Msida St Joseph 0
San Ġwann 4

Żebbuġ Rangers continued with their march at the top of the standings following a 2-0 win over Pembroke Athleta.

Victory was Rangers’ eighth this season and now they have 28 points, five better off than second-placed San Ġwann who were outstanding in their 4-0 victory over other promotion chasers Msida.

Saints captain Shawn Vella scored a hat-trick as the Saints, with a couple of interesting players from the minors squad in the team, were never in trouble of losing this one to a lacklustre Msida side.

In fact, San Ġwann dictated play all the way even though Msida had the first chance to open the score when an early Fernando De An-drade shot came off the bar.

San Ġwann seized the initiative but had to wait until the 38th minute to open the score. Vassallo’s header was stopped by the keeper but in nipped Vella to hit the loose ball home from close in.

Twanny Dalli’s team were rocked and shortly before the break Vella was on the right spot to chip the ball past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

Msida tried to apply some kind of pressure after the break and Richard Attard’s shot skimmed the San Ġwann upright.

But Vella was the real protagonist in this match and 15 minutes from time he sped past his marker and tried his luck from outside the box. The goalkeeper was unable to stop the shot and in came Lee Galea to ram home the rebound.

San Ġwann sealed the issue seven minutes from time when Vella showed his skills from dead-ball situations, finding the net from a calibrated free-kick just outside the box.

Msida could have pulled one back in added time but this was not their day and De Andrade saw his penalty kept out by Carbonaro.

Msida: J. Agius, S. Vella, L. Cassar, M. Borda, W. Buttigieg (K. Grech), F. De Andrade, S. Magro, L. Baldacchino, D. Attard (T. Templemann), R. Attard (M. Grioli), R. Celeste.

San Ġwann: C. Carbonaro, R. Pisani, S. Vella (N. Sickle), G. Agius, P. Xuereb, D. Cosaitis, M. Vassallo, J. Cutajar, R. Zammit (G. Pace), J. Borg (J. Borg), L. Galea.

Referee: Kevin Azzopardi.

Summaries

Sta Venera Lightnings 2
Mellieħa 0

Sta Venera: W. Cuschieri, R. Borg, D. Zammit, M. Muscat, L. Desira, K. Cilia, A. Wingfield (D. Calleja), G. Micallef, E. Wileman, N. Caruana (S. Farrugia), D. Rapa (J. Micallef).

Mellieħa: S. Gauci, M. Vella, D. Cauchi, L. Cauchi, W. Borg, J. Zammit (J. Farrugia), D. Borg, K. Simiana (M. Trapani), G. Galea, W. Borg St John, R. Cutajar (J. Cutajar).

Referee: Sebastiano Gambuzza.

Scorer: Wileman 18, 70.

Għargħur 0
St George’s 1

Għargħur: C. Francica, G. Fenech (M. Gauci), E. Vella, K. Fedele, A. Briffa (M. Micallef), D. Camilleri, W. Rizealla, D. Sammut, D. Mamo (N. Scerri), C. Vella, M. Busuttil.

St George’s: T. Galea, M. Sevasta, R. Previ, C. Grech (W. Sciberras), J. Bugeja, Q. Bregman, G. Inguanez (G. Chircop), J. Farrugia, M. Brincat, S. Agius (G. Vella), O.L. Agboebinna.

Referee: Darryl Agius.

Scorer: Previ 45.

Mġarr United 1
Kirkop United 4

Mġarr: L. Borg, S. Camilleri, C. Bugeja, B. Galea, A. Aquilina, M. Abela (I. Darmanin), L. Agius (L. Mifsud), C. Tabone, C. Abela, S. Licari, R. Marmara (G. Vella).

Kirkop: J. Caruana, R. Galea, A. Formosa, A. Busuttil, D. Baldacchino (B. Falzon), M. Pisani, D. Agius, J. Chidi Achokwu (D. Grech), A. Barbara (M. Abdilla), S. Brkovic, C. Farrugia.

Referee: Martin Borg.

Scorers: Agius (K) 5; C. Abela (M) 26; Barbara (K) 31, 42; Brkovic (K) 35.

Siġġiewi 1
Żurrieq 4

Siġġiewi: J. Cilia, J. Mercieca, E. Bugeja, S. Delia, E. Ciappara (N. Galea), R. Ceka, M. Camilleri (G. Mallia), I. Curmi (K. Buhagiar), R. Far-rugia, J. Camilleri, J. Shead.

Żurrieq: J. Alden, K. Sacco, D. Sto-janovic, J. Lia, N. Abdilla, C. Farrugia, M. Schembri, J. Briffa, D. Zammit (D. Darmanin), S. Azzopardi (T. Borg), G. Bonello (N. Zammit).

Referee: Matthew DeGabriele.

Scorers: Shead (S) 5; Schembri (Ż) 25, 43, 53; Darmanin (Ż) 85.

Fgura United 1
St Patrick 3

Fgura: B. Bartolo (K. Camilleri), R. Adami, L. Bonett (D. Sammut), P. Chircop, N. Curmi, J. Dalli, K. Dar-manin, J. Debattista, G. Martin, M. Spiteri, L. Vella (C. Camenzuli).

St Patrick: J. Borg, S. Dimech, A. Lagana (D. Cutajar), J.R. Vella, M. Xerri, G. Failla (J.C. Cesare), R. Ellul, K. Mus-cat (L. Scerri), N. Filipov, A. Ellul, A. Guazzo.

Referee: Keith Buhagiar.

Scorers: A. Ellul (SP) 13; Xerri (SP) 59; Darmanin (F) 90+5, Filipov (SP) 90+7.

Red card: Debattista (F) 90.

Pembroke Athleta 0
Żebbuġ Rangers 2

Pembroke: N. Grima, N. Gatt Coleiro (K. Sultana), L. Cilia, M. Borg (K. Coleiro), J. Mifsud, C. Debattista (A. Galea), J.R. Emeka, G. Spiteri, D. Cre-mona, J.C. Borg, K. Micallef.

Żebbuġ: J. Spiteri, L. Galea, M. Fran-cica, W. Camenzuli, M. Farrugia, M. Rodrigues Britto (S. Hili), A. Tabone (B. Chetcuti), R. Spiteri, L.J. Agius, L. Camilleri, J. Nwoba (C. Cacciatolo).

Referee: Fyodor Zammit.

Scorers: Francica 57, Britto 62.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Zebbug	13	8	4	1	32	15	28
San Gwann	13	6	5	2	26	15	23
Msida SJ	13	6	4	3	27	21	22
St George’s	13	5	6	2	22	16	21
St Patrick	13	6	2	5	17	14	20
Zurrieq	13	5	5	3	20	14	20
Fgura United	13	6	2	5	21	22	20
Siggiewi	13	5	3	5	21	20	18
Pembroke A.	13	4	5	4	20	18	17
Kirkop United	13	4	4	5	14	16	16
Mellieha	13	4	4	5	12	23	16
Sta Venera	13	2	4	7	17	31	10
Gharghur	13	1	5	7	14	20	8
Mgarr United	13	1	3	9	14	32	6