BOV Amateur League I MD24 Review: Attard secure title, Victoria Hotspurs stumble in promotion race

Mellieha SC 1-0 Victoria Hotspurs FC - Photo by Victoria Hotspurs FC

BOV AMATEUR LEAGUE I 2025/26
MATCHDAY 24 

Qrendi 0-4 Attard 
On Saturday night at the Sirens Stadium, Attard crowned their magnificent season by claiming the BOV National Amateur League I Championship by beating Qrendi 4-0 in an entertaining clash. The league leaders were buoyed by Victoria Hotspurs’ slip-up earlier on and therefore claimed the title a week earlier than initially expected. Although Qrendi, still not mathematically safe from the drop, did their part, Attard were all over the place with target-man Precious Nwankwo adding another two goals to his personal tally, now having scored 29 goals, four goals away from the 3rd tier record of 33, established by Kurt Borg two seasons ago while playing for Mtarfa. 

On 10 minutes, Attard created their first goalscoring opportunity with Tejumola Ayorinde being set up on the right flank, forcing Christian Cassar into a great save. Qrendi occasionally threatened like on 33 minutes when Zach Valletta was called into action for the first time, parading an Andrey Attard grounder from inside the box. Moments later, there was a call for a penalty when Joseph Ogunnupe was brought down by Adrian Sammut in the box but the referee, from considerable distance, saw nothing wrong. In stoppage time, Attard look the lead thanks to a towering Nicholas Schembri top corner header from a Gordon Saliba corner-kick, a picture goal. 

Two minutes after the interval, Attard doubled with Nwankwo knocking home from close-range following an Ayorinde cross. Qrendi reacted through some attempts by Brandon Bray, surely the most active player for the team of coach Conrad Debattista. But on 73 minutes it was Nwankwo who put the outcome of the match beyond doubt with another intelligent strike, curling the ball home past Cassar from the edge of the box. The party was completed on 85 minutes with a fourth goal scored by substitute Lydon Cuschieri straight from a free-kick.

Mellieha 1-0 Victoria Hotspurs 
On Saturday, Victoria Hotspurs suffered their fifth defeat of the season after losing 1-0 to Mellieha at the Luxol Stadium. It was the fourth consecutive victory for the Blues, who have lifted themselves up from the red zone into mid-table position in no-time, securing their Amateur League I status for another year. On the contrary, the Gozo capital side needed a victory to mathematically secure promotion to the BOV Challenge League but must wait at least another week with a match against Senglea Athletic coming up on Sunday.

The first opportunity of the match arrived on 13 minutes when Mellieha’s Leon Theuma capitalised on a counterattack, but his effort went just over the Hotspurs’ crossbar. Four minutes later, a defensive error allowed Alexander Akl to attempt a shot, forcing goalkeeper Steve Sultana into a full stretch save for a corner. Victoria responded in the 22nd minute through a cross by Christian Ebisindor Saint, with Kurt Borg’s header narrowly missing the target. A minute later, Mellieha’s David Azzopardi tested Sultana once again, but the goalkeeper remained alert.

Mellieha took the lead in the 24th minute after being awarded a penalty for a foul inside the box. Venezuelan striker Aron Hernandez stepped up and calmly converted, sending Sultana the wrong way. Victoria attempted to respond, with Shaun Attard seeing his cross-shot well saved by Mark Cutajar in the 28th minute. The Northerners nearly doubled their lead in the 36th minute when Hernandez dispossessed Attard and fired just over the bar. Kurt Borg tried his luck again in the 40th minute, but his long-range effort went high. The Gozitans continued to press and two minutes from half-time, a precise cross from Attard found Ferdinando Apap, whose header forced a strong save from Cutajar. Just before halftime, Attard saw another attempt go wide.

Victoria began the second half on the front foot and appealed for a penalty within the opening minute, claiming a handball by a Mellieha defender, but the referee waved play on. Between the 55th and 64th minutes, Kurt Borg had three attempts on goal, two of which went over, while his effort in the 61st minute was well saved by Cutajar. The Blues, smelling an upset, remained dangerous on the break and in the 78th minute, Theuma forced another save from Sultana. In stoppage time, substitute Leon Borg tested the Hotspurs goalkeeper once more.

Victoria pushed forward in search of an equaliser and, in the final moments, even goalkeeper Steve Sultana joined the attack. However, Darryl Vella Gerada’s free kick was comfortably gathered by Cutajar to give Mellieha the three points needed to safeguard third tier football for another season. 

Kirkop United 0-5 Qormi 
In the Sunday morning kick-off at the Sirens Stadium, Qormi emphatically moved aside the resistance of Kirkop United with a 5-0 victory. With the Hotspurs dropping points against Mellieha, Qormi are still not out of the promotion hunt as they trail the Gozitans with five points and two matches to go. Kirkop are in desperate need of points but were three goals down inside the opening 20 minutes, ending all hopes for an upset.

The match was an absolute no-contest. Qormi started off like a house on fire going 2-0 up after just five minutes with Jayden Borg tapping in the opener after three minutes and following up two minutes later with a stinger from outside the box. On 18 minutes it was 3-0 to Qormi and game over after a fine strike from Neil Tabone. Kirkop created a couple of chances but did not manage to reduce the deficit as Qormi continued in control.

On 57 minutes, the fourth goal arrived after a fine individual move by John Awori who concluded with a low shot into the corner. Dale Mifsud scored the fifth five minutes later as the match turned into a rout. The team of coach Clive Mizzi could have added a few more in the remaining time left but failed to extent further. With 24 points, Kirkop are level with Xghajra, who they will play in their last league fixture in what looks to be a decisive game in the relegation battle. 

Zejtun Corinthians 2-2 Mqabba 
In the late Luxol Stadium kick-off on Saturday, Zejtun Corinthians and Mqabba shared the spoils in a lively and hard-fought encounter, with Mqabba mounting an impressive second-half comeback to cancel out a two-goal deficit. It was most definitely two points lost for the Corinthians who, with 22 points, are still in the red zone and with matches against Qormi and champions Attard coming up, their task to avoid the drop is a tough one.

Zejtun made the brighter start and were rewarded in the 16th minute after pressing high up the pitch. A quick transition caught the Mqabba defence off guard, as a delivery to the back post was headed back across goal by Clyde Bouvet into the path of Stefi Cale, who finished calmly to open the scoring. The Blues continued to threaten and on the stroke of half-time, Cale nearly doubled the advantage, latching onto a long ball before driving into the area and firing narrowly wide of the far post.

More of the same after the change of ends as Zejtun extended their lead in the 59th minute. A flick-on from a throw-in released Adrian Carabott, who showed composure in a one-on-one situation to slot the ball into the bottom corner and make it 2-0. Despite the setback, Mqabba gradually grew into the game. Zejtun remained dangerous, however, and in the 67th minute Matteo Tanti tested Mqabba goalkeeper Lydon Moore with a strike from the edge of the area, forcing a crucial save.

The turning point arrived in the 72nd minute when Mqabba reduced the deficit. A well-worked move between substitutes Saturday Nanapere and Jeremy Delmar found Jeremy Busuttil inside the box, with the defender making no mistake from close range. Moments later, Mqabba struck again as Delmar raced onto a ball over the top and delicately lifted his finish over the advancing goalkeeper to level the score at 2-2. Mqabba had a golden opportunity to complete the turnaround in the 77th minute when they were awarded a penalty for handball. However, Nanapere was denied from the spot by an excellent save from Anson Saliba. 

The closing stages were played at a frantic pace, with both sides pushing for a winner in an end-to-end contest. Chances fell at either end, but neither team could find the decisive breakthrough. Mqabba came closest deep into stoppage time when Delmar found himself unmarked in the box, only to direct his effort straight at the goalkeeper.

Pembroke Athleta 1-3 Lija Athletic 
On Sunday morning, Lija beat an 0ff-from Pembroke Athleta side with a 3-1 scoreline, another missed opportunity for the team of coach Jeffrey Mifsud to gather some much-needed points. With two matches left to play, Pembroke remain deep in the red zone with 22 points. All goals were scored after the break, with lanky French Lija striker Lyvann Obissa scoring a hat-trick, leaving the Centenary Stadium with the match ball. 

The first half hour was rather uneventful with Lija showing the better ideas, without troubling Clayton Rapa in the Pembroke goal much. On 20 minutes it was Pembroke who got closest to an opener when Xylon Marmara headed a Tyrone Fenech free kick over the bar, seven minutes after Erjon Beu missed target for Lija with a shot from just outside the area. On 37 minutes, Weverton was served by Malcolm Vella-Vidal in the box and was held by Amir Amhamed but the referee waved to play on. This was followed by a Kyle Sciberras-Balbi long distance scorcher barely a minute later, which sailed wide. On the stroke of half-time, an attempt by Omar Khatib also sailed over the bar.  

At the start of the second half, Brazilian striker Wagner blasted over the bar, unmarked from close-range, in what was the best Lija opportunity up to that point. On 51 minutes however, Obissa surprised Rapa with a cross-shot from the left, that sailed top corner to give Lija the lead. Just before the hour, Kurt Farrugia felled Wagner in the box with the referee pointing at the spot. Wagner stepped up himself but kicked the penalty against the crossbar. Nevertheless, Lija were now in full control of the match with Pembroke being pushed back into their own half.  

But the team of coach Ivan Zammit continued to waste chances through Wagner and Obissa and on 70 minutes, Pembroke should have equalised when Lucas Gomes was sent in the clear but decided to shoot instead of laying off to Sciberras-Balbi with Bonnici interfering. Rapa came to the rescue on 76 minutes as Lija threatened to double from a counterattack with the Pembroke custodian turning Beu’s close-range attempt into a corner. Five minutes later, immediately after Pembroke failed to knock the ball in from a goalmouth melee’, Obissa tapped home the 2-0 from a cross by Juan Ruiz. The third goal was quite similar to the second with Ruiz providing Obissa with another tap in. On 86 minutes, Pembroke scored a consolation goal through Vella-Vidal, who beat Bonnici with a rising shot from the edge of the six-yard box.  

Pembroke could boost their chances if they defeat Luqa in Saturday’s direct clash, followed by a fixture against Senglea, though significant improvement is needed to keep their survival hopes alive. 

San Gwann 0-5 Xghajra Tornados 
On Thursday night at the Centenary Stadium, Xghajra Tornados bagged an important three points in their quest for salvation, beating a below-par San Gwann side 5-0. The team of coach Keith Darmanin played a splendid game and, should they repeat this performance in their last two games against Qrendi and Kirkop, the Tornados should be able to safeguard their status.

Mattia Zarb should have opened the scoring for San Gwann on seven minutes with a free-header in the six-yard box but aiming incredibly wide. Xghajra took over the initiative after the early San Gwann flurry, with Raylon Paisley coming close twice, first with an in-swinging corner on 13 minutes that was tipped over the bar by Saints goalie Luciano Camilleri, and then six minutes later, hitting the side-netting from a promising angle. 

On 26 minutes on the other side, Tornados goalkeeper Levi Saliba did well to parade Gonzalo Virano’s long distance free kick with a splendid save. One minute later, Xghajra took the lead thanks to a wonderful left-footer of Shaban Chikh Ali, producing a rising shot from just inside the box that left Camilleri without a chance. Four minutes before half-time, Paisley produced another fine corner, which hit the crossbar before being cleared by the Saints defence.  

Right after the change of ends, Richmond Hanson forced Camilleri into a great block from close-range, which easily could have meant the second Xghajra goal. But that second goal arrived nevertheless when, on 53 minutes, Paisley kicked home a long-range Cedric Zahra free kick, also due to some hesitant San Gwann defending. To their credit, Xghajra kept on pushing for more goals with Hanson coming close once more, three minutes later, with again Camilleri blocking, most definitely the busiest of the two goalkeepers.  

Xghajra added the third goal on 73 minutes through a tap-in by Hanson after a fine individual effort in the box by Paisley, skipping past a few players before serving Hanson. Straight from kick-off, Paisley was denied by the alert Camilleri, who turned the effort from the Jamaican into a corner. From that corner-kick, Chikh Ali headed home the 4-0 with the match threatening to turn into a rout. On 80 minutes, Hanson was sent into the clear, rounding Camilleri who however did well to block the effort the strong Nigerian. But on 84 minutes it was 5-0 with Redheil Stivala serving fellow substitute David Rojas, who beat Camilleri with an excellent shot. In the last minute of regular time, Kenneth Abela kicked against the woodwork from close-range in what could have been Xghajra’s sixth. 

Senglea Athletic 2-1 Luqa St Andrew’s 
The relegation clash between Senglea Athletic and Luqa St Andrew’s last Friday night at the Victor Tedesco Stadium was target for Senglea, who have now risen to the 28-point mark, four ahead of the red zone. While a draw would have been a justified outcome of the game, Jake Stensen proved to be the match winner with a goal deep into stoppage time. A priceless three points for Senglea, who still have some work to do however with matches remaining against Victoria Hotspurs and Pembroke Athleta. 

In the first 20 minutes, Senglea were firmly in control with Johan Castano kicking home on eleven minutes from a Rudy Cassar-Jackson cross. Luqa came gradually more into the picture and created a giant opportunity on 26 minutes when Carmelo Caruana performed a great double save on a Thomas Grech attempt, which ended against the woodwork, and the close-range Andrea Camilleri rebound. With four minutes left, the Saints equalised thanks to an opportunistic goal by Andreas Psaila, who slid the ball home from a near impossible angle. The 1-1 half-time score was justified therefore as it was a balanced opening half. 

Two minutes after the re-start, Bledi Alla missed a sitter from a neat Luqa attack that started by Andre Azzopardi, who sent Nathan Frendo on a probing run down the right, passing to Alla who only had Caruana to beat but aimed his shot wide. On the other side in the 67th minute, Senglea captain Steve Meilak headed inches wide from a free-kick action, with the team of coach Edmond Lufi increasing their efforts to score the winner. Two minutes later, Andre Fenech did well to parade a Nigel Scerri attempt.  

On 76 minutes, Fenech performed another splendid save with a great reflex on a Castano header at the second post, which the former Naxxar custodian turned into a corner. In stoppage time, Senglea substitute Jack Zammit should have scored from a counterattack, in which Nigel Scerri delivered the ball to the unmarked striker, but he incredibly blasted the ball high over the bar. However, with practically the last kick of the match, it was Stensen who headed home the winner from a Matthew Brincat freekick, much to the joy of the Senglea faithful.