Pietà Hotspurs 1
Gudja United 0

Pietà continued to enhance their promotion chances as they beat Gudja with a late goal scored by Raphael Kooh Sohna at the Tedesco Stadium, yesterday.

Thanks to this win, Edmond Lufi’s team are now top of the table, one point ahead of Lija and two clear of Naxxar and Vittoriosa, who both have a game in hand.

Kooh Sohna was tightly marked by Josef Tonna for most of the opening half and the Pietà forward rarely found time and space to pose problems upfront.

Gudja went close first with an Alan Abela header from a Karl Azzopardi cross that flew just over the bar.

Pietà hit back with a Terrence Agius effort that went just wide after a perfect Kooh Sohna ball. At the other end, Gudja had an Elton Bugeja lob cleared off the line by Andrew Spiteri and from the rebound, the ball fell into the path of Kiril Aleksandrov whose shot hit the foot of the post.

Gudja continued to give their all and a Cosmin Anton shot was saved in style by Pietà’s Miguel Montfort. Pietà did not lie down though and a Larson Mallia effort was stopped by the well-positioned Matthew Xerxen.

The second half was mostly end-to-end stuff but ten minutes from time Pietà scored the goal that mattered.

Kooh Sohna was on the right spot to collect a Mallia centre from the left before hitting home a crucial winner.

Pietà: M. Montfort, A. Spiteri, M. Borg, C. Grech, C. Spiteri, J. Zarate, Q. Refalo (C. Cutajar), T. Agius, L. Mallia, C. Frendo (J. Pisani), R. Kooh Sohna.

Gudja: M. Xerxen, D. Cachia (R. Buhagiar), J. Tonna, A. Abela, E. Vella, E. Bugeja, N. Alnoudji, G. Chircop (R. Sell), K. Azzopardi (P.P. Sammut), C. Anton, K. Aleksandrov.

Referee: Clayton Pisani.

Man of the match: Terrence Agius (Pietà Hotspurs).

Gżira United 1
Lija Athletic 2

Lija Athletic moved into second place after hitting a last-gasp winner to beat Gżira United 2-1.

Lija were the better side in the first half. After 23 minutes, Beppe Antignolo dribbled past a defender before firing a strong shot that was saved by Simon Agius. From the resulting corner, the ball was played short to Erjon Beu whose cross-shot dipped behind the Gżira custodian to give Lija the lead.

A minute later, Ricardo Severino Goncalves’s close-range header was saved by Agius.

Gżira made it 1-1 five minutes from half-time, Yanis Tonna hitting home from a Steve Meilak cross.

On 42 minutes, Beu missed a sitter following a fine move involving Daniel Scerri and Goncalves.

After the change of ends, Gżira came close on 50 minutes when Simon Shead’s cross-shot was cleared by Clayton Giordemaina.

On 64 minutes, a Jeffrey Chetcuti free-kick took a deflection with the ball finishing wide.

The Maroons continued to dictate matters. On 68 minutes, Tonna’s piledriver from 25 metres dipped just over the crossbar.

At last Lija produced a scoring opportunity 14 minutes from time. Adeshina Ige served substitute Antoine Sacco whose drive was saved by Agius. From the rebound, efforts by Ige and Beu were blocked.

With four minutes left, Agius saved from Antignolo. Just over a minute from time, Lija scored the winning goal when Sacco slotted the ball home from close in after Tonna headed weakly in an attempt to clear Dejan Vukovic’s cross.

Gżira: S. Agius, J.P. Vella (J.P. Gatt), P. Grima, J. Chetcuti, A. Xuereb, S. Meilak, A. White, Y. Tonna, A. Shennowo, S. Ogbemudia, S. Shead.

Lija: L. Bonnici, C. Giordemaina, M. Fleri Soler, D. Scerri, E. Beu, D. Vukovic, E. Briffa, A. Scicluna, B. Antignolo (D. Mintoff), R.S. Goncalves (A. Sacco), A. Ige.

Referee: Mario Apap.

Man of the match: Beppe Antignolo (Lija).

Standings