Hotspurs go four points clear
Rampant St Andrew’s canter past Naxxar Lions
Pietà Hotspurs 4
Birżebbuġa SP 3
Pietà Hotspurs moved four points clear at the top of the Division One standings following a thrilling victory over Birżebbuġa St Peter’s at the Centenary Stadium yesterday.
The Hotspurs looked to be cruising when they led 4-1 with 20 minuts to go.
However, two defensive blunders enabled Birżebbuġa to bridge the gap to one goal and set up a tense finale for the league leaders who managed to hold on till the end.
Pietà were the more aggressive side and after only five minutes they forged ahead when Larsson Mallia tapped the ball home from a Jurgen Pisani cross.
Jonathan Zarate almost doubled their lead on 25 minutes but headed just wide from close in.
The Hotspurs, however, made it 2-0 on the half hour when Quilin Refalo beat the offside trap and set up Pisani who fired the ball home.
Pietà kept up the pressure and on 36 minutes they scored one of the best goals of the season so far. Refalo and Zarate exchanged the ball well before the latter released Vinicius Pereira Dos Santos who tapped the ball home.
Just before the break Joseph Gerada’s side at last pushed forward but Paul Camilleri drove the ball wide from close range.
On resumption it was Birżebbuġa who started to dictate matters and reduced the arrears on 50 minutes when a Marev Boycho Todorov cross-shot was cleared off the line by Clive Spiteri, the ball fell to Frantijek Schneider who blasted into the back of the net.
Pietà made it 4-1 on 66 minutes when Dos Santos’s screamer flew past the helpless Ivan Casha.
Despite trailing by three goals, Birżebbuġa kept battling and managed to pull a goal back when the Hotspurs failed to deal with Schneider’s free-kick and in came Paul Camilleri who buried the ball home from routine distance.
With seven minutes to go, Birżebbuġa came back into the match when a Schneider cross was misjudged by defender Clive Spiteri and in came Todorov who fired home from close in.
But that was too little too late as the Hotspurs held on for the win.
PIETA: M. Montfort, C. Spiteri, E. Giaccaglia, Q. Refalo, T. Agius, V. P. Dos Santos (M. Agius), L. Mallia (A. Spiteri), C. Cassar, J. Zarate, J. Pisani (C. Attard), I. Grech.
BIRŻEBBUĠA: I. Casha, K. Borg, M. Pullicino (A. Dalli), F. Schneider, K. Spiteri, M. Gabriel, G. Tanti, P. Camilleri, M. Mifsud, K. Muscat (M. Sciortino), M. Boycho Todorov.
Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.
Best player: Cleavon Cassar (Pietà Hotspurs).
Naxxar Lions 1
St Andrew’s 4
St Andrew’s put up a splendid first-half performance to crush a helpless Naxxar Lions side to move just three points adrift of fourth-placed Zejtun Corinthians.
The Saints were in control right from the outset and they forged ahead after 15 minutes. The Naxxar rearguard failed to clear the ball from a Nicky Vella Petroni corner, and Valdo Alhinho Concalves drove the ball home from close range.
On 19 minutes, St Andrews made it 2-0. Concalves drifted the ball inside the area and again the Lions defence failed to clear with the ball falling into the path of William Camilleri who shot the ball home.
The Lioins threatened on 27 minutes when Victor Bellia’s long-range shot flew just wide.
However, it was St Andrew’s who struck again on 37 minutes when Brian Said headed the ball past Julian Azzopardi.
After the interval, the Lions tried to respond and on the hour Rocha Da Silva was clean through on goal but was denied by Balzan.
The Saints put the game to bed on 65 minutes when substitute Michael Calleja fired home a Aldinho Concalves cross from the left flank.
On 78 minutes St Andrew’s were unlucky not to score a fifth when a Concalves free-kick rattled the bar.
The Lions managed to pull a goal back 11 minutes from time when Hallison Da Lima Siqueira managed to squeeze the ball home following a melee in the Saints area.
Naxxar: J. Azzopardi, J. Debono, A. Farrugia, O. Agboebina (H. Da Lima Siqueira), K. Drago, A. Rocha Da Silva, V. Bellia, M. Del Negro (K. Farrugia), M. Maccari, D. Falzon, A. Attard.
St Andrews: D. Balzan; R. Previ, N. Chetcuti (J. Bugeja), B. Said, A. Camilleri Kamsky, F. Anakua, W. Camilleri, M. Hyzler (M. Calleja), V. Aldinho Concalves, N. Vella Petroni (M. Grima), G. Riberio.
Referee: Paul Caruana
Player of the match: Valdo Alinho Concalves (St Andrews).