Gżira United 0
Melita 0
(after extra-time; Gżira win 4-3 on penalties)
Veteran goalkeeper Anthony Curmi saved Nicholas Micallef’s last penalty to send Gżira United into a promotion/relegation play-off against the third-from-bottom team in the Premier League.
After 120 minutes of football had produced no goals, Melita led in the shoot-out after Jerry Ani had squandered Gżira’s second penalty by hitting the crossbar.
However, Melita missed their last two penalties to hand the initiative to Gżira.
Italian midfielder Federico Mennini Righini drove the ball wide, Daniel Scerri put the Maroons 4-3 ahead and Curmi kept his team’s promotion hopes alive with that crucial save from Micallef’s shot.
Moises Avila Perez, Ryan Dalli and Matteo Caribotti converted their penalties for Gżira while Julian Galea, Kurt Coleiro and George Gribbon were on target for Melita.
The match had been a dull affair with neither side living up to expectations.
The two league games between these two teams had produced no fewer than nine goals with Melita winning 3-2 in the first round and the Maroons prevailing 3-1 in their second meeting.
Melita threatened first when, in the eighth minute, Alexander Eby ran clear on the left and crossed for Galea who controlled before setting up Alan Borg Olivier but the latter drove over the crossbar.
Gżira responded three minutes later when Dejan Vukovic’s long throw found Ani who laid the ball back to Avila Perez but the Spaniard fired high.
On 12 minutes, Melita went close when Eby found Borg Olivier whose darting run was stopped by the onrushing Curmi.
Melita continued to attack, winning several corners but to no avail.
A quick Gżira counter-attack saw John Nwoba sprint well on the left but his dangerous cross into the penalty area found no takers.
Gżira then had the best chance to break the deadlock but Melita goalkeeper Philip Schranz effected a fine save to push Yanis Tonna’s free-kick away for a corner.
On resumption, Galea’s crisp effort from outside the area missed the target after Borg Olivier’d cross was half-cleared by Jean Paul Scerri.
With 14 minutes remaining, Melita launched a dangerous counter-attack with Eby finding Jean Pierre Attard who surged clear but his shot from inside the area was stopped by Daniel Scerri.
A minute before the end, Gżira substitute Caribotti’s volley flew over after Justin Camilleri’s cross was nodded down by Nwoba.
Extra-time offered no excitement and it was only at the death that Gżira’s Ryan Dalli beat the offside trap to reach a long ball but Schranz rushed out of goal to clear the danger.
Gżira: A. Curmi, J. Ani, D. Scerri, J. Camilleri (I. Meli), D. Vukovic (M. Caribotti), G. Aquilina, J.P. Scerri, M. Avila Perez, J. Nwoba, R. Dalli, Y. Tonna.
Melita: P. Schranz, G. Gribbon, E. Cornago, N. Micallef, L. Bianco, M. Fenech (K. Micallef), J.P. Attard, J. Galea, F. Mennini Righini, A. Borg Olivier, A. Eby (K. Coleiro).
Referee: Matthew Degabriele.
Man of the match: George Gribbon (Melita).