Lija Athletic 4
Gudja United 0

Lija Athletic cruised past relegated Gudja United in a one-sided encounter with the winners in full command of the proceedings for long stretches, yesterday.

Erjon Beu played a blinder for Lija who have now moved on 40-point mark, three adrift of fourth-placed Pietà Hotspurs.

Lija should have taken the lead on nine minutes when Antoine Borg picked the unmarked Ige Adeshina who incredibly fired over with an open goal at his mercy.

But that was a temporary reprieve for Gudja as Lija took the lead on 12 minutes.

Predrag Babic shot home a beauty from the edge of the area, giving Azzopardi no chance.

Gudja failed to react and on 25 minutes an Adeshina free header was brilliantly saved by Azzopardi while five minutes later Beu’s shot just missed the upright.

Lija doubled the score deep into stoppage time when Adeshina found the back of the net with a precise grounder.

Fourty seconds into the second half, Lija added a third goal when defender Ishmael Cachia inadvertently chested the ball into his own net when trying to clear Borg’s cross.

Lija wrapped up the points on 63 minutes when Beppe Antignolo hit a low shot past Azzopardi.

Gudja were unlucky not to pull a goal back on 69 minutes when Adrian Cutajar’s effort hit the bar.

Lija Athletic: L. Bonnici, C. Giordemaina, P. Babic, P. Borg, E. Beu, A. Borg (N. Formosa), M. Borg (G. Borg), A. Caruana, M. Grima, B. Antignolo, A. Ige (A. Galea).

Gudja: J. Azzopardi, I. Cachia, G. Chircop, T. Nappa Licari, S. Micallef (M. Sacco), C. Grech, D. Martini, A. Cutajar (J. Coleiro), D. Bonnici, J. Waseem, D. Sohna.

Referee: Mario Apap.

Best player: Erjon Beu (Lija A.).