Mqabba 1
Naxxar Lions 1

Naxxar managed to salvage a point at the death after playing with 10 men for more than 50 minutes.

Mqabba thought they had registered their first victory of the season when they forged ahead with 10 minutes to go but the Lions roared back to maintain their promotion charge.

Mqabba took the early initiative and a Spas Spasov shot was blocked. From the rebound Andrew Caligari’s grounder was saved by Lions keeper Julian Azzopardi.

Naxxar clicked into gear and went close when Andrea Rocha da Silva’s centre for Darren Falzon was cleared in time by Mark Anthony Psaila. At the other end, a Spasov header, from an Emiliano Lattes corner, finished just over the bar.

Spasov had another good chance to open the scoring but hit the ball wide with only the goalkeeper to beat following a Caligari pass.

Then, on 38 minutes, the Lions suffered a setback when Kurt Drago was sent off for a second booking.

The scoresheet remained blank at half-time and soon after the restart, Lattes missed a sitter as he drove his shot wide after being released by Spasov.

Lattes tried from a free-kick on 56 minutes but with no luck. Naxxar, despite having a man less, ventured forward on 79 minutes only for Angus Buhagiar to see his grounder roll inches wide.

Mqabba struck a minute later. Azzopardi failed to keep out a Lattes shot and substitute John Paul Muscat was on the right spot to head home.

All seemed lost for the Lions but on 88 minutes Jurgen Debono, on as a substitute, blasted a free-kick past goalkeeper Kris Calleja with the ball hitting the underside of the bar before dropping into the net for a dramatic Naxxar equaliser.

Mqabba: K. Calleja, A. Scicluna, M.A. Psaila, S. Spasov (J.P. Muscat), A. Caligari (A. Williams), D. Azzopardi (M. Sciortino), J. Anegbe, C. Cutajar, P. Anizoba, E. Lattes, C. Camoin.

Naxxar: J. Azzopardi, L. Micallef, J. Vella, K. Drago, P. Doffo, V. Bellia, M. Del Negro, A. Buhagiar, D. Falzon (J. Debono), A. Rocha Da Silva, A. Ewurun (I. Serino Junior).

Referee: Sandro Spiteri.

Man of the match: Andrew Scicluna (Mqabba).

Dingli Swallows 1
Gżira United 1

Dingli and Gżira shared the spoils in a drab encounter that only sprung to life in the latter stages.

Dingli took the lead midway through the half and the Maroons had to wait until the 90th minute to draw level from a penalty.

But this was a scrappy encounter with Bulgarian Leontiev Konda again the main source of inspiration for Dingli. Their first threat came on 16 minutes when Senior David sprinted down the right and hit a grounder with the ball missing the target by a whisker and keeper Simon Agius beaten.

Two minutes later, following a melee inside the Dingli box, the ball fell into the path of Steve Meilak whose shot was kept out by Jeffrey Farrugia. A minute before the break Gżira were unlucky when Jimmy Hussey’s effort came off the woodwork after a floating ball in the area was nodded down by Meilak.

Gżira shouted “penalty” when Meilak went down after a challenge by Farrugia inside the Dingli box but the referee instead booked the Maroons player for simulation.

Dingli, however, went ahead on 72 minutes when Konda’s free-kick beat Agius hands down.

Gżira surged forward in search of an equaliser and Farrugia saved his side when stopping an Alfred Effiong free-kick. They almost drew level four minutes from time when Effiong headed against the upright following a Ryan Deguara cross as Meilak’s half-volley was stopped by Farrugia.

Gżira’s pressure was rewarded very late in the match when Roderick Briffa impeded Effiong in the box and from the penalty, the Nigerian made no mistake.

Dingli: J. Farrugia, A. Portelli, K. Pace, R. Briffa, R. Micallef (K. Formosa), F. Cauchi, L. Konda (E. Grech), J. Sapiano (R. Vella), J. Pace, S. David, E. Farrugia.

Gżira: S. Agius, K. Saliba, P. Grima, A. Xuereb, J. Chetcuti, O. Shennowo Ademolo, Y. Tonna (R. Deguara), D. Cachia, J. Hussey (S. Shead), S. Meilak, A. Effiong.

Referee: Karl Frendo Cumbo.

Man of the match: Leontiev Konda (Dingli).

Standings