Naxxar Lions 4
Pieta Hotspurs 0
After the upset to Senglea in their previous match, Naxxar returned to winning ways with a fine win over Pieta who finished the match with nine men to stop their run of three successive wins.
The match started at a very slow pace with both sides cautious and looking not to allow extra spaces to their opponents.
In fact, the first real threat at goal came on 26 minutes when Naxxar’s Lorenzo Andriuoli failed to make contact in front of goal from a corner.
Naxxar held the initiative and a Duane Bonnici shot from 30 metres out hit the foot of the post before Angus Buhagiar rose high to head home a Jurgen Debono centre for the opener.
From a corner Adamec Lubos almost added a second goal for the Lions but his effort was cleared off the line by Christian Grech.
Pieta lost shape and just before the break they conceded a second goal when Debono fired an unstoppable shot home from outside the box.
The Lions could have made it 3-0 before the hour when they were awarded a penalty for a Grech foul on Bonnici inside the box. However, Yuri De Jesus Messias drove the penalty high as a few seconds later Grech was sent off for dissent.
On 65 minutes James Scicluna beat two Naxxar defenders in the area but was foiled by keeper Omar Borg who rushed out of his lines to block.
But 17 minutes from time Mead Mifsud became Pieta’s second player to see red after a foul on Messias earned him a second booking.
Bonnici soon made it 3-0 with a shot from the distance and he went on to score his eighth goal of the season in stoppage time after tapping home a Guevara Munoz cross.
Naxxar: O. Borg, A. Buhagiar (J. Ellul), N. Spiteri, D. Bonnici, R. Cassar, J. Debono, M. Fenech, L. Andriuoli (S.J. Guevara Munoz), J. Debono, A. Lubos, Y. Messias (D. J. Nocera Garcia).
Pieta: M. Montfort, T. Bartolo (Y. Dimitrov), C. Degabriele, N. Pace Cocks, M. Mifsud, G. Mensah, J.M. Ruiz Perez (A. Mizzi), C. Grech, I. Jalo, J. Scicluna, J. Suda (C. Stewart).
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.
Best player: Jurgen Debono (Naxxar).
Summaries
Rabat Ajax 1
Fgura United 1
Rabat: A. Zammit, J. Caruana, S. Gauci, W. Borg (A. Azzopardi), A. Smeir, D. Falzon, G. Bugeja, E.J. Goodman (O. Touray), D. Borg, R. Micallef, Z. Tanti.
Fgura: B. Bartolo, M. Caruana, E. Uzeh, D. Aquilina, K. Vella, J. Barbara, J. Dalli, G. Chircop (D. Agius), R. De Fex Marriaga, W. Chircop, E. Okpokwu.
Referee: Alex Johnson.
Scorers: Okpokwu (F) 56; Caruana (R) 82 pen.
Missed penalty: Goodman (R) 15.
Red cards: Micallef 26 (R); Okpokwu (F) 90.
Best player: Warren Chircop (Fgura United).
Għargħur 0
Sirens 4
Għargħur: R. Micallef, K. Fedele, D. Camilleri, I. Chircop, M. Rota, M. Fagbeja, E. de Lima Nicolav, L. Galea, K. Conti, L. Vella, M. Spiteri.
Sirens: S. Cini, D. Sant, T. Farrugia, M. Bartolo, L. Zammit, I. Curmi, J. Ekani Rodriguez, M. Ciantar (R. Sala), C. Caruana, C. Newuche (L. Grech), R. Vaduva.
Referee: Philip Farrugia.
Scorers: Camilleri 8og, Sala 82, Grech 87, Curmi 89.
Best player: C. Caruana (Sirens).
Mqabba 2
Marsa 3
Mqabba: J. Debono, J. Vella, M. Bonnici, A. Mello da Silva, K. Cutajar, L. Vella Critien (L. Casha), M. Borg, P. Chimezie, J. Nwoba (J.J. Clifford), Q. Bregman, L. Micallef (B. Muscat).
Marsa: L. Mifsud, A. Sicali, R. Mifsud, B. Essiel, G. Sultana (M. Gauci), J. Farrugia, E. Vella, K. Sakurai (L. Omeruo), C. Cutajar, S. Meilak (L. Scorfna), L. De Melo Lima.
Referee: Trustin Farrugia Cann.
Scorers: Chimezie (MQ) 26, 33; Vella (MRS) 47; Omeruo (MRS) 57; Cutajar (MRS) 81.
Best player: B. Essiel (Marsa).