BOV Amateur League I MD17 Review: Zejtun end Senglea's winning run, Victoria Hotspurs continue surge up table

Zejtun Corinthians 3-1 Senglea Athletic - 20.02.2026 - Photo by Malta FA

BOV AMATEUR LEAGUE I 2025/26
MATCHDAY 17

Victoria Hotspurs 1-0 Attard
On Sunday, Victoria Hotspurs secured three vital points in the BOV Amateur League 1 after defeating league leaders Attard 1-0 at the Sirens Stadium. An essential victory for the Gozitans, keeping their promotion hopes very much alive.

Attard started brightly and looked dangerous early on in the lively opening phase. After just three minutes, Tejumola Ayorinde attempted a lob that sailed just over the bar. A minute later, captain Shaun Attard tested goalkeeper Zach Valletta from close range, but the shot was well saved. Not much later, Ayorinde again threatened, this time with a turning effort that went high on nine minutes.

Between the 31st and 34th minute, the Hotspurs began to impose themselves. Shaun Attard saw his shot deflected by the Attard defence, while Rondinely’s header finished over the bar. In the 38th minute, Attard’s Nigerian forward Precious Nwankwo capitalised on a rebound but saw his effort drift narrowly wide, with the Hotspurs defence breathing a sigh of relief. The first half ended goalless after a highly competitive opening 45 minutes.

Attard continued to press after the break and in the 50th minute, goalkeeper Steve Sultana produced a fine low save to deny the enterprising Paul Galea Testaferrata. On 63 minutes, Nwankwo’s turning shot went over, and a minute later Ayorinde was denied by another solid intervention from Sultana following a central strike. In the 72nd minute, Ayorinde unleashed a powerful effort that was deflected with difficulty by the Hotspurs defence.

Against the run of play, Victoria Hotspurs scored the winner when a cross from the right found Rondinely, who rose above everyone and headed past Zach Valletta to put his side ahead. The closing stages saw desperate attempts from Attard to find an equaliser, but the Hotspurs defence held firm. Attard were reduced to ten men in the 88th minute when Ayorinde was sent off following a foul on Dejan Vukovic. The final whistle sparked celebrations among the players, officials and the large number of travelling Hotspurs supporters, who continue to believe in securing a second consecutive promotion.

Mqabba 1-2 Lija Athletic
Last Saturday’s match between Mqabba and Lija Athletic, both in the top part of the table, lived up to expectations as the promotion chasers served up an entertaining and high-tempo contest. In the end, Lija’s resilience saw them overturn the odds as, with a man down, they scored twice with the winner spectacularly arriving in stoppage time of the match through Brazilian striker Wagner.

Mqabba almost struck with their very first attack when Luca Mijic cut inside and unleashed an angled effort, but Lija goalkeeper Luke Bonnici reacted brilliantly, fingertipping the ball onto the crossbar and out for a corner. Lija replied in the 13th minute through Lyvann Obissa, whose impressive solo run past two defenders ended with a shot drifting narrowly wide. Mqabba responded with intent, Jairo Andres Viveros firing a powerful effort from distance just inches off target, before Carmelo Farrugia came agonisingly close in the 18th minute as his direct corner rattled the crossbar. Just before the interval, Bonnici produced another outstanding save to deny Mijic, ensuring the sides went into the break level.

The team of coach George Magri came out strongly after the restart, Viveros going one-on-one with Bonnici, who once again stood firm. Mqabba’s pressure finally told in the 51st minute when Jeremy Busuttil found space inside the area and finished clinically past Bonnici. Moments later, Viveros nearly doubled the advantage with a fierce long-range strike that crashed against the post. The match turned on its head with half an hour remaining when Clayton Giordmaina was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card, leaving Lija to battle with ten men.

Rather than wilt, Lija showed remarkable character and drew level in the 69th minute. Substitute Gareth Joyce pounced on a rebound after Mario Bartolo had parried a thunderous effort from Obissa. Deep into stoppage time, Lija completed an unforgettable comeback. Wagner embarked on a mazy solo run before unleashing a superb strike into the left corner, sparking jubilant celebrations among the Lija camp. Mqabba’s late attempts proved futile as Lija defended resolutely to seal a memorable 2–1 victory at Luxol Stadium.

Qormi 1-0 Xghajra Tornados
In the first match at the Sirens Stadium on Saturday, Qormi kept their promotion hopes alive by beating Xghajra by a single goal scored halfway the first half. The Tornados came back strong after the break and certainly deserved a point, or perhaps even more, with the Yellow-Blacks fading out completely in the last part of the game. Remarkably, nearly 51-year-old striker Kenneth Abela played a blinder and the full 90 minutes for Xghajra, even coming close to an equaliser himself in the closing stages.

After a rather close opening quarter, Qormi managed to take the lead on 22 minutes when a scramble in the box ended with Jayden Borg stabbing the ball in, a strike which eventually proved to be the winner. Qormi could have doubled on 37 minutes when a cross by Albert Mudolo found Emerson Vella whose shot cannoned off the post. Xghajra had an excellent chance to equalize on the stroke of half-time when a free kick by Shaban Chikh cannoned off the crossbar.

Right at the start off the second half, Xghajra again came close to an equalizer when a strong effort by Redheil Stivala was acrobatically saved by Daniel Attard. Xghajra continued pressing for an equalizer and came close again on 80 minutes when a header by Abela ended up inches wide. Four minutes later, Dylan Mifsud saw his point-blank header instinctively saved by Attard whilst a superb shot by Morientes Muscat slammed against the post from the corner as Xghajra dug deep.

Qormi countered their way through and had an opportunity to seal it on 89 minutes when Emmanuel Garba’s low shot was saved by Miguel Abela. Chikh Ali was again unlucky not to steal a point deep in stoppage time with a superb effort that cannoned off the post. However, the Canaries held on for an important three points in their quest for promotion, with Xghajra walking off disappointed, bitterly regretting their missed chances.

Qrendi 1-0 San Gwann
The match between Qrendi and San Gwann, positioned sixth and seventh in the table, was won by Qrendi thanks to an early second half strike by newcomer Samuel Saldanha, with the southerners leapfrogging the Saints in the standing. Both teams started the campaign with promise, but have faded out of the promotion race, although this was Qrendi’s second consecutive win which might raise some hopes again in the team. Alfred Attard coached Qrendi from the side-line, returning to coaching after a lapse of several years, replacing Kevin Ellul who resigned at the start of the month.

Qrendi had a golden chance to take the lead on nine minutes when they were awarded a penalty but Saldanha saw his rather weak effort well saved by Luciano Camilleri.  The rest of the half was a quiet affair with neither team creating any real opportunities with both lacking punch up front.

It was Qrendi who took the lead right at the start of the second half when Saldanha made amends for his penalty miss earlier and stabbed home from close range. Saldanha had another opportunity on 54 minutes but his low angled shot was saved for a corner by Camilleri. The Saints came close to an equalizer on 79 minutes when a free kick by Mattia Zarb slammed against the post, summing up the few highlights of the game.

Zejtun Corinthians 3-1 Senglea Athletic
In Friday’s nights’ early Centenary Stadium kick-off, Zejtun halted Senglea’s strong run out of the red zone thanks to a deserved 3-1 victory over the Cottonera side. It was Zejtun’s second consecutive win after a winless streak of five games, a most welcome three points for the Corinthians, who climbed to the 19-point mark in mid-table. The match was played under difficult weather circumstances with a strong wind and torrential rains pestering the players.

On 11 minutes it was Nigel Scerri who came close for Senglea with a piledriver from just outside the box that just ended wide. Zejtun responded on 33 minutes when Matthew Farrugia failed to control the ball on the edge of the six-yard box which could have meant the opener for the Corinthians. Six minutes later, Adrian Carabott was sent through after a long ball which, carried by the wind, fell nicely into the path of the nippy striker, who volleyed is attempt against the crossbar with Carmelo Caruana beaten. In stoppage time, Carabott scored with an excellent grounder in the corner to give the team of coach Paul Falzon a 1-0 advantage at the break, which was not totally undeserved.

Zejtun Corinthians 3-1 Senglea Athletic - 20.02.2026 - Photo by Malta FA

It was 2-0 in Zejtun’s first attack after the break when Clyde Bouvet was sent in the clear on the right ride, with Caruana leaving his goal unnecessarily and the former Rabat Ajax player easily scored into the empty net. Just before the hour, Senglea were back into the game when Steve Meilak headed home from close-range after a goalmouth melee’ in which the Zejtun defence failed to clear the ball. But Senglea’s efforts to get an equaliser were in vain, with Zejtun substitute Fabrizio Zammit deciding the game deep into stoppage time with an excellent volley from outside the box.

Kirkop United 0-1 Pembroke Athleta
At the Luxol Stadium on Saturday, Pembroke Athleta claimed a vital 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers Kirkop United in a tense relegation clash, lifting themselves out of the drop zone and easing the pressure following last week’s setback against Qrendi. While Kirkop remain deep in the red zone, the victory for the team of coach Jeffrey Mifsud will lift their morale, also realising their quest for salvation could go up the very last match day.

Pembroke started brightly and signalled their intent early on. After five minutes, Weverton rose well to meet a Luca Caruana cross, but his header drifted wide. Kirkop responded soon after when Scion Cassar Grech found space inside the area, only to send his effort over the bar from a promising position. Just before the interval, Pembroke came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock. Caruana, arriving unmarked at the far post, headed inches wide from close range after the restart, leaving the teams level at the break.

The decisive moment arrived shortly after the change of ends when Pembroke were awarded a penalty following a foul by Gareth Desira inside the area. Brazilian striker Weverton, the unmatched leader of the team, made no mistake from the spot, calmly slotting the ball into the right corner to give his side the lead. Pembroke continued to press and nearly doubled their advantage. Gomes went close again when his close-range effort was smartly turned behind by Kirkop goalkeeper Miguel Falzon. Lucas Gomes also wasted a golden opportunity, firing inexplicably over the bar from inside the penalty area.

In the closing stages, Pembroke remained on the front foot, with Falzon producing an excellent save to deny Kyle Sciberras Balbi’s well-struck free-kick in the 85th minute. Kirkop attempted a late push, applying some pressure in the final moments, but Pembroke’s defence stood firm to see out a crucial three points.

Mellieha 1-0 Luqa St Andrew’s
After a negative streak of eleven winless league games, Mellieha returned to winning ways in Friday night’s late game at the Centenary with a most welcome 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers Luqa St Andrew’s. The decisive goal was scored by the fastest striker in the campaign, Alexander Akl, three minutes before the end of regular time, a most welcome three points for the Blues who lifted themselves from the bottom place, handing that over to opponents Luqa.

Mellieha were the better team in the opening phase but without troubling Andre Fenech, the Luqa goalkeeper, much. In fact, is was Luqa who came closest when Thomas Grech blasted his volley high from a promising angle on 27 minutes. Four minutes later, Fenech performed a great block on Akl, who was sent in the clear but failed to convert. Luqa played some neat midfield football and served their strikers well, slowly settling with Bledi Alla’s close-range attempt on 36 minutes turned into a corner. From that corner kick, Blues goalkeeper Slaven Micallef, who played an otherwise good game, dropped the ball in what looked to be a routine save but was quick to restore his error just before the goal-line. Towards the end of the half, Mellieha had further opportunities through Akl, Leon Borg and Aron Hernandez but failed to find target with the first 45 minutes ending goalless.

The Northerners continued to show the better ideas after the change of ends and on the hour, Fenech produced a great double save on a close-range Akl attempt and the rebound of Leon Borg. On 76 minutes, Luqa striker Dasser Sammut headed against the crossbar from a corner, with Luqa threatening more often towards the end of the game. With four minutes regular time left, Thomas Grech tied his luck with a shot from distance, saved well by Micallef. In the attack that followed on the other side, it was Akl who scored the winner with an excellent shot about 20-meters that totally surprised Fenech, giving his side a valuable three points in their relegation battle.

Victoria Hotspurs 1-0 Zejtun Corinthians
Last Wednesday night at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, Victoria Hotspurs and Zejtun Corinthians faced each other in a catch-up game from Matchday 9, a match won 1-0 by the Gozitans, a minimal margin but enough to lift themselves up over Lija Athletic in the standings into a runners-up spot. The decisive goal was scored by Nigerian striker Christian Saint Ebisinrdor half way the first period. Zejtun gave Victoria a good match after the break and should have gained a point perhaps from this encounter.

The Hotspurs opened the score precisely on their first scoring opportunity on 22 minutes when Saint Ebisindor headed home a Dejan Vukovic cross from the left, giving Anson Saliba in the Zejtun goal no chance. The goal gave a moral injection to the Gozitans and on the 37th minute, they went near to double the score, when after receiving from another cross, Kurt Borg had his header from an ideal position blocked by a Zejtun defender.

Zejtun came out on the offensive in the second half and on the 47th minute, captain Adrian Carabott had his low central shot from distance parried well by Victoria goalie, Steve Sultana. The Corinthians missed a clear chance of goal and the opportunity to level matters on the 73rd minute when Albanian Stefi Cale from, under the post, saw his effort being saved by Sultana save well with his feet, with the referee signalling an offside position shortly after. Somehow, the Gozitans managed to reach the final whistle unscarred, bagging another priceless three points in their promotion quest.