[attach id=248089 size="medium"]Leaders Żebbuġ Rangers chalked up their 18th victory after beating St George’s at the Centenary Stadium.[/attach]
Żebbuġ Rangers 1
St George’s 0
Champions-elect Żebbug Rangers continued to strengthen their reputation as the top team in Divi-sion Two this season after beating St George’s, who had started the day in second place, thanks to a Miguel Francica goal midway through the second half.
Defeat for the Saints was a bitter pill to swallow as they were leapfrogged in the standings by other promotion-seekers Msida St Joseph and Żurrieq.
Msida beat Siġġiewi 1-0 and Żurrieq had the better of relegated team Sta Venera 3-2.
Senglea Athletic and Mdina Knights will be playing Division Two football next season after making sure in the last round of matches that secured them the top two positions in Division Three.
St George’s have now slipped to fourth place which also means a promotion position. However, they will have to look behind their backs as San Ġwann beat Mġarr 1-0 in their last match to move two points behind the team from Cospicua.
On Sunday, the Żebbuġ fans were again in festive mood as they roared their team on in a highly-charged match.
St George’s had beaten Rangers 4-2 in the first round but this time the leaders were looking not to concede defeat to extend their unbeaten run to 13 matches.
A Mauro Brincat free-kick almost broke the deadlock for St George’s early on and Rangers went close when the unmarked Leone Camilleri was denied by the Saints goalkeeper.
Żebbuġ were unlucky not to open the score when a William Camenzuli free-kick hit the upright with Marmara beaten.
At the other end, Osi Lucky Aogbeoinna’s shot deceived keeper Reuben Grech but the ball was cleared by a defender.
Rangers dangerman Mauricio Rodrigues Britto came to light for the first time in the game early in the second half but his shot flashed wide.
Camenzuli tested Marmara from the distance and on 69 minutes Francica headed home the goal that mattered from an Alan Tabone corner.
Żebbuġ should have doubled the score a few minutes later when Rodrigues Britto embarked on a scorching run but his final effort flew off target.
St George’s dominated the last part of the match as they attacked in search of the equaliser. Nine minutes from time they almost drew level but Gary Inguanez hit badly from an ideal position.
Brincat also had two efforts at Grech’s goal but it was not to be as Rangers held on.
Żebbuġ: R. Grech, L. Camilleri, M. Francica, L. Galea, W. Camenzuli, R. Spiteri, M. Farrugia, L.J. Agius, O. Rababah (J. Nwoba), A. Tabone (J. Xerri), M. Rodrigues Britto (S. Hili).
St George’s: R. Marmara, E. Sevasta, R. Previ, G. Vella, Q. Bregman, G. Inguanez (A. Bonello), E. Amaira, M. Brincat, J. Bugeja, J. Farrugia, O.L. Aogbeoinna.
Referee: Matthew Degabriele.
Summaries
St Patrick 0
Għargħur 1
St Patrick: J. Grech, J.R. Vella, D. Cutajar (K. Muscat), N. Filipov, D. Pace, C. Vella, G. Failla (A. Ellul), M. Xerri, L. Scerri, R. Cassar, J.C. Cesare.
Għargħur: S. Sullivan, D. Mamo, N. Scerri, R. Debattista, K. Fedele, A. Briffa, E. Lapira, D. Camilleri, C. Vella (D. Micallef), M. Gauci (M. Gurun Fuad), B. Pace.
Referee: Etienne Mangion.
Scorer: Mamo 7.
Żurrieq 3
Sta Venera 2
Żurrieq: J. Alden, A. Barbara, K. Sacco, K. Magro, J. Lia, C. Farrugia (T. Borg), D. Darmanin (G. Frendo), J. Briffa, B. Adams, G. Bonello, S. Azzopardi.
Sta Venera: W. Cuschieri (J. Xuereb), J. Taliana, D. Zammit, Y.M. Law, V. Petrovic, R. Bezzina, G. Micallef (J. Sammut), N. Refalo, E. Wileman, J. Zammit, K. Zammit.
Referee: Keith Buhagiar.
Scorers: Darmanin 20, Azzopardi 26, Frendo 39 (Ż); Wileman 37, Bezzina 90 (SV).
San Ġwann 1
Mgarr United 0
San Ġwann: C. Carbonaro, M. Mercieca, D. Cosaitis, R. Briffa, R. Pisani, P. Xuereb, A. Borg, L. Galea (G. Agius), J. Borg (B. Ferraz Do Amaral), G. Pace (S. Vella), R. Zammit.
Mġarr: K. Ellul, G. Vella, J. Said, C. Bugeja, A. Aquilina, B. Galea, S. Camilleri, C. Tabone (D. Law), C. Abela, S. Licari (D. Thompson), M. Deguara (R. Marmara).
Referee: Manuel Grech.
Scorer: Xuereb 14.
Msida St Joseph 1
Siġġiewi 0
Msida: J. Agius, A. Mifsud, L. Cassar, M. Borda, S. Vella, D. Attard, M. Caruana, S. Magro, T. Templeman, M. Grioli (R. Attard), R. Celeste (K. Grech).
Siġġiewi: J. Cilia, N. Galea (J. Mercieca, M. Deguara), E. Calleja, K. Buhagiar, R. Farrugia, R. Ceka, I. Curmi, S. Delia, K. Mizzi, M. Camilleri, J. Shead (J. Camilleri).
Referee: Daryl Agius.
Scorer: Templeman 30 pen.
Mellieħa 2
Fgura United 3
Mellieħa: S. Gauci, M. Vella, M. Trapani (J. Attard), P. Taylor, D. Cauchi, W. Borg (J. Cutajar), J. Zammit, W. Borg St John, G. Galea, D. Saliba (R. Cutajar), K. Simiana.
Fgura: B. Bartolo, M. Spiteri, R. Adami, E. Cornago, G. Martin, J. Dalli, N. Zerafa, K. Darmanin, P. Chircop, L. Vella (N. Fenech), C. Camenzuli (N. Bezzina).
Referee: Clayton Pisani.
Scorers: Galea (M) 9, Martin (F) 52, Borg St John (M) 57 penalty, Dalli (F) 74, Darmanin (F) 77 penalty.
Kirkop United 0
Pembroke 3
Kirkop: C. Caruana, R. Farrugia (R. Darmanin), C. Farrugia, A. Formosa, D. Baldacchino, R. Galea, B. Bugeja, M. Pisani, C. Vella, D. Agius, C. Cutajar (M. Abdilla)
Pembroke Athleta: M. Calleja Cremona, A. Attard (N. Grech), L. Cilia, C. Farrugia, K. Coleiro, J. Mifsud, G. Spiteri, J. Roland Emeka, D. Cremona, J.C. Borg, K. Micallef.
Referee: Sebastiano Gambuzza.
Scorers: Emeka 30, Cilia 37, 44.
Red card: Agius (K) 51.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Żebbuġ | 24 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 64 | 21 | 59 |
| Msida SJ | 24 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 46 | 29 | 46 |
| Żurrieq | 24 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 39 | 26 | 44 |
| St George’s | 24 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 41 | 24 | 43 |
| San Ġwann | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 44 | 31 | 41 |
| Fgura United | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 45 | 37 | 38 |
| Pembroke | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 40 | 28 | 34 |
| Siġġiewi | 24 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 39 | 41 | 29 |
| Mellieħa | 24 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 | 41 | 28 |
| Kirkop United | 24 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 22 | 41 | 23 |
| St Patrick | 24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 23 |
| Għargħur | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 32 | 39 | 22 |
| Mġarr United | 24 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 50 | 17 |
| Sta Venera | 24 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 31 | 71 | 13 |