St George’s 1
Msida St Joseph 1
Ten-man Msida snatched a late equaliser against St George’s who retained the runners-up spot but have now drifted nine points behind leaders Żebbuġ Rangers.
The race for promotion slots is growing hotter every week with third-placed San Ġwann, who drew 0-0 with St Patrick, also in contention along with Żurrieq, Msida, Fgura United and Pem-broke Athleta.
On Saturday, St George’s saw more of the ball as Msida were forced to play with a man less from the 38th minute. However, Twanny Dalli’s men rallied to salvage a point, thus repeating the same score of the first round.
St George’s had their first glimpse of goal after three minutes when Steve Agius beat a defender before shooting slightly wide.
Play remained mainly in midfield but on 23 minutes the Cottonera side had a good move between Aogbeoinna, Farrugia and Gary Inguanez with the latter’s shot well saved by the Msida goalkeeper.
Msida created their first danger on 27 minutes when from a Lesley Cassar free-kick, Ronnie Celeste headed over the bar. Four minutes later Aogbeoinna did all the running, ripping the Msida defence apart and delivering a perfect ball to Steve Agius who blasted over.
St George’s continued to dictate matters and their cause was aided seven minutes from half-time by the red card to last-man Lesley Cassar who floored Aogbeoinna.
Just before the break, Mauro Brincat released Aogbeoinna who beat John Agius from close in.
On resumption, Aogbeoinna was again put through by Brincat but this time the Msida keeper blocked in style.
Inguanez and Aogbeoinna missed open chances to double their team’s lead and they were made to pay dearly for their mistakes as seven minutes from time Msida stunned their opponents with a Celeste equaliser.
St George’s: T. Galea, E. Sevasta, C. Grech, J. Bugeja, G. Inguanez, J. Farrugia, M. Brincat (G. Vella), E. Amaira, S. Agius (S. Debono), Q. Bregmann, O.L. Aogbeoinna.
Msida: J. Agius, L. Cassar, M. Borda, S. Vella, S. Magro, F. De Andrade, M. Caruana, R. Celeste, L. Baldacchino, K. Grech (A. Mifsud), M. Grech (D. Attard).
Referee: Daryl Agius.
Summaries
Pembroke Athleta 1
Mġarr United 1
Pembroke: M. Calleja Cremona, A. Attard, L. Cilia, C. Farrugia, K. Coleiro, M. Borg, J. Mifsud (A. Galea), G. Spiteri, D. Cremona, J.C. Borg, D. Calleja Cremona.
Mġarr: J. Muscat, D. Axiaq, G. Vella, C. Bugeja, J. Said, S. Camilleri, B. Galea, S. Licari (D. Thom-pson), L. Agius (R. Marmara), I. Cutajar, C. Abela.
Referee: Jurgen Spiteri.
Scorers: Abela (M) 64; Cilia (P) 90.
Red cards: Cutajar (M) 88, Cremona (P) 88.
Żebbuġ Rangers 2
Żurrieq 1
Żebbuġ: R. Grech, L. Camilleri, J. Xerri, M. Francica, L. Galea, M. Farrugia, L.J. Agius (B. Chetcuti), R. Spiteri, A. Tabone, J. Nwoba (O. Rababah), M. Rodrigues Britto (S. Hili).
Żurrieq: J. Alden, K. Sacco, D. Stojanovic, K. Magro, D. Darmanin, G. Bonello, M. Cocks, J. Briffa, J. Lia, S. Azzopardi (M. Schembri), D. Zammit (T. Borg).
Referee: Keith Buhagiar.
Scorers: Nwoba (Żebbuġ) 22, Stojanovic (Żurrieq) 73, Rodrigues Britto (Żebbuġ) 88.
San Ġwann 0
St Patrick 0
San Ġwann: C. Carbonaro, A. Borg (R. Pisani), B. Sciberras, R. Briffa, S. Vella, B. Ferraz Do Amaral, M. Mercieca, P. Xuereb (C. Cuschieri), J. Borg (J. Cutajar), R. Zammit, D. Cosaitis.
St Patrick: J. Borg, K. Muscat, C. Vella, M. Xerri, N. Filipov, A. Guazzo (R. Cassar), A. Ellul (S. Diacono), I. Scicluna, G. Failla (S. Zerafa), L. Scerri, J.R. Vella.
Referee: Etienne Mangion.
Kirkop United 0
Mellieħa 2
Kirkop: C. Caruana, R. Galea (R. Farrugia), A. Formosa, D. Agius, B. Falzon, D. Baldacchino, C. Vella (M. Abdilla), C. Farrugia, F.V. Ohaka, M. Pisani, B. Bugeja (A. Barbara).
Mellieħa: C. Tonna, M. Vella, D. Cauchi (M. Trapani), P. Taylor, W. Borg, J. Zammit (J. Cutajar), K. Fenech, D. Borg, W. Borg St John, G. Galea, R. Cutajar (D. Saliba).
Referee: Gordon Barbara.
Scorers: Galea 18, Saliba 74.
Fgura United 6
Siġġiewi 2
Fgura: B. Bartolo, N. Zerafa, J. Debattista, H. Schembri, N. Curmi, M. Spiteri, E. Cornago San Pedro, G. Martin, P. Chircop (N. Bezzina), C. Camenzuli (R. Briffa), J. Dalli (A. Vella).
Siġġiewi: J. Cilia, J. Mercieca (M. Deguara), S. Delia, K. Mizzi, G. Mallia (G. Camilleri), R. Geka, E. Ciappara, I. Curmi, R. Farrugia, J. Camilleri (S. Vella), J. Shead.
Referee: Sebastiano Cambuzzo.
Scorers: Farrugia (S) 2, Mallia (S) 60; Martin (F) 23, 42, Dalli (F) 56, 83, 86, Camenzuli (F) 68.
Għargħur 7
Sta Venera Lightnings 1
Għargħur: S. Sullivan, R. Debattista, P. Sammut, A. Briffa, K. Fedele, D. Camilleri, W. Rizgalla (D. Borg), D. Mamo, I. Todorov (D. Micallef), M. Agius (G. Camilleri), E. Lapira.
Sta Venera: S. Omar, A. Wingfield, D. Zammit, R. Carbonaro, K. Cilia, M. Muscat, G. Micallef, L. Desira (A. Agius), K. Vella, J. Zammit (A. Hili), N. Caruana (V. Petrovic).
Referee: Matthew Degabriele.
Scorers: Zammit (SV) 8 pen; Debattista (GĦ) 13, Agius (GĦ) 59 pen, D. Camilleri (GĦ) 72, Mamo (GĦ) 82, 83, Micallef (GĦ) 86, 89.
Red cards: Wingfield (SV) 58, Omar (SV) 65.
Standings
P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
Żebbuġ | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 48 | 17 | 44 |
St George’s | 19 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 33 | 19 | 35 |
San Gwann | 19 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 36 | 21 | 33 |
Żurrieq | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 30 | 22 | 31 |
Msida SJ | 19 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 34 | 27 | 31 |
Fgura United | 19 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 36 | 32 | 29 |
Pembroke | 19 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 32 | 21 | 28 |
Mellieħa | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 29 | 25 |
Siġġiewi | 19 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 32 | 34 | 24 |
St Patrick | 19 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 26 | 24 |
Kirkop United | 19 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 29 | 19 |
Għargħur | 19 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 26 | 33 | 14 |
Mġarr United | 19 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 20 | 42 | 12 |
Sta Venera | 19 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 24 | 59 | 10 |