside his players as the Reds handed a surprise defeat to promotion-seekers Mellieħa.

Żurrieq keeper Reuben Debono was called to make an early save to keep out a Fabiano Bassi shot and Debono’s counter-part, Simon Gauci, was also equally up to the task when denying Joseph Lia with a fine save.

On 21 minutes, Steve Sciberras was pulled down in the box and Johan Briffa put the Reds in front from the ensuing penalty.

It took the Blues a handful of seconds after the restart to draw level through Bassi following a perfect Rosen Filipov ball.

But Żurrieq were not down yet.

They caused havoc inside their opponents’ box off an insidious Briffa corner before Alistair Camilleri made it 2-1 on 63 minutes.

Mellieħa claimed Camilleri had handled the ball prior to his goal but the referee was unmoved.

Mellieħa tried to react but the closest they went was on 76 minutes when a Daniel Cremona effort was cleared off the line.

Mellieħa: S. Gauci, M. Vella, I. Sammut, A. Portelli, L. Cauchi, K. Gauci, P. Camilleri, R. Filipov (C. Muchmore), N. Filipov, F. Bassi (P. Taylor) D. Cremona.

Żurrieq: R. Debono, D. Bonnici (N. Abdilla), K. Sacco, D. Bellizzi, J. Lia, D. Sciberras (K. Grech), R. Attard, S. Azzopardi, Joh. Briffa, Jos. Briffa, A. Camilleri (C. Shumba).

Referee: Philip Farrugia.

Żejtun Corinthians 0
Naxxar Lions 0

This was a just result in a match played in front of a tense crowd with both sets of defences dominating proceedings. Żejtun are now sole leaders in the standings.

The Lions dictated the run of play for most of the first period and early on a shot by Victor Bellia was saved by Ranier Farrugia.

An attempt by Gabriel Zanini Duarte finished just wide and on 16 minutes a Gilbert Camilleri shot appeared to have been handled by a Żejtun defender with Naxxar protesting in vain for a penalty.

The Lions kept pushing forward and on the half-hour they were again close through Duarte but gradually Żejtun started venturing outside their own half and in the closing stages of the first half were close twice through Edward Azzo-pardi and Adrian Carabott.

Naxxar created the first opportunity of the second half through Darren Falzon. The Naxxar keeper then denied Żejtun off successive efforts from Kenneth Abela and Vince Camilleri.

Abela was very active in front and two of his shots just flew wide of target and on 80 minutes he was denied by Azzopardi.

In the closing stages, Carabott almost snatched a dramatic winner but that would have been sheer injustice on Naxxar.

Żejtun: R. Farrugia, E. Azzopardi, K. Vassallo (H. Schembri), J. Cachia, V. Camilleri, D. Vella, J. Abela, C. Magro, S. Sciberras (A. Mercieca), A. Carabott, K. Abela.

Naxxar: J. Azzopardi, K. Fenech, M. Spiteri Gonzi, R. Schembri, G. Camilleri, G. Zanini Duarte (A. Farrugia), A. Rocha da Silva, V. Bellia (G. Magri), D. Falzon, D. Cauchi, A. Fenech.

Referee: Mario Apap.

Gżira United 2
Birżebbuġa SP 3

Birżebbuġa owe their victory to prolific scorer Carlos Camenzuli who got the winning goal very late in the match. Minutes earlier, Gżira had wasted a golden opportunity to forge ahead when Keith Bonello failed to score from a penalty.

Ronnie Celeste was close for Birżebbuġa early on and the Maroons missed a sitter through Richard Attard as he shot wide with an open goal at his mercy.

An overhead kick by Noel Tabone was cleared off the Gżira goalline and in first-half added time Richard Attard was on the right spot to fire the Maroons in front.

The match became a ding-dong affair after the break with the southerners drawing level with a Camenzuli lob. The Maroons regained the lead on 54 minutes with a Roberto Brincat goal but a minute later Clive Formosa evened the scores.

On 78 minutes, Gżira were awarded a penalty for a foul by Mark Pullicino on Andrew Scerri. Pullicino was sent off but Bonello shot wide from the spot.

A drawn result looked the likely outcome but four minutes from time Camenzuli hit the winner.

In stoppage time, Gżira defender Clayton Giordemaina was sent off.

Gżira: K. Gerada, C. Giordemaina, T. Micallef (A. White), C. Sciberras, N. Gatt Coleiro (L. Cilia), M. Cocks, K. Bonello, J. Felice, R. Brincat, A. Pirrone, R. Attard (A. Scerri).

Birżebbuġa: G. Mansueto, M. Ellul, N. Galea, M. Pullicino, D. Baldacchino, A. Florin, A. Pilica (S. Privitelli), N. Tabone (B. Farrugia), C. Formosa, C. Camenzuli, R. Celeste (K. Muscat).

Referee: Glen Tonna.

Żebbuġ Rangers 4
Mġarr United 0

Żebbuġ opened their second-round commitments with a convincing win over bottom team Mġarr with two debutants, Timmy Thomas (ex-Senglea) and Brazilian Marlon Leixas Ferreira, sharing three goals between them.

Thomas was close to opening the score before Haruna Doda put Rangers 1-0 up before half-time.

There was only one team in it after the break. Ferreira made it 2-0 on 68 minutes and Thomas opened his account for Rangers soon after after a fine solo move.

Thomas rounded up a fine day for him and his team with Rangers’ fourth goal on 80 minutes.

Żebbuġ: J. Vella, M. Farrugia, C. Farrugia, J. Mercieca, C. Caruana, H. Doda, R. Spiteri (B. Chetcuti), E. Cachia (G. Saliba), J. Agius (O. Rababah), M. Leixas Ferreira, T. Thomas.

Mġarr: C. Carbonaro, J. Ebejer, W. Buttigieg, M. Bugeja, I. Bilocca (G. Said), W. Camilleri (J.P. Zammit), J. Borg (E. Grech), J. Said, V. Martinovic, C. Abela, I. Tarek.

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.

Senglea Athletic 1
Rabat Ajax 0

A Ricardo Severino goal from a penalty earned Senglea an unexpected victory over Rabat Ajax who failed to profit from the slip-ups of the other promotion contenders.

Senglea signalled their intentions early on when Alan Spiteri’s shot was saved with difficulty by Rabat keeper Jonathan Azzopardi.

The Magpies were seeing more of the ball, however, and Senglea keeper George Attard did well to keep out efforts from Emeka Basil Onuta and Adam Smeir.

Senglea held the initiative in the initial stages of the second half and just before the hour mark they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Severino who dispatched the ball into the net from the spot.

Rabat pushed forward in numbers but to no avail.

David Azzopardi had a good opportunity to pull the teams level and four minutes from time Onuta’s header hit the post.

Senglea: G. Attard, G. Magri, J. Spiteri, E. Azzopardi, B. Zerafa, S. Aquilina, S. Calleja, R. Adami, T. Thomas (G. Brincat), A. Spiteri, R. Severino (R. Degiorgio).

Rabat: J. Azzopardi, C. Schembri, J. Tonna, J. Caruana (W. Borg), Y. Camilleri, J. Felice, A. Smeir, C. Muscat (Y. Cauchi), E. Muscat (S. Gauci), D. Azzopardi, E. Basil Onuta.

Referee: Andrew James Sammut.

St Patrick 3
San Ġwann 1

This was a crucial win for St Patrick in their bid to join the race for promotion at the end of the season.

St Patrick opened the score on 10 minutes through Alex Ellul from a Gordon Failla free-kick but seconds later San Ġwann drew level when Joseph Chidi Achokwu hit home from close in.

Failla put St Patrick back in front on 27 minutes as San Ġwann increased the pressure after the break but it was their opponents who created the best chances.

In fact, St Patrick were twice denied by Justin Spiteri off efforts by Ellul and Failla before the latter made sure of the points with a third goal 17 minutes from time.

St Patrick: J. Galea, S. Dimech, S. Zerafa, G. Barry (A. Portelli), A. Ellul, M. Xerri, I. Scicluna (R. Ellul), D. Mamo (D. Micallef), C. Farrugia, G. Failla, D. Gauci.

San Ġwann: J. Spiteri, K. Vella, F. Cauchi, M. Mercieca, M. Francica (J. Gauci), M. Caruana, S. Vella (L. Galea), M. Busuttil, J. Chidi Achokwu, A. Borg, C. Cacciattolo.

Referee: Mohammed Khalil.