Pietà Hotspurs 2
Fgura United 1

Pietà Hotspurs scored two first-half goals to hand Fgura United their third successive defeat.

It was a damaging defeat for the southerners who remained a place off bottom, four points adrift of safety.

On the other hand, Hotspurs moved within six points of the promotion places.

Pietà were the better side early on.

On 17 minutes, Christian Grech’s long-range shot just missed the target.

The Hotspurs broke the stalemate on the half hour.

Jurgen Suda fed James Scicluna who quickly crossed the ball into the path of Gabriel Mensah. The Nigerian outpaced Barbosa before guiding his effort into the net.

Pietà doubled their lead five minutes later when in a quick break, Scicluna ran to meet Grech’s long pass and cooly slotted the ball past Bartolo.

Fgura looked on the ropes and Mensah almost made it 3-0 when he was put clear by Suda but was denied by the Fgura goalkeeper.

The southerners reopened the match on 51 minutes. They were awarded a free-kick and Cleaven Frendo’s cross-shot deceived Montfort and flew into the net.

The Hotspurs almost restored their two-goal lead four minutes later. Mensah connected to Suda’s delivery but his header was cleared off the line by Vella.

Twenty minutes from time, Okpokwu could have leveled the scores when he was released by Frendo but was denied by Hotspurs goalkeeper Montfort.

A minute from time, substitute Neil Pace Cocks should have put the game to bed when he shot straight into the hands of Bartolo from three metres.

Pietà Hotspurs: M. Montfort, G. Spiteri, C. Degabriele, D. Agius, D. Cisse Mademba, J. Suda, C. Gauci, G. Mensah, J.M. Ruiz Perez, C. Grech, J. Scicluna (N. Pace Cocks).

Fgura: B. Bartolo, E. Uzeh (M. Spiteri), M. Caruana, C. Fenech, J. Dalli (D. Aquilina), M. Gauci, M.L. Barbosa Da Silveira, W. Chircop, C. Frendo, E. Okpokwu, K. Vella.

Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (Albania).

Best Player: Gabriel Mensah (Pietà Hotspurs).

Marsa 1
Rabat Ajax 2

Rabat Ajax boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation when they had the better of Marsa by the odd goal in three.

Ryan Micallef scored the all-important goals as the Magpies returned to winning form after a seven-match winless streak, to open a four-point gap over Fgura United.

Aidan Azzopardi could have given Rabat the lead on 11 minutes when he beat the offside trap but was denied by the onrushing Leighton Mifsud.

Marsa’s first attempt at goal arrived on 20 minutes.

Lucky Omerou’s long-range shot was saved by Sean Mintoff.

But it was Rabat who struck on 22 minutes.

Adam Smeir put Micallef clear and the Rabat striker lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper Mifsud.

Micallef almost struck again three minutes later when he rounded Mifsud but fired wide.

Two minutes into the second half Rabat doubled the score when Micallef’s shot  flew into the roof of the net.

But on 51 minutes Marsa were back in business when De Lima Melo passed towards Kento Sakurai who found the back of the net with a precise grounder.

Marsa exerted late pressure but the Rabat defence held on.

Marsa: L. Mifsud, L. Scorfna, R. Mifsud, M. Busuttil, G. Sultana, E. Vella (M. Gauci), L. De Melo, K. Sakurai, G. Martin, L. Omeruo (B. Essiel), R. Refalo (S. Meilak).

Rabat: S. Mintoff, J. Caruana, S. Gauci, A. Smeir (S. Abela), D. Falzon, G. Bugeja, E. Goodman (K. Muscat), R. Micallef, C. Vella, A. Azzopardi, D. Azzopardi.

Referee: Darko Stankovic (Albania)

Best Player: Ryan Micallef (Rabat Ajax).

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