Melita and St Patrick clinch promotion to Premier League

TOP SIX
Senglea Athletic 0-1 Melita
On Saturday, Clive Mizzi’s Melita secured promotion to the Premier League next season by beating third-placed Senglea Athletic by a single goal. It was a highly-contested match, with ample chances of scoring on both sides. In the end, Melita proved to be the better team.
Melita were most definitely the most aggressive in the first half with Karl Mohnani and the lanky Jesus Andres Yepez coming close in the opening phase. On 27 minutes, Henrique Motta lobbed a good ball central towards Alan Borg Olivier, but the veteran failed to connect which could have been the opening goal of the match. Three minutes later, a header by Andre Carlos from a freekick action was brilliantly saved by Senglea goalkeeper Glenn Zammit.
The Cottonera side had a better start in the second half and went close to opening the scoring on 67 minutes when Terrence Vella’s header went slightly high over the crossbar. The winner for the St Julian’s base side arrived on 69 minutes when Zammit failed to get hold of a Borg-Olivier cross and from the rebound, Matthew Portelli slotted home. Senglea did produce a late rally to obtain at least a point but found Gosef Mizzi in an unbeatable mood, recording his ninth clean sheet of the campaign. Melita could celebrate their promotion a day later when Marsa failed to beat Zabbar, with the Amateurs returning to the top flight for the first time since season 2012/13.

Zabbar St Patrick 2-0 Marsa
Although there are still four matches to be played in the Top Six competition, also Zabbar managed to win promotion to next season’s Premier League after beating Marsa 2-0 in front of their faithful supporters at the Victor Tedesco Stadium on Sunday afternoon. A much-deserved victory for the yellows, who only needed one season Challenge League to secure a historic promotion after an absence of nearly 20 years. Marsa were a depleted side with five regulars missing, including the suspended Augusto Caseres. However, based on the second half, they could have scored on a few occasions but found Zabbar international goalkeeper Matthew Grech on their way in each and every occasion.
In the first 15 minutes of the match, Zabbar had several shots towards goal with Marsa goalkeeper Luis Alvarez saving two on-target attempts by the industrial Ezequiel Ruiz. On 22 minutes, Zabbar were awarded a penalty when Marsa skipper Dylan Agius brought down Brian Gambarte in the box. Ruiz stepped up and made no mistake from the spot. Marsa had a good period mid-way through the second half, pushing to get the equaliser with Agius’ volley attempt missing the crossbar by an inch on 36 minutes. But it was St Patrick who doubled five minutes later when David Oliveira rose high from a corner action, with Alvarez blocking but Leo Agius hit home from the rebound.
Three minutes after the re-start, David Oliveira was sent through and brough the best out of Alvarez, who saved in two attempts in what could have been Zabbar’s third goal of the afternoon. On the other side on 55 minutes, Grech made a splendid save on a Donys Quintero attempt after an excellent Marsa move on the left flank. But with Zabbar comfortably two nil up and Marsa unable to make a fist, the match was played which resulted into a tame second period. Marsa substitute Aroldinho should have scored from close-range on 78 minutes but found Grech on his way once more. Five minutes later it was again Grech who denied a Marsa goal, this time of two attempts by Dale Mifsud. In stoppage time, Zabbar substitute Aliyu Isah hit the post while on the stroke of full-time, Marsa captain Dylan Agius was sent-off for a second bookable offence. Zabbar St Patrick, a club which a rich history, will be a welcome addition to the Premier Division next season.

Zurrieq 3-0 Pieta’ Hotspurs
On Saturday at the Centenary Stadium, Zurrieq bagged a comfortable three points in a 3-0 victory over Pieta Hotspurs, in a match that was pretty much one-sided. The Hotspurs had several regulars missing and only created a very few chances to score, spending most of the match trying to defend their half of the pitch, rarely venturing into their opponent's area. The match was of little consequence to both sides, both being safely into next year's Challenge League.
Zurrieq scored their first goal 25 minutes into the match with a splendid Emerson Camilleri howler from the edge of the area. Defender Jack Kind nearly doubled shortly before the break when his effort hit the crossbar.
Zurrieq's second goal arrived on the hour-mark with an effort by Kalani Delarole from an acute angle. Nine minutes later, Glamour Eziefula made it 3-0 when he took full advantage of a confusing situation in Pieta's defence, slotting the ball home on the second attempt. A fine and deserved win therefore by Saviour Grech-Debono’s side.

PLAY OUT
Fgura United 1-1 Lija Athletic
Although Fgura United only managed to win one game so far in the Play-Out, the team of coach Kevin Vella obtained the point they needed to safeguard another year of Challenge League football, the first team in the Play-Out to do so. Lija needed a win to secure their status, but have to wait until after the international break to seal that goal when they play Zejtun Corinthians.
Fgura took an early fifth minute lead when Ofufu Ibeh crossed towards Dylan Caruana, who dribbled a defender, shooting low past Luke Bonnici. Twenty minutes later, Aron Hernandez restored parity for Lija, rounding off an accurate cross of Gabriel Diego Farrugia.
In the second half, both teams had several opportunities to score but both Bonnici for Lija and Yenz Cini for Fgura stood out with some splendid goalkeeping. Midway the half, Michael Gatt's shot from outside the box was tapped over the bar by Bonnici, while on 79 minutes, Cini blocked a Farrugia goal scoring opportunity, set-up by Erjon Beu. Over-all a deserved draw as neither team deserved to leave the pitch empty handed.

Swieqi United 0-2 Attard
Ivan Zammit’s Attard delayed their mathematical relegation when they defeated Swieqi with a Bledi Alla brace in an entertaining match on Sunday afternoon at the Centenary Stadium. Alla was the man of the match playing a blinder, with splendid goalkeeper Zach Valletta displaying his talents once more between the sticks. However, Swieqi certainly deserved to get more from this match with several attempts ending against the woodwork.
In the fifth minute Attard took the lead in their first real attack when Alla beat the goalkeeper with a low drive. Swieqi had a good reaction having a couple of attempts at goal and on 40 minutes went close when an Alan Schembri Wismayer freekick was saved with the ball finishing against the base of the upright.
Swieqi were again unlucky on 55 minutes when another grounder from Schembri Wismayer hit the woodwork. Sixty seconds later, Sylvester Siaw’s point blank header was brilliantly deflected by Valletta with the ball finishing against the crossbar. Not much later, Attard had a Brady Agius freekick going over the bar and on 70 minutes were unlucky not to double when a Camilo Escobar shot hit the upright. Deep in stoppage time Attard had a fast break and won a penalty for a handling infringement and from the penalty spot, Alla made no mistake to give his side a fragile lifeline in their survival bid.

St Andrews 1-0 Tarxien Rainbows
In the early Victor Tedesco Stadium kick off on Saturday, St Andrews managed to beat an in-form Tarxien Rainbows, who suffered their first defeat in this Play-Out group and only their second defeat this year. The decisive goal was scored by St Andrews youth academy product William England just after the re-start.
Tarxien started well as they were pressuring their opponents into their own box and putting their defence in difficulty on several occasions. Despite having a lot of goal scoring opportunities, Tarxien did not manage to capitalise which eventually cost them the match. Luxol had to focus on limiting the damage before the halftime whistle although they settled towards to the end of the half.
After the change of ends, St Andrews were more adventurous and scored what proved to be the winning goal on 50 minutes. A St Andrews cross was initially cleared by the Tarxien defence with the loose ball being picked up by England, who released a stunning top corner scorcher, a picture goal. The match seemed more balanced now with a series of attacks from both sides. The Rainbows came very close to equalise in the 64th minute when Precious Nwankwo incredibly missed from close-in. Eventually, St Andrews consolidated their advantage until the very end and could bag another three points after Easter when they play Msida St Joseph.

Zejtun Corinthians 1-1 Luqa St Andrew’s
This was a tensed game with plenty of cautions between two teams who needed both to bag the three points to make another large step into keeping their second-tier status. Eventually, both sides stepped of the pitch with a point each, in a match which indeed did not really deserve a winner.
Most of the action arrived in the first period when both of the goals were scored. Jairinho should have opened the score for the Corinthians on eight minutes after beating the offside trap, chipping Spiteri but failed to find target. Two minutes later, Jamie Sixsmith’s grounder missed target by an inch. But it was Jairinho who broke the deadlock, intercepting a short pass of Jake Grech on 19 minutes. Ten minutes later, Luqa equalised with practically their first shot on target through Emmanuel Bio, beating Fredrick Tabone from close-range. On 31 minutes, Spiteri made a splendid save on Isaiah Micallef’s attempt, turning his effort into a corner.
Play kept on going up and down after the break, with Ryan Schembri coming close to put Luqa in front but his volley on 65 minutes just missed target. It was a tensed half however, with plenty of incidents but without any of the teams creating any danger in the box with a few off-target attempts.

Zebbug Rangers 6-0 Msida St Joseph
Like Attard and St Andrews, also Zebbug Rangers took the three points at stake to keep their slim salvation hopes alive. It was a massive display from Zebbug who scored at will against an Msida side that did put a decent fight in attack but was found wanting at the back. However the result is rather harsh on Msida who deserved to score a couple of goals. For Zebbug this victory could be too little too late as they still need a sporting miracle to avoid the drop to amateur football next season.
After barely four minutes Zebbug went ahead when captain Randall Vella fired low into the net from a corner action. Three minutes later Zebbug doubled the score when Duvan Mosquera passed towards Johann Bezzina who scored with a low drive. Msida almost pulled one back when the Rangers nearly committed an own goal when Kurt Bondin’s backward pass almost deceived goalkeeper Jamie Azzopardi. On 31 minutes Zebbug made it three when Mosquera headed home a Kurt Shaw cross from the left.
The game was dead and buried but in the second half the game was very open with several scoring opportunities on both ends with Bondin firing home the fourth goal for Zebbug and with Nnaemeka Eziukwu hitting the upright for Msida. Zebbug made it five on 67 minutes again through Bezzina after a good move with Mosquera. Minutes later, substitute Andrey Attard scored a gem of a goal to make it six. Next up for Zebbug after Easter is Attard in a direct relegation clash.

Images copyright by Melita FC Media, Matthew Mirabelli & Walter Sargent