Dene Shields poses with the GFA Player of the Month Award.The last match from the second round of the BOV Division One league in Gozo pitted together relegation strugglers Oratory Youths and SK Victoria Wanderers.
This was a direct clash between two sides looking to avoid a tense play-out at the end of the championship. Victory would have lifted the victors’ hopes by no small measure but in the end both sides had to settle for a one-all draw.
Oratory had a better start and opened the score on eight minutes following a free-kick from the distance by Manuel Gauci that surprised goalkeeper Matthew Towns.
The Wanderers were jolted but soon clicked into gear and started to venture more into the opponents’ half. Right on the half-hour mark, they clinched the equaliser when Milanko Raskovic hit home from a free-kick.
Victory could have gone either way. The Wanderers thought they had struck a late winner through Srdajn Draskovic but his effort was ruled out for an infringement.
Qala Saints and Munxar Falcons, the two teams occupying the bottom places in Division Two, struck a major surprise after reaching the cup final for the category.
Qala Saints turned defeat into a 4-3 victory with goals in the second half to eliminate promotion-seekers St Lawrence Spurs in the semi-finals.
Jason Portelli put the Spurs ahead on 20 minutes but the Maroons levelled matters soon after the break after veteran Brian Meilak curled his free-kick home.
Portelli gave the Spurs the lead a second time only for Qala to find the opponents’ net three times in a row through Samuel Sillato (65) and a Dario Zamora double (71p, 81).
Mohammed Senussi Telessi pulled one back from a stoppage-time penalty but Qala held on despite having Meilak sent off for a second bookable offence.
In the other semi-final, Munxar Falcons beat Żebbuġ Rovers 3-2 after extra-time with Jordi Parnis scoring the winner for his side on 101 minutes.
Ikechukwu Igwemeke had twice given Rovers the lead in normal time but Munxar hit back through Gabriel Muscat to force extra-time.
Chris Borg, of Żebbuġ, was sent off ten minutes from time and after the second restart Munxar had two red-carded players – Juan Hili and Francesco Cini – for second bookable offences.
Shields award
Dene Shields, of Xewkija Tigers, is the BOV GFA Player of the Month for January.
The Scottish striker scored the deciding goal in Xewkija’s 1-0 victory over SK Victoria Wanderers as well as the second goal when the Tigers downed Xagħra United 2-0 to maintain their top spot in the league.
Shields, 34, has established himself as Xewkija’s main goal-getter and the Christmas break seems to have spurred him into his top form again as he looks to propel his side to the league title this season.