Balzan march on as Melita leave it late

Balzan Youths 3
Mġarr United 1

Leaders Balzan Youths turned defeat into victory with three goals after the break to silence lowly Mġarr.

This was Balzan's 10th win from 11 matches and now they are the firm favourites to gain promotion at the end of the season.

Balzan dictated the run of play during the first period. On 20 minutes a shot by Aaron Agius hit the upright but it was Mġarr who took the lead on 28 minutes when Steve Aquilina headed in past Joshua Galea.

A minute later Balzan were awarded a penalty for a foul by Gordon Mallia on Alistair Camilleri but Agius's spot-kick came off the post.

Balzan continued to push forward and three minutes into the second half the woodwork again denied Agius from goal.

However, they were back on level terms in the 50th minute with a Camilleri goal from close in.

Two minutes later the Youths forged ahead with a Clayton Caruana goal following a through-pass by Ivan Zammit.

Balzan raided the Mġarr goal to make their victory more pronounced and succeeded in adding another one to their tally when defender Malcolm Bugeja committed an own goal ten minutes from time from an Ivan Zammit free-kick.

Balzan: J. Galea, J. Agius (L. Stivala), D. Agius, C. Sciberras, C. Micallef, Is. Zammit, A. Lagana, Iv. Zammit (R. Farrugia), A. Camilleri, C. Caruana (B. Bondin), A. Agius.

Mġarr: L. Grech, G. Said, N. Busuttil, C. Bugeja, W. Camilleri, C. Gauci, M. Bugeja, S. Camilleri, J. Micallef (D. Muscat), A. Muscat (E. Grech), S. Aquilina (M. Muscat).

Referee: Sandro Spiteri.

Sta Venera 0
Melita 1

Luke Micallef struck the winner for Melita eight minutes from time to earn the Amateurs a hard-earned victory over a battling Sta Venera Lightnings team in a match which kicked off the second round of the Division Two league.

The Lightnings took advantage of the strong wind blowing behind their backs and did the attacking throughout the first half but found Melita keeper Matthew Sapiano in their way as he stopped shots by Jeffrey Zammit, Glen Micallef and Andre Cachia.

At the other end, Melita wasted a clear opportunity when Jonathan Mifsud headed wide from in front of goal and two minutes later Saints keeper John Agius came to his team's rescue with a fine save off a Matthew Borg II.

Melita pushed forward after the change of ends but found it difficult to penetrate a very organised Saints' defence. Ives Bilocca tried his luck from the distance but to no avail as promotion seekers Melita looked destined to settle for a goalless draw.

However, substitute Micallef had other ideas and eight minutes from time he scored the goal that mattered which keeps Melita in the race for a promotion berth.

Sta Venera: J. Agius, A. Cachia, A. Galea (A. Micallef), Y. Mun Law, G. Micallef, S. Farrugia (A. Hili), M. Grech (L. Farrugia), J. Zammit, A. Ellul, N. Caruana, D. Zuccaro.

Melita: M. Sapiano, J. Mifsud, D. Gravino, G. Gribbon, I. Bilocca, M. Borg II, M. Martin, A. Caruana Scicluna, M. Hyzler (L. Micallef), M. Borg I (S. Micallef), T. Terpougoff (G. Degabriele).

Referee: Thomas Debono.

Żebbuġ Rangers 0
Birżebbuġa SP 1

A second-half goal scored by Ronnie Celeste earned Birżebbuġa their fourth win of the season at the expense of a luckless Żebbuġ side.

Rangers were unlucky early on when a shot by Marlon Vella hit the upright. The seasiders responded with a Darren Vella effort that was stopped by keeper Martin Pace.

On 31 minutes, Birżebbuġa had the ball in the Żebbuġ net but the 'goal' was annulled for offside.

Żebbuġ took control after the break, Christian Tabone hitting high from close in while Donald Gatt and Jonathan Sapiano failed to hit the target.

Twenty minutes from time Pace was injured and was replaced by Duncan Galea. Rangers were close again when they had a Vella lob cleared off the line by Bernard Farrugia.

Ten minutes from time, Birżebbuġa struck the winner when Celeste rounded Galea before firing inside an empty net.

Żebbuġ thought they had equalised in time added on but again their 'goal' was disallowed for a foul on the Saints keeper.

Żebbuġ: M. Pace (D. Galea), R. Bugeja, G. Saliba, D. Gatt, L. Vella (O. Rababah), C. Tabone, J. Sapiano (R. Micallef), R. Attard, G. Mallia, M. Vella, R. Ellul.

Birżebbuġa: P. Celeste, E. Saliba, B. Farrugia, D. Vella, R. Baldacchino, M. Ciappara, J. Cassar, C. Formosa, N. Tabone, R. Celeste, J. Camilleri (K. Muscat).

Referee: Sammy Attard.

St Andrew's 3
Gozo FC 0

Billy Mock's St Andrew's opened their second-round commitments with a merited win over the Gozitans.

Ryan Grech and Josef Buttigieg almost put Gozo in front with the Saints coming back with a Luca Desira Buttigieg solo move that was halted by the quick-thinking Gozo defender Sam Bajada.

The Saints forged ahead on 34 minutes with a Matthew Calascione goal and added a second goal two minutes later when this time Desira Buttigieg had the better of Steve Sultana, the Gozo no.1.

St Andrew's remained the better team during the second half and in the opening minutes they wasted a couple of scoring opportunities through Desira Buttigieg and Calascione.

Sultana did well to hold out a Patrick Briscoe White shot and on 73 minutes he was again in action to deny Michael Valenzia from goal.

Six minutes from time, however, Desira Buttigieg again had the better of Sultana for a 3-0 final scoreline. A minute into injury-time Desira Buttigieg appeared to have notched his hat-trick but he was in an offside position and the goal was annulled.

St Andrew's: F. Tabone, T. Martin, B. Diacono, J. Briscoe White, S. Falzon, W. Camilleri, P. Briscoe White (M. Grima), M. Calascione, L. Desira Buttigieg, M. Valenzia (D. Cuschieri), N. Vella Petroni (M. Calleja).

Gozo FC: S. Sultana, J. Cefai, P.P. Buttigieg (A. Portelli), J. Attard, G. Cefai, J. Buttigieg, S.F. Bajada, R. Grech (J.P. Saliba), C. Hili, D. Lautier, R. Buttigieg.

Referee: Mitchell Scerri.