Mellieħa step up fight

Mellieħa 1
Kirkop United 0

Ten-man Mellieħa boosted their hopes of a promotion slot after they edged Kirkop 1-0 at the Mosta Stadium last weekend.

The Northerners have now moved level on points with second-placed Gudja who could only manage a 1-1 draw with Sta Venera.

These two teams are now set to fight it out in the final weeks of the season to win the right to join Gżira in Division One after the Maroons sealed promotion with a 2-0 win over Għargħur.

Mellieħa were the better side throughout and although they had Phil Taylor dismissed late in the first half, they still held the initiative and could easily have scored more goals after the break.

The Blues had the ball in the Kirkop net as early as the seventh minute when Gauci and Taylor combined well and the latter’s shot rolled past goalkeeper Caruana. However, the ‘goal’ was annulled for an offside.

Mellieħa were not to be denied though and on 23 minutes Buttigieg sent a cross inside the area and Giovanni Galea’s first-time shot flew into the back of the net.

The northerners came close to double their lead on 32 minutes but Caruana effected a fine save to deny Galea.

On 43 minutes, Buttigieg was again the provider as his pass was controlled by Borg St John whose shot skimmed the woodwork.

Mellieħa’s match took a turn for the worse just before the break when Taylor was sent off for a foul on Josef Attard.

With a man less Mellieħa were facing an uphill struggle after the break. However, that was not the case as they remained on the attack with Galea’s effort going inches wide after 55 minutes.

Mellieħa could have wrapped up the points on 70 minutes when Borg chipped the ball towards Borg St John who hit badly with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Mellieħa: J. Abela, M. Vella, L. Cauchi, D. Cauchi, P. Taylor, W. Borg, K. Gauci, K. Fenech, W. Borg St John (K. Simiana), G. Galea (G. Magri), W. Buttigieg.

Kirkop: C. Caruana, B. Falzon, C. Farrugia, A. Busuttil, M. Pisani, S. Petrov, M. Aquilina, N. Tabone, J. Gerada (T. Vella Stanyer), R. Kerekov, J. Attard.

Referee: Karl Cumbo.

Summaries

Gżira United 2
Għargħur 0

Gżira: S. Agius, S. Pace, T. Ewurum, Y. Tonna, K. Saliba (S. Bonello), K. Cassar, A. White, R. Deguara, A. Galea, M. Cocks, S. Shead (L.S. Borges Correira Silva).

Għargħur: D. Zarb, D. Mamo (L. Stivala), C. Farrugia (J. Debattista), B. Pace, R. Mifsud, B. Perry Acton, C. Azzopardi, I. Curmi, S. Iliev, T. Grozev, B. Antignolo.

Referee: Jude Ameen Utulu.

Scorers: Deguara 51, Ewurum 65.

Msida St Joseph 1
Żebbuġ Rangers 1

Msida: J. Mallia, R. Zammit, O. Zammit, M. Caruana, R. Tanti, L. Cassar (G. Attard), G. Refalo, M. Clarke, P. Sakchai, J. Paiva, F.D. De Andrade.

Żebbuġ: J. Mercieca, J. Mercieca, G. Mallia, M. Brincat, M. Farrugia, R. Spiteri (D. D’Agostino), S. Pereira da Mata, U. Anyanwu (C. Sammut), M. Tirchett, J. Alegbe, J. Agius.

Referee: Marco Borg.

Scorers: Paiva (M) 5; Agius (Ż) 88.

Żurrieq 1
San Ġwann 0

Żurrieq: J. Alden, D. Bonnici, J. Lia (V. Micallef), D. Stojanovic, K. Sacco, N. Abdilla, J. Briffa, M. Genuis, Z. Vukovic, A. Camilleri (C. Schembri), S. Azzo-pardi.

San Ġwann: C. Carbonaro, R. Sell, C. Pace, C. Cacciatolo, S. Vella, G. Agius (D. Cosaitis), M. Mercieca, A. Borg, J. Cutajar, J.L. Xavier Lopes, M. Francica.

Referee: Sandro Spiteri.

Scorer: Briffa 25.

Red cards: Vella (SĠ) 80, Briffa (Z) 82.

Senglea Athletic 3
Attard 4

Senglea: B. Bartolo, C. Borg, J.P. Abdilla, J. Abela, C. Dimech (G. Buttigieg), K. Galea, P. Camilleri, T. Thomas, G. Brincat (K. Zammit), D. Xuereb (J. Abdilla), J.R. Emeka.

Attard: W. Galea, O. Tabone, C. Farrugia, D. Gauci, J.C. Cachia, A. Agius, N. Spiteri, R. Filipov (E. Azzopardi), A. Lanzon (R. Bugeja), D. Galea (S. Agius), K. Zahra.

Referee: Glenn Tonna.

Scorers: Spiteri (A) 1; Emeka (S) 4, 89; Galea (A) 46; Farrugia (A) 59; Zahra (A) 63; J. Abdilla (S) 86.

Gudja United 1
Sta Venera Lightnings 1

Gudja: M. Xerxen, J. Mallia, E. Vella, J. Tonna, M. Milutinovic, W. Camenzuli (A. Guazzo), E. Bugeja, A. Gjepali (E. Gauci), T. Thomas, T.J. Thomas (K. Bonello), P.P. Sammut.

Sta Venera: W. Cuschieri, R. Carbonaro (L. Ferreira Gugliel-metti), M. Muscat, R. Borg, E. Muscat, G. Micallef, D. Calleja (J. Taliana), D. Mercieca, J. Onouha, K. Cilia, A. Hili.

Referee: Mario Apap.

Scorers: E. Muscat (SV) 56, Gauci (G) 62 pen.

Luqa St Andrews 0
Siġġiewi 3

Luqa: P. Psaila, C. Caruana, G. Failla, C. Gatt (J. Gatt), G. Frendo, S. Costa Brazilino (L. Vella), J. Fenech, M. Camilleri, M. Ciantar, L. Baldacchino, J. Good (M. Coleiro).

Siġġiewi: J. Vella, S. Delia, N. Galea, B. Galea (D. Vella), M. Bajada, E. Vella, K. Buhagiar, M. Camilleri, J. Shead, J. Camilleri (E. Ciappara), J. Vassallo (L. Attard).

Referee: Fyodor Zammit.

Scorers: Delia 26, Vassallo 61, Buha-giar 70.

Red card: Psaila (L) 40.

Division Two