Birkirkara 2 Tarxien 1
Ten-man Birkirkara bagged their third successive league victory when they edged Tarxien Rainbows 2-1 at the Tedesco Stadium.
The match was short of scoring opportunities in the opening minutes with Tarxien creating the first opportunity on 13 minutes when Carlos Hevia was put clear by Firas Aboulezz but his firm drive was somehow kept out by Haber with Mattheus Bissi heading the ball away.
But it was Birkirkara who struck on 27 minutes when Rafael Ledesma exchanged the ball with Paul Fenech before hitting a curling drive from the edge of the area that flew past Sean Mintoff.
On 32 minutes, Birkirkara were reduced to ten men when Hevia anticipated Nikola Vukanac and sped clear but the Spanish midfielder was brought down by Matheus Bissi who was subsequently dismissed by referee Adrian Azzopardi.
With a man more on the pitch, Tarxien drew more courage and on 34 minutes Xerri picked Hevia inside the area but the Rainbows midfielder saw his effort blocked by Haber.
On the hour Birkirkara had a golden opportunity to wrap up the points. Eliandro was brought down in the area by Ryan Sammut and from the resultant penalty Ledesma saw his effort pushed away by the diving Mintoff.
On 68 minutes, the Stripes had another gilt-edged opportunity when Ledesma picked the unmarked Sciberras but the Birkrikara skipper headed wide with onyly Mintoff to beat.
But two minutes later the Stripes were not to be denied as on 70 minutes Haruna sped into the area and he slid the ball past Mintoff from a close angle.
Tarxien pulled a goal back nine minutes from time when Aboulezz sped into the area and beat Haber with an angled drive.
Birkirkara striker Rafael Ledesma was voted as the BOV Player of the match.
Zebbug in important victory over Sliema
Zebbug Rangers chalked up three priceless points in a 2-1 triumph against 10-man Sliema to improve their precarious position in the table.
In the opening exchanges, play swung to and fro with high tempo and quality. A goal could be ‘invented’ at any moment. Within the space of two minutes, inside the first 10 minutes, we had two ‘doses’ of this ingredient both of remarkable quality.
First, it was Aidan Friggieri who hit beautifully on the turn but his effort finished onto the woodwork with Bartolo stranded. That was followed with an exquisite through-pass from Matias Muchardi towards Yussuff in the area as the striker smacked a low shot that was saved to a corner by Glenn Zammit.
But Sliema were lacking the spark to pose problems to Zebbug, the latter stayed in command. The Yellows were finding plenty success playing through the middle of the pitch.
Muchardi shone brightly and his straightforward attacking forays from the middle created havoc in the Sliema area. On the half hour mark, Mauricio Britto was guilty of some wasteful finishing after he was amply served by Muchardi but his drive towards goal was too feeble to trouble Zammit.
Zebbug kept piling the pressure and it was no surprise that they forged ahead on 35 minutes. Britto deserves credit for the goal as he sprinted past onrushing Zammit before he was hauled down by Scozzese in the box. The Italian defender was shown a straight red card and from the ensuing spot kick, Carlo Monti sent Zammit the wrong way.
But Sliema were back on level terms soon after restart, Marko Potezica picked up the ball near his box and launched a spectacular long range pass for Bocar who resisted the challenge from his mark and side-footed the ball past Bartolo.
Sliema’s goal coming just after the break, may have raised expectations of an entertaining second half but this did not happen.
Zebbug were beginning to look vulnerable and better finish from Bocar would have put Sliema in front after 67 minutes but playing with back to goal, hit a shot on the turn after killing a floating ball from the right on his chest only to see Bartolo blocking.
Instead it was Zebbug who scored 10 minutes from time. Luck was on their side when Zammit flapped at the ball following Monti’s swerving shot and pushed it straight into the path of Britto who slammed home.
Mosta end winning drought
Mosta bagged their first win after four matches when they cruised past struggling Qormi 3-1 at the Tedesco Stadium.
The first half produced few scoring chances with the best chance falling to Qormi on the half hour when Alfred Effiong was put clear by Frank Temile but Effiong fired wide with only Omar Borg to beat.
The Yellow-Blacks paid clearly for this miss as four minutes later Mosta struck.
It was their new attacking tandem who combined as Diogo’s through-ball released Zammit who chipped the ball over the onrushing Matthew Farrugia to put Mosta ahead.
Qormi almost levelled on 37 minutes when from a Frank Temile corner Effiong’s volley was cleared off the line by Ossok.
Seven minutes into the second half, the woodwork denied Mosta a second goal when they were awarded a free-kick from just outside the area and Matteus’s curling drive came off the bar.
Mosta’s Brazilian striker had another excellent opportunity on 57 minutes when he burst into the area but his low drive was kept out by Farrugia.
On 70 minutes Qormi’s hopes looked all over when Matteus outmuscled Mauricio Mazzetti Latini to burst into the area before sending a low cross into the path of Diogo who had no problems in tucking the ball into the net.
Qormi refused to lie down and 11 minutes from time they managed to pull a goal back when Mauricio Mazzetti Latini curled the ball home from a free-kick.
But Mosta hit back and on 83 minutes they wrapped up the points when Rodriguez Ekani burst into the area and hit past Farrugia.
Mosta’s striker Diogo was voted as the BOV Player of the match.