GŻIRA UNITED            5

Cohen 8, 11; Okoye 18, 52; Garba 49

MOSTA                        3

Bartulovic 16, 83; Leozinho 33

Gżira United profited from Birkirkara’s slip up against Balzan as they regained third spot in the standings after defeating Mosta 5-3 in a pulsating encounter at the National Stadium, on Sunday. 

The Maroons did not take long to forge ahead when inside the first eight minutes, Andrew Cohen caught goalkeeper Andreas Vella out of his goal to send a sublime shot into the net.

Moments later, Cohen doubled the score when Ndubisi Okoye sent an inviting the ball into the box and the former Hibernians midfielder stabbed the ball home. 

Mosta were offered a lifeline after Clifford Gatt Baldacchino tripped Tyrone Farrugia inside the area with referee Philip Farrugia pointing to the spot.

From the resultant penalty, Damir Bartulovic sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to pull one back. 

However, the Maroons soon restored their two-goal cushion when Okoye slid the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper. 

Mosta kept fighting and they were on the mark again when Bartulovic dispossessed Destin Mambouana and went to conclude himself. His attempt was kept out by the goalkeeper but Leozinho was on hand to head the ball into an empty net. 

After the change of ends, the Maroons immediately wrapped up the match with two quick goals from Garba and Okoye. 

First, Garba slid behind Mosta’s defensive line and lobbed the ball over Vella.

The second goal was a carbon copy of the previous one, when Okoye unmarked himself and sent the ball over the onrushing goalkeepe, 5-2. 

In the closing stages of the game, there was still time for a goal as Mosta made the score more respectable as Bartulovic headed home from a corner. 

BOV Player of the match Andrew Cohen (Gżira United).