BOV Amateur League II MD10 Review: Msida hand Kalkara first defeat as title race gets tighter

Kalkara United 0-1 Msida St Joseph FC - 10.01.2026 - Photo by Eric Aloisio

BOV AMATEUR LEAGUE II 2025/26
MATCHDAY 10

Kalkara United 0-1 Msida St Joseph
On Saturday, Msida St Joseph handed Kalkara United their first defeat in the BOV Amateur League II as they defeated the harbour side 1-0. The Saints managed to keep their opponents under control, striking late in the game to take home three precious points.

The league leaders had the first attempt at goal on eight minutes with Ryan Sammut having a shot from outside the area turned into a corner by goalkeeper Jonathan Mallia. Jean Claude Annati tested Mallia with a close range shot when served on the left on 17 minutes. Ten minutes later, an Aaron Hili free kick from the left was saved in two attempts by the Msida goalkeeper.  Msida replied with a good move by speedster David Akindele who concluded his run with a shot from outside the area which was neutralised by Liam Lagana on 39 minutes.

Msida debutant Llywelyn Cremona (ex-Gudja) went close with a free kick from the left on 65 minutes while on the other side, Brazilian substitute Lucas Barcik had a shot from the edge of the area for Kalkara deflected into a corner on 74 minutes. Msida managed to score the decisive goal on 79 minutes when off a cross by Lincoln Micallef from the right, Thomas Grima headed home from close range. The Saints were reduced to ten men on 85 minutes after Kurt Zammit was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Andriy Pisani. In added time, substitute Liam Gauci hit the foot of upright with a free kick and then had another free kick ending just over the bar.

Gharghur 0-0 Dingli Swallows
In Saturday’s late Mosta Ground kick-off, Dingli lost two valuable points in their promotion bid against lowly Gharghur, who played an disciplined game, frustrating the Swallows until the very end. Not for the first time this season, Dingli missed a penalty, which proved to be decisive for the outcome of the encounter.

The Swallows were looking for an early opener, pressing Gharghur back into their own box and coming close on a number of occasions through Ronaldinho Daley. Just before half-time, Aaron Doda could have given Gharghur a surprise lead with a free header at the first post from a Max Kirkbride cross but failed to find target. In stoppage time however, Dingli were awarded a penalty when Gharghur goalkeeper Leon Seisun floored young Luke Calleja in the box. However, Daley hit the post with both sides going into the break goalless.

Seisun was called into action for the first time in the second half on 63 minutes, tipping an on-target Gabriel Sant attempt into a corner. Up to that point, Dingli allowed more space to Gharghur, who gradually started to threaten in the Dingli box. In one of these attacks, on 72 minutes, Gharghur substitute Jake Brincat was released on the right side of the box but his attempt was too weak to trouble Andrew Zammit. Deep into stoppage time, Daley nearly profited from a misunderstanding in the Gharghur defence who eventually managed to clear. Gharghur ended the match with ten as not much later, Giuseppe Barone was given a second yellow and his marching orders.

Ta’ Xbiex 2-0 St George’s

On Sunday at the Luxol Stadium, Ta’ Xbiex continued their chase for a possible promotion spot by beating St George’s 2-0. The Pioneers therefore continued their poor run of form, as this was the fifth consecutive match the Saints failed to record a victory, recorded just two points in draws with Msida and Gharghur. Ta’ Xbiex introduced Thomas Westphal, a German coach with an excellent CV in his home country as team manager of Hannover 96, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hamburger SV, RB Leipzig and Hertha BSC, amongst others.

St George’s started brightly and after just two minutes, Kurt Zahra whipped an excellent free kick across that was well saved by Carmelo Caruana. Zahra again came close with a shot that went just wide on seven minutes. The Bormlizi came close again on 12 minutes with a fine effort by Sebastian Perdomo, who returned to St George’s from Luqa, that ended up just over. Another chance came for St George’s on the half hour mark when Sean Ellul saw his effort deflected just wide for a corner. But it was Ta’ Xbiex who opened the scoring against the run of play on 35 minutes when Andrei Spiteri managed to find the net with an excellent effort that beat Clive Caruana.

St George’s appeared stunned but did not fall back and continued in the same vein in the second half. However, Ta’ Xbiex controlled well and restricted the Pioneers to very few opportunities. The Blacks could have doubled the score on 77 minutes when Antoine Attard waltzed into the box, but his effort was well saved by Caruana. Right at the death, Attard scored Ta’ Xbiex’s second from a classic counter-attack. In the end, Ta’ Xbiex emerged winners to secure the three points required to continue rising the table.

Santa Venera Lightnings 0-4 Mdina Knights
With two goals each half, Mdina Knights secured the three points against bottom team Santa Venera Lightnings on Friday night at the Victor Tedesco Stadium in a one-sided game. Once more, Mdina’s outstanding player was Giovanni Galea, as the veteran striker recorded his second consecutive hat-trick after scoring all the goals for the Knights against Rabat Ajax last weekend.

After just two minutes, the team of coach Marco Buttigieg took the lead with a typical opportunist goal from Galea who made no mistake from close range. Mdina had another opportunity after 15 minutes when Jordan Vella sprang the offside trap, but his effort ended up wide. Three minutes later, Santa Venera had their first opportunity when Andres Martinez forced a good save from Jacob Chircop St John. It was 2-0 on 26 minutes when Galea was sent in the clear, rounded Kyle Gerada and cooly deposited into the net for his brace. It could have been three a minute from the end of the first half but Kyle Bonnici dragged his shot wide.

Mdina’s third arrived quickly after the break on 51 minutes when Galea notched his hat-trick with a fine low effort. Santa Venera were unlucky not to grab a consolation goal on the hour when another veteran striker, Ayrton Buhagiar, hit the post. But it was Mdina who made it four with a superb top corner free kick by Aaron Sammut on 65 minutes, sealing the outcome of the game in favour of Mdina.

Rabat Ajax 3-1 Marsaskala
In the late Sirens Stadium kick-off on Saturday, Rabat Ajax returned to winning ways as they defeated Marsaskala 3-1. The third Rabat goal was scored in stoppage time which meant that they kept Marsaskala into the game throughout the second half.

The Magpies made their intentions clear right from the start, going close with a Shylon Vella effort which was deflected into a corner and on 13 minutes, Jamie Camilleri delivered a cross from the left from which Victor Ifeanyi Mbata tested goalkeeper Craig Sultana with a header. Rabat took the lead on 14 minutes thanks to an Aidan Azzopardi rising shot from the right which gave goalkeeper Sultana no chance. Off a Jamie Camilleri cross from the left, Azzopardi went close once again after rounding a defender and hitting just wide.

Marsaskala equalised on 29 minutes thanks to a great freekick by Dale Valletta which gave goalkeeper Jean Matthias Vella no chance. Not much later, the Southseasiders threatened again with a Federico Galea low effort which was saved by Vella and a diagonal shot by Jamie Camilleri was neutralised by Sultana. One minute from the end of the first half, Rabat regained the lead courtesy of Jamie Camilleri who advanced upfield before hitting low past the Marsaskala custodian.

Nine minutes in the second half, Federico Galea had a shot ending just over the bar and four minutes later, Azzopardi tested Sultana with a shot from the right. Azzopardi rattled the crossbar when served by Mbata ten minutes from time 10 minutes from time. However, two minutes in added time, Nigel Borg released Deyan Cortis on the left and the young Rabat player, who was making his debut, beat Sultana with a diagonal shot.

Siggiewi 1-2 Ghaxaq
After last Sunday’s drubbing against Ta’ Xbiex, Ghaxaq returned to winning ways in the early afternoon kick-off on Saturday at the Mosta Ground against Siggiewi, with the decisive goal being scored at the very end of regular time through match-winner Rui Zammit. It was Siggiewi’s second consecutive defeat after five straight wins, with the team of Simon Agius now slowly losing touch with the top teams.

The opening 45 minutes were balanced with neither side creating much in terms of chances. On 17 minutes, Ghaxaq goalkeeper Luke Attard had no difficulty to parade a Michael Sciberras shot while, not much later on the other side, Clyde Aquilina paraded a Shamizen Buhagiar attempt. Just before the half hour-mark, a Sciberras overhead kick went high while Ghaxaq striker Gabriel Calleja should have done better on 36 minutes with Aquilina interfering well. The best chance of the half was most definitely for Siggiewi’s Mason Fiteni who, with only Luke Attard to beat, blasted high from an ideal angle in stoppage time.

Six minutes after the re-start, Siggiewi took the lead thanks to an excellent grounder from just outside the area by Juan Manuel Artiaga Roa in the far corner. Ghaxaq came close in the attack that followed, but Buhagiar aimed his attempt off-target from a promising angle. Siggiewi came close on the hour when Sciberras was sent down the right but the young striker missed target.

But a moment of lack of concentration proved costly for Siggiewi as on 64 minutes, Calleja was sent down the right flank, entered the box and finished off intelligently to equalise for Ghaxaq. On 77 minutes it was again Fiteni who missed a huge opportunity for Siggiewi, blasting over the bar from a promising angle after some good work by John Paul Delia down the right flank. On 82 minutes, Calleja should have kicked Ghaxaq in front eye to eye with Aquilina but the Siggiewi custodian came out on top. However, in the last minute of regular time, Calleja released substitute Rui Zammit, who managed to beat Aquilina with an excellent grounder to give Ghaxaq a precious three points.

Msida St Joseph 1-1 Dingli Swallows
On Tuesday night, the final 21 minutes were played of this game, abandoned on 4 November last year at the Sirens Stadium due to a power failure in parts of Qawra.

The match at the Centenary Stadium started at minute 69 with Msida being 1-0 up due to a 42nd minute strike of David Akindele. Dingli went in search for an equaliser straight and came close on 73 minutes when Gabriel Sant’s shot took a slight reflection and sailed inches over the bar. From the resultant corner, the unmarked Jurgen Gerada headed home the equaliser. In stoppage time, Lincoln Micallef’s grounder for Msida from just outside the area went wide with Dingli saving a point from this encounter.