Dingli Swallows 0
Mosta 2

Mosta kept up the pressure at the top of the Division One standings yesterday after beating 10-man Dingli at the Centenary Stadium to move up to first position in the standings.

Mosta have 20 points but they played a game more than direct rivals Senglea and Tarxien. After beating Mellieha, the Blues had Massimo Grima and Tonio Spiteri back from suspension and Daniel Theuma on the bench. They looked a sure bet to win the three points.

Dingli did not play badly and with morale sky-high after beating Qormi they produced a decent challenge but eventually surrendered after having Victor Fiteni sent off.

It was Dingli who created the first opening when after five minutes a Jeremy Agius drive, after a good run by the same player, was saved by Jonathan Debono.

Play was concentrated mostly in the middle of the park until Mosta found an opening in the 37th minute when Steve Borg headed the ball home from a Grima free-kick.

Mosta doubled the score on 42 minutes, this time Grima scoring from close range following an Elton Vella cross.

Mosta continued to dictate matters in the second half and on 50 minutes a Kalenga header from a Grima free-kick was saved in style by Jeffrey Farrugia.

On 59 minutes, Antonio Saliba looked to have committed an own goal but the referee judged that Dingli's Uchanna Anywanna had pushed the Mosta defender and the 'goal' was disallowed.

Fiteni received a second yellow card on 60 minutes and the contest looked over. Mosta administered their lead and looked happy to control the match and preserve their two-goal advantage.

They could have scored a third in the 85th minute but Kalenga shot wide from in front of goal.

Dingli: J. Farrugia, E. Casha, F. Cauchi, C. Ciappara (J. Cachia), M. Galea (D. Roe), K. Formosa, V. Fit-eni, C. Muscat, J. Agius, E. Farrugia (C. Tabone), U. Anywanna.

Mosta: J. Debono, M. Abela, S. Borg, M. Brincat, R. Deguara, M. Farrugia, C. Pace (D. Theuma), A. Saliba, E. Vella (E. Gatt), M. Grima, N. Kalenga (C. Sant).

Referee: Anthony Zammit.

Man of the match: Massimo Grima (Mosta).

Mellieha win basement clash

Marsa 0
Mellieha 1

This was a useful victory for Mellieha as they beat fellows-in-distress Marsa in their bid to stave off the relegation threat. Mellieha made up for the 3-1 upset to Marsa in the first round match. They are still in murky waters though as they only lead Marsa on goal difference.

Gianluca Calabretta scored the winner for the northerners yesterday but the striker missed a hatful of other chances in the second half as Marsa were made to play with 10 men following the 37th-minute red card shown to Ivan Borg.

Mellieha could have gone in front as early as the third minute when Marsa defender Darren Vella cleared off the line a Patrick Camilleri shot following a William Borg cross.

Jimmy Briffa, the Marsa coach, pushed more men forward but his players' long balls in the opponents' box rarely troubled Gauci in the Mellieha goal.

On the half-hour, Calabretta advanced unimpeded inside the Marsa box before slotting the ball home following a perfect Sandro Costa Brasilino throughpass.

Calabretta was unlucky when his header hit the bar with the keeper beaten and then Borg was red-carded for a second yellow card following a foul on Camilleri.

Marsa went close to an equaliser soon after the restart when Warren Chircop had his effort from just inside the area saved by Gauci following a Jeremy Dalli move.

But Marsa were never up to the task and fizzled away as Mellieha assumed territorial supremacy which could have yielded more goals had Calabretta been more clinical in his finish, particularly on 76 minutes when he lobbed the ball wide of goal with only the keeper to beat.

In stoppage time, Mellieha's Reuben Vella dribbled his way through to beat the offside trap only to see his shot saved by Roderick Spiteri.

Marsa: R. Spiteri, S. Cutajar, D. Vella, I. Borg, C. Sacco (J. Camilleri), J.P. Zammit, J. Achokwu (J. Martin), K. Cassar, K. Scerri (A. Cassar), W. Chircop, J. Dalli.

Mellieha: S. Gauci, F. Vella (B. Zammit), M. Abela, W. Borg, G. Calabretta, K. Gauci, P. Camilleri, R. Vella, M. Borg, L. Cauchi, S. Costa Brasilino.

Referee: Juergen Spiteri.

Man of the match: Sandro Costa Brasilino (Mellieha).