Pieta Hotspurs 2
St Patrick 1
Pietà consolidated their position at the top of the standings after beating lowly St Patrick by the odd goal in three.
The Hotspurs are still unbeaten after six matches, having just dropped two points in a draw against St George’s.
Pietà took the lead on 20 minutes when after receiving a good ball by Larsson Mallia, Zach Muscat was quick to hit home with an angled grounder.
St Patrick were nowhere to be seen but two minutes from the break the Pietà rearguard was caught unawares and Blendi Gockaj made it 1-1.
But it only took Pietà five minutes after the break to regain the lead, Jurgen Pisani’s firm header from a Quilin Refalo delivery beating keeper Joshua Galea hands down.
Pietà were in control but ten minutes from time the Saints were unlucky when a Jurgen Farrugia free-kick hit the woodwork with the keeper beaten.
Pieta: K. Vella, C. Spiteri, E.B. Giaccaglia, Q. Refalo, T. Agius (G. Busuttil), Z. Muscat, V.P. Dos Santos (A. Farrugia), L. Mallia, G. Cassar, J.B. Zarate, J. Pisani (M. Schembri).
St Patrick: J. Galea, A. Galea (R. Cassar), S. Agius (D. Mamo), S. Dimech, R. Vella, D. Gauci, J. Farrugia, B. Engoudou, D. Micallef (A. Ellul), B. Gockaj, E. Grech.
Referee: Sandro Spiteri.
Man of the match: Jurgen Pisani (Pieta Hotspurs).
Żejtun Corinthians 1
Birżebbuġa Sp 0
Albanian Gers Delia scored the goal that mattered for Żejtun against a ten-man Birżebbuġa team that found the going tough after having Kevin Borg sent off after the break.
It was Joey Falzon’s Żejtun who started the game on the offensive and applied some hot pressure on their opponents through Kalin Ganchev’s distribution.
But Birżebbuġa started coming more into the picture and on 23 minutes an Onuta drive was stopped by Ranier Farrugia.
Żejtun won a penalty soon after the restart when Spiteri handled the ball inside his box following a Filipov cross. Ganchev stepped up to take the spot-kick but fired wide.
The seasiders breathed a sigh of relief but on 68 minutes they had Borg sent off for a second yellow card and after that they were never in the match.
Abela’s shot seemed destined to reach Ivan Casha’s net but the keeper flew sideways to deny Żejtun who ventured forward at random.
Then, with 15 minutes to go, Delia was on the right spot to hit home a crucial goal for the Corinthians following some sterling work by substitute Silvio Sciberras.
Żejtun: R. Farrugia, K. Vassallo (S. Sciberras), M. Borg, C. Magro, E. Azzopardi, R. Cauchi, A. Farrugia, N. Filipov, K. Ganchev (C. Formosa), G. Delia, K. Abela (L. Micallef).
Birżebbuġa: I. Casha, K. Borg, M. Pullicino, D. Milovic, K. Spiteri, G. Tanti, M. Mifsud, M. Sciortino (K. Muscat), B. Onuta, B. Marev, R. Celeste (D. Baldacchino).
Referee: Clayton Pisani.
Man of the match: Gers Delia (Żejtun Corinthians).
Vittoriosa Stars 0
St George’s 0
The Cottonera derby between Vittoriosa Stars and St George’s is always a tense affair both on and off the pitch and this was no exception.
Tussles flared up in the pitch, especially late in the game were three players were sent off in injury time. At this point the police had to control both sets of fans who started throwing objects at each other.
The match in itself failed to produce much of the entertaining fare with St George’s perhaps being the better side on the day.
St George’s threatened on 19 minutes when Vittoriosa keeper Jean Vella charged out of his goal to block Eric Chuckwunyelu.
Vittoriosa responded on 26 minutes when a Mark Barbara effort finished just over.
Vittoriosa went close on 62 minutes when Isaac Henry headed wide from a Justin Camilleri cross.
With a minute to go, a Roberto Micallef long-range effort finished just over the crossbar.
Two minutes into injury time Saints substitute Amadeo Mercieca and Leonardo Rocha Dos Santos for Vittoriosa were both sent off for dissent. A minute later Heathcliff Schembri was also dismissed after receiving a second yellow card.
Vittoriosa Stars: J.M. Vella; J. Camilleri, B. Bonnici, J. Spiteri, M. Barbara (R. Sel), M. Pereria, L. Scerri (R. Brincat), L. Rocha Do Santos, A. Spiteri, J. Dalli (I. Henry), M. Buttigieg.
St George’s: T. Galea, H. Schembri, E. Sevasta, M.A. Bonnici, N. Curmi, G. Inguanez (R. Boutahir), D. Zarb, E. Amaira (A. Abela), G. Bonello, J. Ruiz, E. Chuckwunyelu (A. Mercieca).
Referee: Marco Borg.
Man of the Match: Dylan Zarb (St. George’s).
Naxxar Lions 0
Lija Athletic 0
Naxxar Lions are still in search of their first win after they could only manage a goalless draw against Lija Athletic.
A draw maybe was a just result in a match which saw Lija under-perform by their standards, even though Marco Gerada’s side had the best chances.
The only note-worthy goal-scoring opportunities in the first 45 minutes came mid-way through the half when Glenn Barry looked to have been impeded in the box, but the referee waved play on. Minutes later Ige Adesina’s shot from just inside the area hitting a post.
On 55 minutes, Adesina dribbled past several defenders with his shot finishing wide.
The best goal scoring opportunity for Lija came in the 70th minute when Justin Spiteri blocked an Erjon Bue drive, and from the rebound Andre Scicluna fired wide.
Naxxar: J. Spiteri, V. Bellia, D. Falzon, A. Farrugia, G. Magri (J. Debono), R. Schembri, L. Micallef, A. Attard, M. Maccari (J. Zammit), M. De Lima Siqueira (A. Del Negro), E. Fiori Dos Santos
Lija: E. A. Ini, C. Giordimaina, E. Bue, E. Briffa (D. Scerri), G. Camilleri, B. Camilleri, J. P. Scerri, B. Fenech, A. Scicluna, M. Fleri Soler, I. Adesina.
Referee: Philip Farrugia
Man of the match: I. Adesina (Lija).