Naxxar Lions moved out of the relegation zone after they eased past Balzan 3-1 at the Tedesco Stadium.

Terence Vella took centre stage for the Lions when the Malta striker scored twice inside the opening 20 minutes.

On 14 minutes, the Malta striker latched on to a long pass inside the area and he chipped the ball over his marker before hitting a fierce volley past Balzan goalkeeper Steve Sultana.

Vella struck again on 20 minutes. Uchenna Emenike broke free on the left before directing a low cross towards the Naxxar forward who diverted the ball past Sultana.

Balzan were rattled. They twice thought to have pulled a goal back when first Gianmarco Piccioni and then Oscar Guerrero drilled the ball into the Naxxar net but on both occasions the ‘goal’ was annulled for offside.

However, eight minutes from the break Balzan bridged the gap when Guerrero picked Piccioni inside the area and the Italian striker drilled the ball home.

Naxxar sealed the points on 55 minutes when in a quick break Gilmar released Emenike who burst into the area before hitting the ball past Julian Azzopardi, the Naxxar goalkeeper.

Naxxar striker Terence Vella was voted as the BOV Player of the match.

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