Marsaxlokk 4
San Ġwann 4
Ten-man Marsaxlokk again reached the summit but only with a draw in surely the most-entertaining match of the season. With Marsaxlokk looking to have sealed the issue thanks to a Malcolm Licari late goal, San Ġwann had the last laugh when Firas Aboulezz struck to earn his team a merited point.
This was a game between the top and the bottom teams in the standings but on yesterday's showing no-one could distinguish who was first and last. In fact the Saints looked a sharp and enterprising outfit while Marsaxlokk coped thanks to their vast experience.
Marsaxlokk forged ahead after only 42 seconds when Dylan Kokavessis fired the ball home after the San Ġwann rearguard failed to cope with Clive Brincat's pass.
One expected an onslaught from the First Division leaders but San Ġwann reacted immediately and drew level on 15 minutes when Sergio Hili was at the end of Steve Pisani's throughball, and the San Ġwann striker stroke the ball into the net from an acute angle.
Marsaxlokk looked stunned, and although Martin Deanov had a free-kick saved by Jean Mathias Vella, it was San Ġwann who were doing all the running and it was no surprise that they scored again, this time another cracking goal. The clocked marked 24 minutes when Leeroy Bonnett blasted the ball fiercely into the net from inside the box following some good work by Ryan Sell.
On the half hour Deanov tried his luck from just outside the box but failed to hit the target. Patrick Curmi's side increased their pressure and three minutes from the break Vella produced a magnificent save off Kokavessis after a Deanov corner.
Marsaxlokk managed to draw level on the brink of half-time when the San Ġwann custodian came out clumsily following a long-ball and Licari lobbed the ball into an empty net.
Two minutes from the restart, San Ġwann again went infront when the towering defender Miguel Francica rose well to head firmly into the net from a Sergio Hili corner. On 53 minutes Marsaxlokk suffered a severe setback when Peter Pullicino was shown a straight red card for dissent.
On 57 minutes San Ġwann came close again when a good one-two between Bonnett and Sell saw the latter being thwarted by goalkeeper Rueben Debono.
On 63 minutes Marsaxlokk drew level when again Vella failed to hold the ball from a Deanov corner, the ball came into the path of William Camenzuli who drove the ball home off the post.
When the match looked set to end in a draw, Deanov picked Licari who headed the ball past Vella.
However, the Saints were not dead yet and in time added on Aboulezz scored a blinder from an acute angle.
Marsaxlokk: R. Debono; J. V. Vella (G. Caruana), W. Camenzuli, C. Brincat, E. Yantchev, P. Pullicino, G. Sciberras, R. Bajada, M. Licari, L. Grech (A. Spiteri), M. Deanov, D. Kokavessis.
San Ġwann: J.M. Vella, L. Cumbo, Q. Bregman (R. Sammut), M. Caruana, M. Francica, A. Borg, J. Zammit, S. Pisani, L. Bonnett (F. Aboulezz), S. Hili (N. Curmi), R. Sell.
Referee: Esther Azzopardi.
Man of the Match: Sergio Hili (San Ġwann).