Melita 1
Vittoriosa Stars 1

Melita showed resilience as they hit a stoppage-time goal to deny Vittoriosa Stars victory in a dramatic finale.

With this point, Melita are sharing third spot with Żejtun while Vittoriosa remain embroiled in relegation trouble.

Vittoriosa created the first chance after six minutes. Marcelo Pereira burst through the Melita defence but fired wide.

Melita responded five minutes later. The Stars defence failed to clear a Kane Micallef free-kick and Julian Galea shot over.

The tempo of the game remained high and on 18 minutes, Ramon’s header for Vittoriosa was turned away for a corner by Matthew Sapiano.

The Amateurs should have opened the scoring on 24 minutes but Nicolò Baldacchino blasted wide from close in.

The next scoring chance came two minutes into the second half when Leighton Grech’s shot was kept out by Sapiano. From the rebound, Adam Spiteri’s effort was cleared off the line.

Vittoriosa were now showing the better ideas. On 58 minutes, Pereira darted into the box but his effort was blocked by Manuel Ramon Sierra Camacho.

A goalless stalemate looked on the cards but Vittoriosa struck three minutes from time. Mark Barbara controlled the ball well before hammering past Sapiano.

After scoring so late in the game, the Stars probably thought that the three points were secure but their hopes were shattered as Melita equalised soon after.

Vittoriosa defender Luke Vella Critien handled the ball in the box and a penalty was awarded. Camacho’s shot was blocked by Jean Mathias Vella but from the rebound, the Melita player made no mistake.

Melita: M. Sapiano, M. Camacho, G. Gribbon, M. Martin, M. Borg, K. Micallef, N. Baldacchino (R. De Almeida), J. Galea, M. Valenzia (S. Galea), K. Vella Petroni, J. Vukanac.

Vittoriosa: J.M. Vella, L. Vella Critien, J. Camilleri, M. Pereira (L. Lagana), D. Pace (M. Barbara), K. Robinson, M. Buttigieg, R. Brincat, L. Grech, Ramon, A. Spiteri.

Referee: Karl Frendo Cumbo.

Man of the match: Leighton Grech (Vittoriosa).

St George’s 0
St Patrick 0

Relegation strugglers St Patrick and St George’s did little to boost their salvation hopes after their direct encounter ended goalless.

Early on, St George’s goalkeeper Ryan Marmara made a fine save to tip Alex Ellul’s shot away for a corner. From the resultant corner, taken by Jurgen Farrugia, Dylan Zarb cleared off the line.

St Patrick were dangerous again on 14 minutes when Evair Grech’s close-range effort was partially saved by Marmara. Grech slotted the ball home from the rebound but his effort was disallowed for a foul on Marmara.

On the half-hour, Ellul’s drive finished just wide as St Patrick continued to dominate. Three minutes later, St George’s threatened for the first time when Georgi Dolmov’s shot from an acute angle missed the target.

St George’s improved after half-time. They nearly stunned St Patrick when Zarb ran on to Leonardo Rocha Dos Santos’s pass but the ex-Valletta winger was foiled by Jonathan Grech.

On 50 minutes, Dolmov played a good one-two with Zarb but Rigers Ceka intervened to deflect the ball which rolled towards Gary Inguanez whose effort was saved by Grech.

At the other end, St George’s blocked dangerous headers by Spas Spasov and Morgan Onurah from a corner action.

St Patrick regained the upperhand. On 70 minutes, Spasov’s free-kick missed the target and three minutes later, Ellul’s grounder was also inches wide.

With five minutes to go, St Patrick protested for a penalty when Anthony Bonello looked to have pushed Dylan Micallef in the box but the referee waved play on.

St George’s: R. Marmara, D. Zahra, L. Rocha Dos Santos (J. Ruiz), E. Sevasta, A. Abela, G. Inguanez, R. Boutahir, D. Zarb, E. Amaira (A. Bonello), K. Grech (A. Mercieca), G. Dolmov.

St Patrick: J. Grech, E. Grech, M. Vella (M. Xerri), A. Galea, A. Ellul, C. Camilleri (D. Micallef), J. Farrugia, R. Ceka, S. Spasov, M. Onurah, I. Scicluna (D. Fava).

Referee: Philip Farrugia.

Man of the match: Spas Spasov (St Patrick).

Standings