Dingli rally not enough as Saints win useful points

Dingli Swallows 3
San Ġwann 4

San Ġwann moved to a safer mid-table position yesterday after beating Dingli in a seven-goal thriller at the Hibs Ground.

Dingli look more like a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde act this season as they were outplayed for most of the match by the Saints. Late on, they stepped up a gear and scored three times in the space of nine minutes but San Ġwann held tight for victory.

Jesmond Zammit's Dingli had Jeremy Agius, Victor Fiteni, Jason Cachia and Christopher Ciappara playing below par but with Mark Galea and Christopher Azzopardi in as subs, Dingli almost managed to cancel a four-goal deficit.

After five minutes San Ġwann were awarded a penalty when Cachia fouled Lee Cumbo in the area. Sergio Hili took the spot-kick and sent Jeffrey Farrugia the wrong way to score.

Dingli were unlucky on 11 minutes when Agius hit a post with a first-time effort following some good work by Roderick Spiteri on the flank.

But it came as no surprise when San Ġwann doubled their lead following a melee inside the Dingli box. From a poor clearance Chris Cuschieri hammered the ball home from 12 metres out.

Before half-time, Agius had the chance to pull one back for Dingli but hit wide from a good position.

Two minutes after the restart, San Ġwann were awarded a second penalty when Victor Fiteni handled the ball inside his own box and Cumbo made it 3-0 from the spot for Sandro Zammit Fava's side.

San Ġwann could have scored a fourth when substitute Steve Pisani failed to beat Farrugia from close range following a measured pass from Cuschieri. However, on 70 minutes, the same player made amends when he tapped the ball home when ably put through by Antoine Zahra.

Dingli reduced the arrears on 73 minutes thanks to a Kurt Formosa goal and a minute later Azzopardi let fly a powerful scorcher from just inside the area that gave the Saints keeper no chance - 2-4.

Hili should have sealed the points for San Ġwann when he stole possession in the Dingli half but shot straight at the well-positioned Farrugia.

On 82 minutes it was Azzopardi, again, who was first to a long ball in the opponents' box before dashing past a static San Ġwann defence and ram the ball home.

Anxious moments followed at both ends of the pitch but in the end San Ġwann, who had former Malta defender Darren Debono among the subs for the first time, held boldly for three useful points and a morale-boosting victory.

San Ġwann
J. Spiteri, M. Caruana (S. Pisani), C. Giordmaina, M. Francica, J. Buttigieg, A. Borg, C. Cuschieri, F. Aboulez, L. Cumbo, A. Zahra, S. Hili (R. Zammit).

Dingli
J. Farrugia, E. Casha (G. Failla), R. Spiteri, C. Ciappara, K. Formosa, V. Fiteni, J. Agius (M. Galea), J. Cachia, E. Farrugia (C. Azzopardi), R. Mintoff, U. Anywanna.

Referee: Paul Apap.

Man of the match: Antoine Zahra (San Ġwann).