SK Victoria Wanderers and Sannat Lions scored identical 4-0 wins over Qala St Joseph and Għajnsielem respectively last weekend at the Gozo Stadium. Both winning teams are now sharing top spot in the standings along with Victoria Hotspurs who have a game in hand.
Qala had two players sent off just after the break, paving the way for the Wanderers to secure a comfortable victory.
The Citizens forged ahead on the half-hour through Williams R. Akande. Qala tried to react but their efforts suffered a blow five minutes after the restart when Glenn Cefai and then Ricardo Saverino were red-carded.
Victoria doubled their lead on 52 minutes through Ajibade Adesina and added two more goals to their tally with strikes from Akande and Joseph Refalo.
The Wanderers, however, ended the match on a sour note as Joseph Vella was sent off for retaliation three minutes from time.
Għajnsielem were unlucky on 21 minutes when an Errol Grima shot hit the Sannat post. However, the Lions were always dangerous in their counter-breaks and took the lead nine minutes before half-time through John Camilleri.
The Blacks intensified their efforts to get back into the game after the break but Fernando de Andrade dashed their hopes after profiting from a defensive blunder in the opponents' box.
A header by Ndayi Kalenga smacked against the Lions' woodwork. In the final stages, Sannat found more space in Għajnsielem's half and strikers Camilleri and De Andrade duly capitalised to increase their team's winning margin to four goals.
In the other match from Division One, Nadur Youngsters obtained their first point of the campaign in a 1-1 draw with Kerċem Ajax.
Nadur, who had Anthony Portelli acting as player-coach following the resignation of Mario Bonello, opened the scoring in the seventh minute through an Alex Simoncic free-kick.
However, the Ajax battled on and grabbed a deserved equaliser on the hour mark through Josef Debrincat to preserve their unbeaten record.
Nadur Youngsters 1
Simoncic 7
Kerċem Ajax 1
Debrincat 60
Nadur
S. Sultana, P. Buttigieg, J. Meilaq, S. Attard, A. Simoncic, J. Buttigieg, B. Timotic, I. Ginev (J. Said), J.S. Portelli (S. Muscat), A. Portelli, J.C. Portelli.
Kerċem
V. Galea, F. Camilleri (A. Grech), E. Hussain, D. Stojanovic, M. Tabone, G. Emiy, M. Stojanovic, J. Debrincat, J.P. Mizzi, D. Mercieca, J. Mercieca (M. Vella).
Referee: Thomas Debono.
Qala SJ 0
SK Victoria Wanderers 4
Akande 30, 56; Adesina 52; Refalo 64
Qala
V. Agius, J. Galea, P. Camilleri, M. Bonello, M. Secco, C. Hili, M. Mifsud, D. Abela, G. Cefai, R. Saverino, E. Nkwankwo.
SK Victoria Wanderers
M. Mercieca, S. Gatt (L. Mizzi), M. Grech (K. Azzopardi), F. Magrin, D.U. Monday, J. Refalo (C. Sciortino), J. Vella, M. Buttigieg, I. Adesina, A. Adesina, W.R. Akande.
Red cards: Cefai 50 (Q), Saverino 51 (Q), Vella 87 (SK).
Referee: Alan Mario Sant.
Għajnsielem 0
Sannat Lions 4
Camilleri 34, 81; De Andrade 48, 80
Għajnsielem
J. Xuereb, F. Buttigieg (D. Debattista), T. Lateff, C. Mercieca (J. Attard), J. Buttigieg, B. Meilak, K. Mercieca, E. Grima, M. Cremona, N. Kalenga, F.L. Galea (L. Buttigieg).
Sannat
D. Bajada, B. Njoku, J. Agius (C. Mercieca), A. Debono, M. Muscat, M. Formosa (F. Debono), F. De Andrade, J. Camilleri, R. Nagem, M. Azzopardi, S. Rais (E. Bugeja).
Referee: Clayton Pisani.