Naxxar Lions 5
Żejtun Corinthians 1

Promotion favourites Naxxar Lions regained top spot in Division One after hammering a poor Żejtun Corinthians side 5-1 yesterday.

A sizeable crowd turned up for this match between these two teams at the Tedesco Stadium. The rivalry between Naxxar and Żejtun stretches back to some years ago when both teams were still in Division Three.

Early on, Gilbert Camilleri ran forward to reach a cross but drove wide. Naxxar opened the scoring on seven minutes when Anderson Ribeiro rifled the ball home following a Julian Vella cross into the box.

Żejtun responded through Omar El Ghaouti whose drive was saved by Jurgen Tabone. On 20 minutes, Daren Falzon headed just over from Ribeiro’s cross. Four minutes later, Ribeiro dispossessed Charlò Magro before crossing for Falzon who stumbled before shooting just wide.

Just before the break, Naxxar made it 2-0. Angus Buhagiar was too fast for the Żejtun defence as he hit home from inside the box following a corner action.

The Lions sealed their win with two goals in the space of three minutes. The unmarked Falzon scored their third five minutes after the break after receiving from Andre Rocha Da Silva before Camilleri struck Naxxar’s fourth following a Ribeiro cross.

Żejtun scored a consolation goal in the 70th minute when El Ghaouti headed home Oldi Majtara’s cross but Naxxar made it five minutes later when Buhagiar beat Tabone with a grounder from the edge of the area.

Żejtun: J. Tabone, Z. Vukovic, D. Zahra, E. Azzopardi (D. Mifsud), K. Abela, C. Magro, J. Spiteri, K. Vassallo (A. Farrugia), O. Majtara, A. Carabott, O. El Ghaouti (D. Cucciardi).

Naxxar: J. Azzopardi, J. Vella, K. Drago, A. Buhagiar (W. Bonnici), S. Eboh, G. Camilleri (M. Bezzina), P. Doffo, A. Rocha Da Silva, R. Cassar, D. Falzon, A. Mendes Ribeiro (A. Ewurun).

Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann.

Man of the match: Angus Buhagiar (Naxxar Lions).

Birżebbuġa St Peter’s 1
Lija Athletic 3

Lija Athletic moved up to third in the Division One after scoring three goals in the second half to secure a 3-1 win over strugglers Birżebbuġa.

The game was off to a slow start with both sides blotting each other out. Birżebbuġa saw more of the ball as they enjoyed control of midfield.

Without the suspended Erjon Beu, Lija found the going tough as Ige Adeshina struggled up front and Antoine Sacco was isolated.

The first attempt at goal came after 30 minutes when Leontiev Konda’s free-kick finished over.

Birżebbuġa were the better side in the final minutes of the first half and took a deserved lead.

Five minutes from half-time, a Rio Micallef cross-shot almost deceived goalkeeper Luke Bonnici with the ball coming off the upright.

Birżebbuġa then opened the scoring when Martin Deanov’s cross from the left was headed in by Vinicius Pereira Dos Santos.

Deep into first-half stoppage time, Birżebbuġa hit the post again when Deanov’s free-kick was headed by Pereira Dos Santos but the ball flashed against the post.

Four minutes into the second half, Birżebbuġa went close again with a well-taken free-kick by Deanov which ended inches wide.

Deanov unsettled Lija minutes later as he dribbled past a couple of players before passing towards Pereira Dos Santos whose grounder was blocked by Bonnici.

On 64 minutes, Lija drew level against the run of play, Beppe Antignolo scoring with a crisp grounder.

The goal gave Lija a new lease of life as Birżebbuġa lost their composure. Lija doubled their lead with 15 minutes left. Antignolo’s corner dropped into the path of Ige who back-heeled the ball into the net from close range.

Birżebbuġa tried to hit back but Lija were playing better now and refused to give away an inch.

James Sammut went close to an equaliser with a shot on the turn but Lija sealed the issue on the stroke of time when Ige passed towards substitute Severino Goncalves who shot low into the net.

Birżebbuġa: I. Casha, R. Micallef, J. Farrugia, R. Mintoff, M. Hrubsa, F. Peplow, K. Borg, M. Mifsud (J. Sammut), T. Mazzitelli, M. Deanov, V. Pereira Dos Santos (G. Goodlip).

Lija: L. Bonnici, T. Fleri Soler, M. Fleri Soler, D. Scerri, D. Vukovic, L. Konda (D. Mintoff), A. Scicluna, A. Mercieca (E. Briffa), B. Antignolo, A. Ige, A. Sacco (R. Severino Goncalves).

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.

Man of the match: Martin Deanov (Birżebbuġa).