SAN ĠWANN 3
MARSA 0
A 3-0 defeat to San Ġwann may have pushed Marsa on the brink of relegation but the struggling Division One side are determined to put their house in order after administrative problems have hampered their campaign so far.
Last weekend, a first-half hat-trick from San Ġwann striker Renan condemned the Red Blues to their 12 defeat of the season.
That leaves Marsa with a daunting task to avoid the drop as they are bottom of the standings with only five points to show and are eight points adrift of third-from-bottom San Ġwann with 11 matches to go.
But Ayrton Bonnici, Marsa’s newly-appointed secretary, has told the Times of Malta that the club are looking to get back on their feet after a new committee has been installed last weekend.
“Not many people would be willing to be involved in a club that is marred by all sorts of problems,” Bonnici told the Times of Malta.
“At the moment results are not coming our way and we are on the brink of relegation. But despite this bleak picture, we still have cause to be positive.
“Last weekend, a new committee was elected by the club members to ensure administrative problems don’t get any worse. And we’re looking forward to start afresh.
“I’m happy to report that our fans are all behind us and the interest in Marsa FC is increasing. In fact, former sponsors are coming forward as they want to help us to restore the image of the club.”
Bonnici said that a change at the helm was needed at Marsa FC and he has no doubt that club new president Joseph Xuereb will help them go through this difficult situation.
“Our new president, Joseph Xuereb, is keen to bring new investment to the club,” Bonnici said.
“We need to find solutions quickly. New investors are paramount and we must also try to find someone who can help us get our training facilities programme underway, being the MFA or the private sector.
“It’s a lovely feeling at the moment seeing many fans coming and donating money for our football club. Telephone calls are pouring in.
“We want to cut off our deficit as soon as possible and look forward to a better future.”
On his part, San Ġwann coach Stefano Grima was pleased to pick up another victory but warned that the battle to avoid the drop is wide open.
“I’m pleased to take all three points. We scored three in the first 45 minutes and we were happy to control the second half with ease,” Grima said.
The San Ġwann coach said that the relegation issue is far from a foregone conclusion.
“Marsa may be facing a tough task to avoid the drop but there are still another relegation spot and a play-out berth to avoid.
“I don’t think it’s just between Mqabba, Żebbuġ and San
Ġwann. I believe that Qrendi, Vittoriosa and Pembroke are still not out of the picture yet,” Grima said.
“So everything is up for grabs and it’s up to us to go on a run of results and ensure that we pick enough points that would put us in safer waters.”
SAN ĠWANN: M. Mestrovic, J. Azzopardi, J. Grech, R. Zammit, A. Cachia, A. Borg, C. Gauci, K. Gatt (46 N. Abouhaisa), J. Tanti, N. Melo Ferreira (71 J.P. Attard), Renan (61 J. Bowman).
MARSA: K. Brincat, L. Camilleri, L. Ciantar, S. Vella (48 J. Theuma), J. Lovegrove, D. Agius (36 O. Cristiani), L. Friggieri, R. Gatt De Raffaele, Y. Camilleri, A. Watanabe, O. Anyaso (72 R. Gafa).
Referee: Andrea Sciriha
Best Player: Renan Abner De Oliveira (San Ġwann)
ŻEJTUN 1
STA LUĊIJA 0
STA LUĊIJA: R. Caruana, M. Caruana, J. Usaga Mendoza (68 K. Ante Rosero), P. Lapira (68 N. Micallef), L. Mosquera Segura (57 M. Guillari), J. Suda, K. Pulo, P. Teixeira Maia, D. Vukovic, L. Galea, N. Borg.
ŻEJTUN: G. Zammit, C. Giordemaina, I. Azzopardi, J. Antonio Meira (68 A. Andelkovic), E. Vella (11 G. Azzopardi), A. Carabott, J. Castano (85 R. Spiteri), D. Albanese, B. Farrugia, N. Tabone, A. Farrugia.
Referee: Stefan Pace
Scorer: Castano 45 pen
Best Player: Brooke Farrugia (Żejtun Corinthians).
PEMBROKE 0
VITTORIOSA 0
PEMBROKE: P. Schranz, K. Borg, G. Azzopardi, Z. Grech, T. Fenech, D. Cachia (71G. Muscat), M.A. Borg, J.P. Oliveira Santos (76 M. Da Rosa Wilmsen), E. Vallecillo Casado (71 I. Misan), Y. Tonna, G. Claudio Da Silva.
VITTORIOSA: C. Cassar, I. Abela, I. Curmi, J. Ogunnupe, A. Cilia Mumford (77 M. Scicluna), D. Zampa (46 C. Spiteri), P. Papadakis, N. Ojuola, D. Tabone, L. Casha, T. Abela Wilson (64 K. Degiorgio).
Referee: Daniel Casha
Best Player: Luca Casha (Vittoriosa).
NAXXAR LIONS 2
QRENDI 1
NAXXAR: O. Borg, R. Mercieca (46 C. Bugeja), M. Fenech, M. Mifsud, F. Edson Cerqueira, J. Debono, R. Cassar, J. Ellul, S. Nanapere, B. Essel, S. Meilak.
QRENDI: J. Farrugia, D. Micallef (46 R. Dalli), M. Farrugia, B. Bondin, C. Caruana, L. Brincat, Z. Bowman, D. Martini, J. Spiteri, C. Quaranta, J. da Silva Silveira.
Referee: Slobodan Petrovic
Scorers: Silveira Da Silva (Q) 4; Cerqueira Farias (N) 67; Ellul (N) 89.
Best Player: Jurgen Debono (Naxxar).
SIRENS 3
LIJA ATHLETIC 1
SIRENS: M. Montfort, K. Farrugia, R. Mandic, D. Sant, R. Grech, L. Mijic (74 M.A. Bustos), M. Del Negro (57 R. Fenech), A. Morgon Filho, C. Gauci, A. Ige Adeshina, G. Gesualdi (81 R. Previ).
LIJA: L. Bonnici, J. Cassar, L. Muscat (58 P. Dandolo), E. Beu, A. Azzopardi (78 D. Mintoff), A. Borg, A. Bello-Osagie, M. Clinch, A. Galea (86 R. Sammut), C. Gauci, K. Kuroki.
Referee: Philip Farrugia
Scorers: Gauci (L) 33; Morgon Filho (S) 61, 90; Gesualdi (S) 77.
Best Player: Antonio Morgon Filho (Sirens).
ŻEBBUĠ 1
GUDJA 2
ŻEBBUĠ: J. Borg, D. Fava, S. Schembri, R. Vella, H. Vella, S. Buhagiar, B. Muscat, T. Rodrigo dos Santos, J. Caetano da Silva, J. Farrugia, B. Gregori de Sousa.
GUDJA: J. Debono, L. Martinelli, J. Bondin, A. Mizzi, F. Aboulezz, S. Diacono, L.J. Schembri, J. Farrugia, L. Cremona, A. Marshall Nagbe, R. Kooh Sohna.
Referee: Alan Mario Sant
Scorers: Hubert Vella (Ż) 6; Kooh-Sohna (G) 66; Marshall Nagbe (G) 90.
Best Player: Luca Martinelli (Gudja).
MQABBA 0
SWIEQI 2
MQABBA: F. Tabone, L. Farrugia (73 N. Micallef), R. Da Silva Gomes, D. Micallef, J.C. Martins, A. Ferreira Dos Santos, B. Grech (63 G. Micallef), W. Borg, C. Vella, D. Azzopardi (84 C. Cutajar), F. Gusman.
SWIEQI: J.C. Debattista, J. Cassar, K. Sultana (28 M. Attard), I.A. Margarit, M. Vella, V. Olowoyo Kayode, S. Ibrahim, M. Farrugia, L. Scicluna, N. Schembri (73 S. Grech), D. Borg (60 G. Bugeja).
Referee: Ezekiel Barbara.
Scorers: Ibrahim 15, 88.
Missed penalties: Alin Margarit (S) 35; Ferreira Dos Santos (M) 90.
Best Player: Salis Ibrahim (Swieqi).