LIJA ATHLETIC 2
ST GEORGE’S 0
Lija Athletic forward Erjon Beu has become the Division One all-time leading scorer after netting his 102nd career goal as the Reds strengthened their grip on top spot after beating lowly St George’s 2-0.
The Albanian, who is also this season’s top scorer so far with 24 goals, netted his team’s first goal to break Simon Shead’s long-standing record.
“It’s brilliant,” Beu told the Times of Malta.
“Records are numbers but they mean you’ve got mates who work hard to support you and it also shows my work and passion for football, so it does mean a lot.”
The forward, who has been with the club for the past eight seasons, has also recently been given an award for his contributions by the town’s local council.
“It’s unprecedented so it’s a big honour to be given such an award,” he admitted.
“Contribution to the community through football is always a good thing but to be recognised by the governing body, the Lija council, is a brilliant thing. I’m really pleased!”
Lija now stand alone at the top of the standings on 36 points, one point ahead of Żejtun Corinthians.
St. George’s are still rooted to the bottom spot, even more after a second consecutive Fgura United win, this time against fellow relegation rivals Mqabba.
“In the first half, we really did well, and we got the goal relatively quickly in the first 20 minutes, so we put St George’s a bit down,” Beu explained.
“In the second half, what happened was something which happens to everybody – we had a 2-0 lead and we kind of slowed down.
“You have to be careful because if they score a goal, you never know what’s going to happen. The First Division teams are relatively on even keel but the level is good.
“In the second half, we lost a little concentration from time to time and we lost possession many times so easily which makes us work more.”
The league leaders made their intentions clear from the start, restricting the Saints into their own half, until eventually making their mark after 16 minutes.
The Reds’ front three – Beu, Kabelo Seakanyeng and Frank Temile, have been lethal so far, contributing to 46 goals, and they showed this on the day when the Albanian was fed an accurate pass on the right and hit past St George’s shotstopper Leighton Mifsud.
Beu praised the dynamic he enjoys with Temile and Seakanyeng.
“In the first two weeks when Frank (Temile) came, I was out with an injury but everybody knows who he is and seeing him in training, I always had that belief that together we would be good. And it seems that it worked out really well,” Beu said.
“Especially when the opponent loses possession, our forward football is the best thing you can see in this division.”
This came out even more clear as on the half hour, Seakanyeng made it two for the leaders.
A long bounced pass from the right sent Seakenyeng chasing and as Mifsud charged to intercept, the Botswana international tipped the ball past his reach and fired into an empty net.
St George’s had looked a mess in the opening 45 minutes but after the break, they improved and started putting pressure on Lija who appeared to have lost their momentum. This, coupled with clumsy tackles, resulted in the Saints’ best chance from a freekick from skipper Leeroy Bonett which Lija custodian Luke Bonnici blocked away.
Things got worse for the side at the bottom as three minutes before the final whistle, Dylan Caruana, who had been one of their best performers on the day, got his marching orders after a second yellow card. He now misses the side’s derby match against Vittoriosa this weekend.
LIJA: L. Bonnici, C. Cassar, M. Clinch, C. Giordimaina, L. Muscat, C. Gauci, G. Bugeja (73 R. Fenech), D. Scerri, K. Seakanyeng, F. Temile (84 H. Wood), E. Beu.
ST GEORGE’S: L. Mifsud, A. Marshall, J. Grech, R. Villada, A. Hili, G. D’Amato, G. Carabott (55 I. Camilleri), L. Bonett, D. Caruana, B. Dias (70 M. Uritani), A. Mallia.
Referee: Sandro Spiteri
Scorers: Beu 16; Seakanyeng 37.
Red card: Caruana (S) 87.
Best Player: Kabelo Seakan-yeng (Lija Athletic).
SUMMARIES
ST ANDREWS 0
ŻEBBUĠ RANGERS 1
ST ANDREWS: N. Grima, I. Azzopardi, M. Bartolo, J. Farrugia, M. Potezica, N. Bradshaw (80 M. Vella Vidal), J. Sixsmith (57 L. Borg), D. Jackson, A. Borg Olivier, A. Chibueze, M. Veselji.
ŻEBBUĠ: M. Grech, C. Brincat, D. Fava, G. Gesualdi, R. Vella, N. Ojuola, J. Farrugia, R. Cutajar (76 K. Tanti), A. Aquilina (75 S. Darmanin), L. Chiedozie (82 M. Fagbeja), S. Nanapere.
Referee: Shaun Calleja.
Scorer: Chiedozie 48
MQABBA 3
FGURA UNITED 5
MQABBA: F. Tabone (73 J. Vella), M. Caruana (30 B. Grech), K. Magro, D. Micallef, J. Micallef, K. Xuereb, E. Sala (86 Y. Omuro), A. Ferreira, G. Micallef, F. Zammit, P. Chimezie.
FGURA: B. Bartolo, P. Chircop (67 S. Hili), J. Vella, C. Gandini, J. Stensen, S. Abela (75 T. Grech), J. Barbara, A. Toncheff, G. Martin, D. Cartella (80 D. Quintero), G. Galea.
Referee: Ezekiel Barbara.
Scorers: Toncheff (F) 8; Cartella (F) 32; Chimezie (M) 53, 71 pen.; Ferreira (M) 67; Hili (F) 69; Galea (F) 83; Grech (M) 90 og.
Red card: Magro (M) 41.
PEMBROKE ATHLETA 2
ŻEJTUN CORINTHIANS 4
PEMBROKE: P. Schranz, A. Vujovic (46 M. Zarb), D. Isakovic, K. Frendo, K. Borg (46 P. Santos), JP Mifsud Triganza, G. Azzopardi (63 M. Borg), Z. Grech, T. Fenech, L. Mijic, N. Frendo.
ŻEJTUN: C. Cassar, L. Cassar Jackson, M. Pereira (68 D. Agius), B. Farrugia, R. Mariaga (71 D. Sowatey), C. Grech, N. Tabone, G. Azzopardi, A. Carabott, J. Ogunuppe, J. Suda (85 A. Mizzi).
Referee: Ishmael Barbara
Scorers: Suda (Ż) 11, 70; Mijic (P) 26; Grech (Ż) 32; Mariaga (Ż) 54; Mifsud Triganza (P) 82 pen.
QORMI 1
NAXXAR LIONS 3
QORMI: J. Azzopardi, A. Cassar, R. Mandic, C. Farrugia (75 S. Seychell), N. Ghio (80 C. Debattista), F. Gnindokponou (46 F. Fladby), M. Borg, N. Borg, M. Bustos, L. Farrugia, B. Schembri.
NAXXAR: O. Borg, J. Sciberras, R. Cassar, B. Essel, A. Azzopardi (35 J. Ellul), M. Fenech, M. Fenech, D. Falzon, G. Xuereb (90 N. Sciberras), S. Meilak, A. Bello Osagie (35 G. Carrara), E. Farias.
Referee: Aleksandar Jovanovic
Scorers: Ghio (Q) 9; Mandic (Q) 66 og; Farias (N) 72 pen., 90.
QRENDI 3
SWIEQI UNITED 1
QRENDI: D. Zarb, L. Martinelli, R. Mercieca, D. Micallef, S. Schembri, A. Agius, C. Camilleri (77 B. Muscat), J. Pereira, S. Perdomo (86 D. Zarb), J. Silveira, L. Schembri (92 M. Farrugia).
SWIEQI: C. Abdilla, J. Azzopardi, M. Attard, D. Borg, F. Lufi (56 R. Taliana), M. Farrugia, L. Grech (71 M. Vella), A Schembri Wismayer, C. Matombo, I. Salis, J. Willy (58 F. Fernandes).
Referee: Slobodan Petrovic
Scorers: Schembri (Q) 3, 36, 38 pen.; Matombo (S) 27.