Pietà Hotspurs 0
Rabat Ajax 1

A Vilson Caushi goal late in the first half was enough for Rabat Ajax to edge Pietà Hotspurs and join them at the top of Division One on 29 points.

The game failed to offer entertaining fare for much of the first half.

Rabat created the first chance on 23 minutes when Pietà’s Ezequiel Giaccaglia failed to clear in his area and the ball fell to Adam Smeir whose effort was partially saved by Miguel Montfort.

From the rebound, Adam Micallef was again denied by the Hotspurs goalkeeper.

At the other end, Terence Agius’s shot was blocked by Sean Mintoff.

Poor defending by Pietà was punished on 37 minutes when Giaccaglia was caught out of position and Caushi flashed in to beat Montfort with a firm drive.

Caushi almost struck again three minutes from the break when he beat the Hotspurs’ offside trap only to shoot straight at Montfort.

Pietà came out for the second half looking for an equaliser.

Vinicius Pereira Dos Santos tried his luck from the edge of the area with the ball finishing just wide.

Rabat responded on 54 minutes when Ryan Micallef swerved his way into the area but his shot finished just over.

The Hotspurs were unlucky on 62 minutes when Zach Muscat headed the ball against the upright from a Karl Cutajar cross.

The last opportunity of the match came Rabat’s way when, in a quick break, David Azzopardi was denied by Montfort.

Pietà: M. Montfort, C. Spiteri, E. Giaccaglia (B. Sciberras), J. Holland (K. Cutajar), T. Agius, Z. Muscat, V. P. Dos Santos, J. Zarate, J. Pisani, C. Grech (C. Attard), A. Farrugia.

Rabat: S. Mintoff, C. Schembri, J. Cornforth, J. Caruana, A. Smeir, D. Falzon, C. Muscat, V. Caushi (J. Fenech), Y. Cauchi, R. Micallef (C. Gauci), D. Azzopardi.

Referee: Clayton Pisani

Man of the match: Joe Cornforth (Rabat Ajax).

Vittoriosa Stars 0
Żejtun Corinthians 0

Vittoriosa Stars and Żejtun Corinthians shared the spoils in a fierce encounter that had a bit of everything bar goals.

This was a game between two sides who needed the points for different reasons as Vittoriosa are fighting against relegation and Żejtun are pushing for promotion.

The first half was a dull affair. Żejtun were first to threaten on 14 minutes when Kenneth Abela’s header from a Shawn Magro cross just missed the target.

Nine minutes later, Vittoriosa responded when Leighton Grech passed to Gary Muir whose effort was saved by Ranier Farrugia. On the half hour , Abela shot from a tight angle but Vittoriosa keeper Jean Matthias Vella blocked.

Four minutes into the second half, Wisam Elzaredi’s low effort for Żejtun rolled just wide.

On the hour, it was Vella who came to Vittoriosa’s rescue when he turned Andre Farrugia’s shot away for a corner. The Vittoriosa goalkeeper then fisted a corner taken by Edward Azzopardi and Abela headed the loose ball over.

Żejtun continued to press forward. Gers Delia, who had just replaced Elzaredi, should have scored 12 minutes from time but his hard drive from outside the area was magnificently saved by Vella.

Deep into injury time, substitute Lyden Micallef nearly won it for the Corinthians but his close-range effort missed the target.

Vittoriosa: J. M. Vella, L. Vella Critien, J. Camilleri, M. Barbara (D. Pace), G. Muir, Ramon, M. Pereira (J. Dalli), K.M. Robinson, M. Buttigieg, R. Brincat (J. Spiteri), L. Grech.

Żejtun: R. Farrugia, A. Farrugia, C. Magro, M. Borg, E. Azzopardi, K. Vassallo, N. Filipov, W. Elzaredi (G. Delia), S. Magro (L. Micallef), K. Abela, K. Ganchev.

Referee: Karl Frendo Cumbo.

Man of the match: Jean Matthias Vella (Vittoriosa).