Lija Athletic 2
Mqabba 0
Lija registered a third win on the trot to serve notice to the other promotion contenders that they should not be taken lightly this season.
At times, bottom-placed Mqabba also played some neat football but found in-form keeper Kurt Rizzo in their way.
Lija ventured forward early on with Jorge Garcia Vidal denied by the crossbar and the same player driving his shot just wide from just outside the Mqabba box.
Brian Spiteri’s men, however, took the lead on six minutes when Adehina Ige headed home from a Roberto Brincat free-kick.
Mqabba nearly equalised when Clayton Giordmaina cleared off the line a Godwin Zaki effort from a corner soon after.
Rizzo was on the right spot to keep out a Zaki grounder as Bojan Mamic’s side tried to react.
At the other end, LeeJoe Schembri dribbled past a defender but his curler was stopped by keeper Jonathan Debono.
Rizzo effected another superb save off an Obagbemiro shot as chances came at both ends of the pitch.
On 32 minutes Omar Farrugia beat the Lija offside trap but failed to score from an ideal position while Schembri darted into the Mqabba box but was foiled by a daring Debono block.
Then, just before the break, Lija doubled their lead following a swift counter attack. The ball was played to Garcia Vidal who placed his shot past Debono’s reach.
After the interval, a Garcia Vidal header from a Schembri cross finished just over the bar. Mqabba hit back with a Zaki shot that was stopped in style by Rizzo.
However, Mqabba suffered a setback on 71 minutes when Claudio Calleja was dismissed for a foul on Garcia Vidal.
Mqabba lost their plot and Lija controlled with ease to bag another win, having lost their first two championship matches on the trot.
Lija: K. Rizzo, C. Giordmaina, P. Babic, P. Borg, R. Brincat (R. Taliana), L. Schembri (M. Hyzler), M. Clinch, A. Caruana, J. Garcia Vidal, A. Ige, A. Borg (D. Mintoff).
Mqabba: J. Debono, O. Farrugia, C. Farrugia, J. Borg, C. Calleja, K. Farrugia, G. Adamovic, J. Elijah Obagbemiro (S. Sylla Manasse), B. Grech (K. Cutajar), I. Galea, G. Zaki.
Referee: Fiodor Zammit.
Man of the match: Jorge Garcia Vidal (Lija Athletic).