Gżira United 2
Mqabba 0
Gżira United played below par yesterday but still managed to beat Mqabba and force a decider for third place against Melita with the winner to figure in a play-off for promotion.
The Maroons, who had hammered Mqabba 5-0 in the first round, found the going tough this time round as Leslie Burke’s side enjoyed most of the possession but Gzira hit late to join Melita on the 45-point mark.
Mqabba started better and on five minutes Ryan Schembri hit wide from a good position inside the opponents’ box.
Guy Tape also blasted wide from in front of goal as the Maroons failed to keep the pace with their opponents. On 36 minutes, Rodney Caruana was put through by Mqabba team-mate Karl Cutajar but his lob flew over the bar.
With Yanis Tonna coming into the picture, Gżira threatened just before the interval with a John Nwoba header but his effort never troubled the Mqabba keeper.
Five minutes after the restart, Tape’s shot was stopped by the Gżira keeper and at the other end Sean Cini kept Mqabba in the game with two great saves on Ani.
Tape was again found wanting on 74 minutes as he headed badly from a Cutajar free-kick.
Mqabba paid dearly for those misses as seven minutes from time the Maroons broke the deadlock when John Nwoba slotted the ball home from close range following some good work by Avila Perez.
Avila Perez’s effort was then stopped by Cini but from the corner Ryan Dalli did it all by himself as he ghosted past a couple of Mqabba defenders before hitting home from an angle to seal Gżira’s win that kept their promotion hopes alive.
Gżira: L. Mifsud, J. Ani (I. Meli), D. Scerri, J. Camilleri (J. Pace), D. Vukovic (M. Caribotti), J.P. Scerri, M. Avila Perez, G. Aquilina, J. Nwoba, R. Dalli, Y. Tonna.
Mqabba: S. Cini, M. Bonnici, O. Farrugia, R. Gomes, B. Grech, K. Falzon (D. Bonnici), S. Guy Tape, K. Cutajar, R. Caruana (R. Vella), A. Cassar, R. Schembri (J. Fenech).
Referee: Jude Amin Utulu.
Man of the match: Yanis Tonna (Gżira United).
Gudja United 1
Lija Athletic 4
Lija ended the season on a high after trouncing 10-man Gudja.
Lija opened the score on 39 minutes when Predrag Babic rose high to head home an Erjon Beu corner.
Gudja suffered a setback on 56 minutes when substitute Ismael Cachia was shown a red card for bringing Beu down.
Lija immediately tried to capitalise and an Ige header crashed against the crossbar.
However, on 66 minutes Beu put Lija ahead from a free-kick and then he rounded the goalkeeper to score inside an empty net – 3-0.
Beu was again on the mark ten minutes from time as Gudja scored a late consolation thanks to a Joselito strike from the distance.
Gudja: M. Xerxen, I. Galea (I. Cachia), R. Cauchi (B. Cassar), C. Farrugia, E. Micheletti Awoh,N. Ghio, B. Saliba, A. Cutajar, W. Moodley (J. Dos Reis Santos), P.P. Sammut, A. Catania.
Lija: J. Spiteri, P. Babic, M. Clinch, E. Beu, D. Mintoff (L. Casha), A. Caruana, P. Borg, I. McCarthy, B. Antignolo (A. Galea), N. Spiteri (M. Zammit), A. Ige.
Referee: Emanuel Grech.
Man of the match: Erjon Beu (Lija Athletic).
Standings
P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
Pembroke | 26 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 54 | 22 | 55 |
St Andrew’s | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 49 | 32 | 51 |
Gżira Utd | 26 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 46 | 30 | 45 |
Melita | 26 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 36 | 28 | 45 |
St George’s | 26 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 38 | 41 |
Gudja Utd | 26 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 46 | 32 | 41 |
Fgura Utd | 25 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 31 | 27 | 40 |
Lija Athletic | 26 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 44 | 43 | 38 |
Vittoriosa | 25 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 44 | 42 | 38 |
Mqabba | 26 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 40 | 36 | 36 |
Rabat Ajax | 25 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 26 | 37 | 26 |
Żurrieq | 25 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 24 | 44 | 19 |
Msida SJ | 25 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 25 | 59 | 15 |
Birżebbuġa | 25 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 25 | 63 | 12 |