Gżira United 3
Melita 0

Raphael Kooh Sohna notched a well-taken hat-trick to help Gżira overcome Melita and take sole leadership in Division One.

It was a dominant performance from the Maroons who notched their third successive victory to move two points clear of Senglea, Żebbuġ and Rabat.

Gżira opened the score after 12 minutes when Kooh Sohna hustled and bustled into the Melita area to latch onto a Brooke Farrugia pass before hitting the ball past goalkeeper Jean Claude Debattista.

The Amateurs were rattled and five minutes later Gżira doubled their lead in similar fashion. This time it was Scerri who fed Kooh Sohna who again squeezed the ball past the Melita custodian.

The Amateurs’ reaction failed to materialise and only had two long range efforts by Mennini Righini and Antoine Attard which finished off target.

Late in the first half, Gżira again came close to increase their lead.

First a Moises Avila Perez header finished just wide and then White put Kooh Sohna clear, but this time the Cameroon striker was denied by Debattista.

On 54 minutes a Zome drive from the edge of the area hit the side-netting.

Kooh Sohna completed his hat-trick on 67 minutes when he latched on to bad clearance from the Melita defence and the Maroons striker hit a low shot with the ball hitting the post before finishing into the back of the net.

On 78 minutes a Zome cross-shot was saved well by Debattista.

From the resultant corner, taken by Avila Perez, Kooh Sohna headed inches wide.

Gżira United: A. Curmi, D. Scerri (A. Abela), A. White, B. Farrugia, M. Avila Perez (C. Psaila), R. Kooh Sohna, J. Pace, Y. Tonna (C. Caruana), L. Martinelli, G. Muscat, R. Zome.

Melita: J.C. Debattista, B. Jaccarini, G. Schranz, I. Tufegdzic, L. Bianco, M. Fenech, A. Borg Olivier, F. Mennini Righini (G. Francois), E. Cornago, A. Attard (L. Busuttil), J.P. Attard (L. Zammit).

Referee: Fyodor Zammit.

Man of the match: Raphael Kooh Sohna (Gżira).