Gżira beat Melita to maintain their promotion push, yesterday.

Melita 1
Gżira United 3

Gżira made up for their first-round defeat to Melita after beating the Amateurs 3-1 to bounce back from their 2-1 upset to St George’s last week.

Darren Abdilla’s side played one of their best matches this season. They won most of the 50-50 situations and they are now second in the standings but Melita remain fourth to slip behind in the promotion chase.

The Maroons started the game on attack. Jeremiah Ani picked up a ball from the edge of the area and after beating a defender saw his shot finishing just wide.

Gżira were seeing more of the ball and Melita only produced their first real threat on goal after 35 minutes when Julian Galea went past two opponents but hit wide from inside the area.

Two minutes before the break Gżira forged ahead with a goal made and scored by Eduardo Ndjodo as he placed his shot beyond Philip Schranz’s reach after a 35-metre run.

Melita could have equalised but Galea failed to hit home from a Michael Valenzia cross.

Melita tried to hit back after the break but substitute Alexander Eby drove wide from close range following a good move by Attard.

On 66 minutes, an Alan Borg Olivier header from a Galea cross finished wide.

Gżira won a free-kick 17 minutes from time and Ani took the kick to beat Schranz and double his team’s lead.

Luke Mifsud dropped Melita a lifeline on 87 minutes when he hit home a scorcher from outside the area but a minute later John Nwoba headed home to seal the Maroons’ win.

Melita: P. Schranz, R. Alinho, E. Cornago, N. Micallef, L. Bianco (T. Terpougoff), A. Attard (L. Mifsud), J.P. Attard, F. Menini Righini (A. Eby), M. Valenzia, A. Borg Olivier, J. Galea.

Gżira: A. Curmi, J. Ani (D. Agius), N. Milovanovic, D. Scerri, J. Camilleri, M. Avila Perez, I. Meli, J. Pace, G. Aquilina, E. Ndjodo (J. Nwoba), R. Dalli (Y. Tonna).

Referee: Fiodor Zammit.

Man of the match: Eduardo Ndjodo (Gżira United).

Vittoriosa Stars 3
Msida St Joseph 2

Two late goals practically ended Msida aspirations of remaining in Division One.

With three minutes to go Msida were enjoying a 2-1 lead but then substitute Gianluca Calabretta inspired the Stars to their second win on the trot.

After four minutes Vittoriosa forged ahead when Michael Camilleri slotted the ball home.

However, a minute later Msida equalised. A Faria drive was partially saved by Magri, the ball rolled into the path of Helder Souza who shot home from inside the area.

The Stars went close again when Camilleri saw his header hit a post with the ball finishing into the hands of the Msida keeper.

Then, just before the break Msida took the lead against the run of play when Souza let fly an unstoppable shot from just outside the box.

Camilleri’s header from a Canavan corner was stopped by Kurt Rizzo as the Stars pressed for an equaliser. However, they had to wait until the 85th minute to draw level thanks to a well-taken goal by substitute Henrique Guedes Eder from a Calabretta delivery.

Msida were down and out and a minute later Calabretta slotted the ball home from close range to give the Cottonera side a deserved comeback victory.

Vittoriosa: K. Magri, S. Grech, G. Sultana (G. Calabretta), K. Scicluna, N. Lamine (F. Canavan), M. Barbara, M. Camilleri, C. Campagnoli, D. Perreira (H. Guedes Eder), L. Gauci, C. Spiteri.

Msida: K. Rizzo, L. Cassar, G. Vella, D. Attard, K. Borg, D. Cachia, I. Chircop (U. Anyanwu), R. Faria, L. Agius, H. Souza, Z. Vukovic.

Referee: Martin Borg.

Man of the match: Michael Camilleri (Vittoriosa Stars).