Gżira United 0
St Andrew’s 2

St Andrew’s went top of the table yesterday after beating Gżira United 2-0, the goals both coming in the second half.

Victory lifted the Saints on the 16-point mark, one ahead of Melita who have a game in hand.

The Maroons are passing through a torrid time. In fact, this latest upset was their third defeat in a row that saw them falling behind in the race for promotion.

Gżira started the better side but as time went by the Saints upped their game significantly and started to come more into the picture.

The first real threat at goal came on 24 minutes when a Nicky Vella Petroni effort from just inside the Gzira box was well saved by keeper Anthony Curmi.

Four minutes later, Matteo Desira Buttigieg tried his luck from outside the box but, again, Curmi was well positioned to deny St Andrew’s.

The second half started with an Emiliano Lattes shot going just wide of the Gżira upright before Maroons defender Gianluca Cala-bretta cleared off the line a Michael Johnson header that seemed destined to reach the net.

Midway through the second half Desira Buttigieg failed to profit from an inviting Trayo Grozev cross with the Gżira rearguard closing down on the Saints striker.

Vella Petroni then beat his direct marker but shot badly after some good work by Joseph Farrugia.

The goal finally came on 79 minutes when a Matthew Guillaumier header was partially stopped by Curmi, the ball came to Farrugia whose perfect cross was finished off by Grozev.

In stoppage time, Curmi was sent off after bringing down Grozev who had dribbled his way past the Gżira keeper.

From the free-kick, Lattes placed the ball in the top corner off the net with stand-in keeper Daniel Scerri stranded. Before Curmi’s red card, Gżira had already made three substitutions.

Gżira: A. Curmi, S. Moreno Marin (R. Dalli), D. Scerri, G. Calabretta, S. Meilak (A. Shennowo), J.P. Scerri (D. Vukovic), M. Avila Perez, J. Pace, G. Aquilina, J. Mifsud, Y. Tonna.

St Andrew’s: S. Bartolo, M. Johnson, M. Sehitay, B. Said, J. Farrugia, D. Camilleri (N. Bradshaw), M. Guillaumier, E. Lattes, T. Grozev, M. Desira Buttigieg (L. Busuttil), N. Vella Petroni (D. Zampa).

Referee: Chris Lautier.

Man of the match: Joseph Farrugia (St Andrew’s).

Mqabba 2
Pembroke Athleta 3

An Ariel Laudisi goal three minutes from time handed Pembroke their fourth consecutive victory and enabled them to keep the pace with the promotion chasers.

Lucky Omerou played a big part in Pembroke’s victory but ruined everything at the end after he was shown a red card.

Pembroke enjoyed long spells of possession in the first half but struggled to break down an organised Mqabba defence as scoring chances were rare.

The stalemate was broken on 40 minutes when Pembroke took the lead with a fine goal.

Omerou dribbled past two players before serving Andre Agius who had little difficulty in tapping the ball into the net.

Mqabba’s response came three minutes into the second half when Douglas Da Silva Silveira tried his luck from the distance with the ball finishing just over the crossbar.

But the Brazilian was not to be denied a minute later when he hit another scorcher that flew into the Pembroke net.

Pembroke regained the lead on 69 minutes when Omerou dispossessed Mauro Bonnici and served Siraj Arab. The latter returned the ball to the Nigerian who stabbed his shot home.

Mqabba kept fighting and drew level on 78 minutes. Da Silva Silveira, despite being closely marked by two defenders, still managed a shot from the edge of the area that beat the keeper.

But three minutes from time Pembroke scored what proved to be the winner when Laudisi latched on to Omerou’s cross to head in.

A minute into stoppage time Omerou was sent off for a second yellow card.

Mqabba: K. Calleja, M. Bonnici, O. Farrugia, R. Da Silva Gomes, M.A. Psaila, C. Micallef (D. Azzopardi), C. Calleja, K. Cutajar, D. Da Silva Silveira, R. Schembri, A. Camilleri (P. Taiye).

Pembroke: M. Calleja Cremona, C. Mamo, O. Sidibe, G. Azzopardi, A. Azzopardi (G. Spiteri), A. Agius, D. Sammut, A. Laudisi, L. Omerou, S. Arab (L. Micallef), R. Bajada.

Referee: Trustan Farrugia Cann.

Man of the match: Douglas Da Silva Silveira (Mqabba).

Standings