QRENDI 2
ŻEBBUĠ RANGERS 0
Qrendi obtained a very important victory against Żebbuġ Rangers on Monday and with one match to go they have now leapfrogged Vittoriosa in fourth-from-bottom.
The result means that if Qrendi beat Żejtun then it will be the side from Cottonera who will have to cross swords with Mġarr in a relegation-promotion play-off at the end of the season.
“This was an important victory for us and although Vittoriosa’s last game is against already-relegated San Ġwann anything can happen. Look what San Ġwann did to Gudja,” Kerr Cumbo said when referring to the Saints win over Gudja last weekend.
“But in reality everything is still in our hands. We have to beat Żejtun and then we will be 100 per cent safe. Had we lost against Żebbuġ then it would have been play-off for sure”.
The Qrendi coach admitted that Żebbuġ were the better side for much of the first half.
The loss of striker Jonathan Silva Fausto Silveira to injury forced Kerr Cumbo to make some tactical changes by bringing on Joao Pedro and Kenneth Abela who managed to turn the match in their favour.
In fact, Qrendi took the lead on 72 minutes when a Dasser Sammut drive was partially saved by Galea but Joao Pedro was on hand to stab home the rebound.
Qrendi put the game to bed four minutes later when veteran Abela was fouled inside the area and from the resultant penalty Ciro Quaranta made no mistake from the spot.
On his part, Żebbuġ coach Clive Mizzi announced that he plans to stay on at Żebbuġ next season.
“I have a very good group of players and surely I can further build on this team for the future,” Mizzi said.
“If we can add some talented foreigners, the team could be very solid next season.”
Regarding Monday’s match, Mizzi said that Qrendi’s bigger desire to take the points proved to be the difference.
“Such results are happening everywhere, not only in Malta it seems, teams that are on the verge of relegation go that extra mile and fight with guile for safety,” Mizzi said.
ŻEBBUĠ: D. Galea, D. Fava, R. Vella, H. Vella, S. Buhagiar, S. Darmanin (86 C. Tabone), M. Camilleri (58 K. Tanti), B. Muscat, C. Brincat, J. Caetano da Silva, J. Farrugia.
QRENDI: J. Farrugia, D. Micallef, M. Farrugia, B. Bondin, M. Busuttil, L. Brincat (K. Abela 46’), D. Sammut, D. Martini, J. Spiteri, C. Quaranta, J. Silveira da Silva (46 J. Pedro).
Referee: Ezekiel Barbara.
Best Player: Ciro Quaranta (Qrendi).
PEMBROKE ATHLETA 1
MQABBA 1
PEMBROKE: P. Schranz, K. Sciberras Balbi, K. Borg, J.P. Mifsud Triganza (84 Y. Tonna), D. Camilleri, Z. Grech, T. Fenech (88 A. Hili), M.A. Borg, I. Misan, J. Pedro Oliveira Santos, E. Vallecillo (62 W. Da Silva).
MQABBA:F. Tabone, R. da Silva Gomes, D. Micallef, J.C. Martins, G. Micallef, A. Ferreira, B. Grech, W. Borg, D. Azzopardi, F. Gusman, N. Micallef.
Referee: Daniel Portelli.
Scorers: Martins (10); Mifsud Triganza (P) 65.
Best Player: Wayne Borg (Mqabba).
LIJA ATHLETIC 2
ŻEJTUN CORINTHIANS 2
LIJA: L. Bonnici, C. Cassar, M. Clinch, O. Sidibe, D. Scerri, A. Borg, D. Mintoff (55 A. Bello Osagie), A. Galea, R. Sammut, E. Beu, K. Kuroki.
ŻEJTUN: D. Zarb, C. Giordimaina, D. Albanese, A. Farrugia, B. Farrugia, J. Mandjeck, G. Azzopardi, A. Smeir, R. Spiteri, J. Castano, A. Carabott.
Referee: Shaun Calleja.
Scorers: Carabott (Ż) 31; Beu (L) 63; Mandjeck (Ż) 84; Sammut (L) 85.
Best Player: Ousman Sidibe (Lija).
SWIEQI UNITED 1
NAXXAR LIONS 2
SWIEQI: E. Gatt, L. Cassar, M. Attard, K. Muscat, K. Sultana (65 G. Bugeja), I. Margarit, S. Bugeja (60 D. Borg), I. Salis, M. Farrugia (79 L. Zammit), E. Tejumola, L. Scicluna
NAXXAR: O. Borg, P. Changdon, R. Mercieca, M. Fenech, M. Mifsud, J. Debono, A. Azzopardi, J. Ellul, S. Nanapere, B. Essel, S. Meilak.
Referee: Matthew Degabriele.
Scorers: Tejumola (N) 56og; Benjamin (S) 90og; Nanapere (N) 90+.
Best Player: Saturday Nanapere (Naxxar)
VITTORIOSA STARS 0
SIRENS 0
VITTORIOSA: C. Cassar, C. Spiteri, I. Curmi, K. Degiorgio, M. Panzo Barkley, M. Scicluna (86 A. Cilia Mumford), P. Papadakis, N. Ojuola, D. Tabone, L. Gauci, L. Casha.
SIRENS: M. Montfort, K. Farrugia, R. Mandic, D. Sant, R. Grech, M. del Negro, M. Morgon Filho (73 L. Mijic), M. Bustos, C. Gauci, A. Ige, R. Fenech (85 M. Micallef).
Referee: Ishmael Barbara.
Best Player: Christian Cassar (Vittoriosa Stars).
MARSA 0
SANTA LUĊIJA 6
MARSA: L. Seisun, L. Camilleri, J. Lovegrove, M. Marra, J. Theuma, R. Gatt de Raffaele (72 J. Gauci), L. Ciantar, O. Cristiani, N. Kojiro, O. Anyaso, R. Gafà.
STA LUĊIJA: D. Carabott, J. Busuttil, J. Mendoza, J. Suda (60 P. Lapira), K. Rosero, L. Mosquera Segura (70 M. Guillari), J. Magri Overend (55 N. Micallef), D. Vukovic, L. Galea, K. Camilleri, N. Borg.
Referee: Slobodan Petrovic.
Scorers: Mosquera 33, 68; Borg 39; Mendoza Jackson 51; Rosero 72; Lapira 75.
Best Player: Kevin Ante Rosero (Santa Luċija).
GUDJA UNITED 1
SAN ĠWANN 2
GUDJA: M. Xerxen, J. Bondin, M. Bonnici (58 J. Farrugia), A. Nagbe, L. Martinelli (73 A. Mizzi) L. Cremona, J. Lima, F. Aboulezz (73 L.J. Schembri), L. Micallef, D. Santos da Hora, S. Diacono.
SAN ĠWANN: C. Formosa, L. Musu (60 O. Spiteri), A. Borg, J. Azzopardi, C. Gauci, J. Bowman (60 J. Tanti), A. Cachia, C. Stewart, N. Melo Ferreira, S. Hili (80 A. Galea), R. de Oliveira.
Referee: Andrea Sciriha.
Scorers: Diacono (G) 34; Renan (SĠ) 35; Hili (SĠ) 64.
Best Player: Sergio Hili (San Ġwann).