Senglea Athletic 2
Żebbuġ Rangers 1
A Ryan Dalli goal seven minutes from time gave Senglea an important victory in their quest to stay in the promotion hunt.
Żebbuġ started well and a fine effort by Christian Carl Pace finished just wide. Pace threatened again but his effort this time was kept out by the keeper.
Senglea, however, stunned Rangers on 17 minutes when in their first real attempt at goal they opened the score. An Obaje Aud-Gustine centre was met by Dalli who slotted into the net.
Żebbuġ tried to hit back but their conclusions were erratic.
On the half hour Pereira Fernando released Pace who dallied his conclusion. But six minutes before the break Żebbuġ equalised.
The lively Diego Pereira Fernando squared the ball to Aaron Agius who hit home first time.
On resumption, Christian Cassar tested Spiteri and from a swift Żebbuġ counter attack it was Pereira Fernando who drove over from just inside the box.
On 62 minutes Senglea suffered a setback when Pablo Doffo was sent off for a second booking.
It was all Żebbuġ now and a Spiteri shot was kept out by Farrugia.
However, seven minutes from time Dalli scored a superb goal from the edge of the box to put Senglea 2-1 in front.
Rangers lost their plot and had Raimi Bakare and substitute Omar Rababah sent off in quick succession.
Senglea: Jeffrey Farrugia, R. Vella, K. Tanti, F. Gusman, Jurgen Farrugia, P. Doffo, C. Cuschieri (S. Grech), M. Ciantar (C. Cassar), J. Obaje Aud-Gustine, E. Lattes (J.M. Artiago Roa), R. Dalli.
Żebbuġ: J. Spiteri, R. Bakare, A. Agius, C.C. Pace (O. Rababah), G. McKay, D. Pereira Fernando (J.P. Formosa), L. Galea, M. Gauci, I. Meli, R. Spiteri (A. Catania), T. Paris.
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.
Player of the match: Christian Carl Pace (Żebbuġ Rangers).
Fgura United 0
Lija Athletic 0
Lija saw their flickering hopes of challenging for a place in the promotion play-off dashed after failing to go beyond a 0-0 draw against Fgura.
This was Lija’s third consecutive match without a goal.
Fgura missed a sitter on 11 minutes when Simon Shead released Francisco Arriagada who failed to make contact with the ball from an inviting position.
Fgura were forced to make their first substitution when Ricardo Costa suffered an injury as Lija were unlucky not to open the score.
A Michael Grima free-kick floated into the path of Adeshina Ige whose header brushed against the bar.
Then, just before the break, Lija’s McAllister Clinch hit a rasping grounder but keeper Bartolo was on the right spot to save.
On resumption, Grima tried his luck from outside the Fgura box but his effort went wide.
At the other end, a Kurt Pace shot was stopped by Bonnici. From the follow-up, Shead’s scorcher hit the woodwork.
This was Fgura’s best period. On 59 minutes, Shead should have done better but was outsmarted by the Lija goalkeeper.
Fgura went close again late on but an Arriagada header was neutralised by Bonnici.
Fgura: B. Bartolo, Q. Bregman, D. Vukovic, J. Bugeja, J. Farrugia, F. Arriagada, K. Pace, J.M. Ruiz Perez, L. Vella Critien, R. Costa (T. Camilleri), S. Shead.
Lija: L. Bonnici, C. Giordemaina, P. Babic (R. Taliana), P. Borg, K. Cutajar (M. Borg), A. Borg, M. Clinch, A. Caruana, M. Grima (I. McCarthy), J. Garcia Vidal, A. Ige.
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann.
Player of the match: Simon Shead (Fgura United).