Sirens 4
Mqabba 0

April 3, 2019 will remain inscribed in the history of Sirens FC after they secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time since their foundation after brushing aside Mqabba 4-0 at the Tedesco Stadium, on Wednesday.

With the win, the St Paul’s Bay side have opened an unassailable 16-point lead over third-placed Sta Luċija and Naxxar Lions to seal their place in the top-flight, a perfect way to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary.

“We are so proud of this historic achievement,” coach Vince Carbonaro told the Times of Malta.

“This year we played good football and even managed to go on an impressive 11-match winning streak, which is not easy to attain in such a difficult championship.

“We may be promoted now, but we’re not finished yet we want to finish as champions. Now we have two delicate matches coming up against Pembroke Athleta and Gudja United and hopefully we can finish the job.”

It was a deserved promotion for Sirens, who under the presidency of Mark Borg Hedley and his committee, plus the shrewdness of coach Carbonaro they showed their potential and boast the best attack and best defence of the division.

Looking at the future, Carbonaro said that he hopes he will have the opportunity to lead the St Paul’s Bay side in the top flight next season.

 “No-one is guaranteed anything even though I am currently on a two-year contract, so as things stands I should be leading the team next season,” Carbonaro said.

“But my career shows that things could change. In the 2016-17 season, when I managed to help Naxxar win promotion to the Premier League, there was a change in the committee and I was not chosen to lead the side. Hopefully history will not repeat itself, and will eventually lead Sirens with the big boys next season.”

Asked whether he believes Sirens can keep their place in the top-flight Carbonaro said: “The priority is sort the future of several players who are out of contract at the end of the season.

“Once we do that we can start looking at how we can strengthen our squad with good local players foreign players. The club this year showed that we are capable of choosing the right players and I’m confident we can be competitive in the Premier League next season.”

Angel Manuel Bustos put Sirens ahead on 28 minutes and just past the hour, Luka Mijic doubled the score.

Mqabba finished with ten men 20 minutes from time when Brandon Grech was red-carded for hitting an opponent.

John Nwoba converted a penalty to make it 3-0 on 78 minutes before Mattia Del Negro sealed the points in stoppage time.

On his part, Mqabba president Carmel Ellul said that his team had played well until they had a player sent off.

“Our goal is still that to keep our place in the division,” Ellul said.

“This season we had a lot of changes in our team and unfortunately our overseas players were not up to standard.

“But the future looks bright for our club. Our minors have won their section and many of them will be promoted to our first team.”

Sirens: M. Montfort, K. Farrugia, R. Mandic, L. Mijic (86 L. Cutajar), M. Del Negro, M. Micallef (66 J. Nwoba), M.A. Bustos (81 R. Previ), A. Curmi, C. Gauci, I. Adeshina, G. Gesualdi.

Mqabba: F. Tabone, L. Farrugia, R. Da Silva Gomes, D. Micalef, J.C. Martins (81 B. Attard), G. Micallef, A. Ferreira (66 L. Suma), B. Grech, W. Borg, D. Azzopardi (74 D. Aquilina), F. Gusman.

Referee: Sandro Spiteri

Red card: Grech (M) 70.

Best Player: Luka Mijic (Sirens).

San Ġwann 0
Żebbuġ Rangers 3

San Ġwann: C. Formosa, J. Azzopardi (67 J.P. Attard), R. Zammit, A. Cachia, A. Borg (84 C. Stewart), C. Gauci, K. Gatt (80 P. Kanzurov), J. Tanti, S. Hili, N. Melo Ferreira, R. de Oliveira.

Żebbuġ: J. Borg, D. Fava, S. Schembri (65 G. de Souza Braga), R. Vella, H. Vella, S. Buhagiar, S. Darmanin, B. Muscat, L. Caetano da Silva, J. Farrugia (90 K. Tanti), I. de Rocha Souza (66 M. Camilleri).

Referee: Alex Johnson.

Scorers: Darmanin 32, 43; Caetano Da Silva 88.

Missed penalty: Caetano da Silva (Ż) 36.

Best Player: Shawn Darmanin (Żebbuġ).

Sta Luċija 2
Gudja United 2

Sta Luċija: D. Carabott, J. Busuttil, N. Spiteri, J. Usuga Mendoza, J. Suda (82 K. Vella), L. Mosquera Segura (70 M. Guillari), K. Ante Rosero, K. Pulo, J. Magri Overend (70 N. Micallef), L. Galea, N. Borg.

Gudja: J. Debono, L. Martinelli, J. Bondin, M. Attard, J. Lima Siqueira, A. Mizzi (70 S. Diacono), F. Aboulezz (88 J. Farrugia), L. Cremona, E. Vella, D. Santos Da Hora (70 A. Marshall), R. Kooh Sohna.

Referee: Matthew Degabriele.

Scorers: Mosquero Segura (SL) 28, 54; Jackson Lima (G) 49 pen.; Cremona (G) 55.

Best Player: Llywelyn Cremona (Gudja).

Naxxar Lions 2
Pembroke Athleta 1

Naxxar: O. Borg, M. Fenech, M. Mifsud, E. Farias Cerqueira, J. Debono, R. Cassar, J. Ellul, A. Buhagiar, S. Nanapere, B. Essel, S. Meilak.

Pembroke: P. Schranz, K. Borg, J.P. Mifsud Triganza, G. Azzopardi, Z. Grech, T. Fenech, D. Cachia, M.A. Borg, I. Misan (62 E. Vallecillo), J.P. Oliveira Santos (73 Y. Tonna), G. Claudio da Silva.

Referee: Daniel Portelli

Scorers:  Joao Pedro (P) 39; Cassar (N) 44; Debono (N) 50.

Best Player: Angus Buhagiar (Naxxar).

Żejtun Corinthians 0
VITTORIOSA STARS 0

Żejtun: D. Zarb, D. Andelkovic, A. Carabott, G. Sultana, D. Albanese, R. de Fex Junior, R. Spiteri, N. Tabone, K. Buttigieg, A. Farrugia, G. Azzopardi.

Vittoriosa: J. Pisani, I. Curmi, K. Degiorgio, P. Miguel Barkley (83 L. Gauci), J. Ogonuppe, A. Cilia Mumford, J. Briffa, A. Galea, N. Ojuola, J.C. Galea, D. Tabone.

Referee: Andrea Sciriha

Best Player: Dragoljub Andelkovic (Żejtun).

Qrendi 1
Swieqi United 4

Qrendi: J. Farrugia (74 Clive Caruana), D. Micallef, M. Busuttil, Christian Caruana (50 L. Brincat), D. Sammut, M. Barbara, Z. Bowman (50 K. Abela), J. Spiteri, J.P. Da Silva Vargas, C. Quaranta, J. Silveira Da Silva.

Swieqi: J.C. Debattista, J. Cassar, M. Attard, K. Muscat (46 L. Scicluna), G. Bugeja, I.A. Margarit, M. Laferla, S. Ibrahim (56 L. Covic), S. Bugeja, H.K. Hansberg(66 K. Ekezie), D. Borg.

Referee: Darryl Agius.

Scorers: Ibrahim (S) 18, 33, 46; Muscat (S) 36; Brincat (Q) 71.

Best Player: Gary Bugeja (Swieqi).

Lija Athletic 4
Marsa 1

Lija: R. Marmara, C. Cassar, D. Scerri, E. Beu, A. Azzopardi (79 R. Sammut), A. Borg (86 N. Camilleri), A. Bello Osagie (71 D. Mintoff), M. Clinch, I. Borg, K. Kuroki, C. Gauci.

Marsa: L. Seisun, S. Zampa, L. Camilleri, J. Bonello, R. Gafa, J. Theuma, R. Gatt De Raffaele, S. Briffa, O. Cristiani, H. Kawamura (88 N. Kojima), A. Watanabe (82 M. Marra).

Referee: Ishmael Barbara.

Scorers: Andrea Azzopardi (L) 26; Beu (L) 51, 68; Kawamura (M) 80; Kuroki (L) 90.

Best Player: Erjon Beu (Lija).