Qrendi 0

Naxxar Lions 0

 

Qrendi and Naxxar Lions remained in the upper echelons of the BOV Division One standings after sharing the spoils in a balanced encounter at the Victor Tedesco Stadium last weekend.

What lacked in both sides’ attack, shone in defence as both sides managed to keep a clean sheet.

While praising his opponents, Qrendi coach Renzo Kerr Cumbo told the Times of Malta he believes a draw was a fair result. 

“It was a well-balanced match. I think that both of us, Naxxar maybe a bit more than us, were dangerous,” Kerr Cumbo said.

“But if one (of us) were to win the match 1-0, I’d say that neither side would have robbed the other any points.

“We weren’t teams who tried to defend only. There were moments when we said: ‘We want the goal now’, and we both tried to get those three points.”

On his part, Naxxar mentor Charles Muscat highlighted the difference of the second 45 minutes which flipped on its edges an uninspiring first half that both goalkeepers can easily remember as the easiest 45 minutes of their season so far. 

With both custodians having little to do bar a couple of easy saves, neither side looked in a position to threaten each other.

It was both the prowess of the sides’ defence as well as a lacking finished product in attack which kept them in balance as the Reds resorted to playing long, high balls from one side to the other, trying to reach the elusive Edson Farias, while the Greens tried to keep the ball grounded for as long as they could. 

“During half-time, we changed the system and in the second half, we started to press higher and we were ready for them earlier which gave us more time in their half,” Muscat said. 

“Both teams had their opportunities and I think it was well balanced. The only thing which I think made the difference is that if there’s a team which missed the most chances, that team was Naxxar.”

The two sides now face Division One opposition this weekend in the FA Trophy as north battles south with Naxxar facing Żejtun and Qrendi playing Lija.

Kerr Cumbo admitted it would have been easier if his side was playing a lower side.

“(Facing Lija) makes the game one where the players have to go and give their 100 per cent. With an easier match, you can afford to give your players some recovery. This is different because it’s going to be just like a league match,” the Greens coach said.

Muscat relished the well-expected challenge of the Corinthians, stressing that “preparations take place just like any other game - I think it should be a great game”.

It was the Reds who looked the better side at the opening with Joel Ellul and Gilberto Carrara doing the heavy lifting but their final passing was not accurate enough to trouble Qrendi’s defence. 

The latter went close on the half hour when an Alexander Nilsson shot hit the side netting after he was left unmarked during a corner. However, the sides looked stale in attack with the next few attacking movements resulting to nothing. 

Nilsson was brought off soon after the break with Jonatan Silveira coming on instead. 

On the hour, Naxxar forced one of Dunstan Zarb’s quickest saves as Jurgen Debono fired a cannon of a free-kick from the right, but the goalkeeper was alert to parry. 

At the other end, Qrendi came close to getting a goal when Omar Borg’s miskick resulted in mass confusion inside the Naxxar area with Borg eventually ending the effort with a save of his own. 

The next 30 minutes then turned into what looked like a rocket-launching sequence as both sides could not manage a shot on target with Carrara and Debono hitting the ball too high for Naxxar while Qrendi’s Leejoe Schembri attempted from afar three times before being taken off ten minutes from time. 

Naxxar got closest at the end of the game when Carrara shot at Zarb. The ball fell into the path of Ellul but his shot ricocheted against a defender and Daren Falzon took the opportunity to hit an overhead kick which Zarb pushed away just in time to stop his side from conceding.

Qrendi: D. Zarb, S. Schembri, A. Curmi (59 A. Agius), D. Santos, G. Muscat, D. Sammut, S. Rado-vanovic, D. Azzopardi, D. Micallef, A. Nilsson (53 J. Silveira), L. Schembri (82 C. Camilleri).

Naxxar: O. Borg, J. Sciberras, M. Fenech, E. Farias, D. Falzon, R. Cassar, J. Debono, J. Ellul, B. Essel, S. Meilak, G. Carrara.

Referee: Malcolm Spiteri

Best Player: G. Carrara (Naxxar Lions).

SUMMARIES

St. Andrews 1
Pieta` Hotspurs 2

St. Andrews: N. Grima, M. D’Alessandro, M. Potezica, A. Martin (74 D. Jackson), M. Bartolo, D. Curmi, L. Borg, J. Farrugia, M. Veselji (74 J. Sixsmith), A. Borg Olivier, K. Reid.

Pieta`: M. Chetcuti, T. Bartolo, Q. Bregman, D. Vukovic, C. Gauci, J. Irimiya, N. Pace Cocks, N. Pisani (91 K. Mifsud), J. Ghio (74 L. Mckay), C. Ze Lucas, C. Bouvet (64 J. Bone).

Referee: Stefan Pace.
Scorers: Ze Lucas (P) 5, 68; Borg (S) 19.

Pembroke Athleta 1 
Swieqi United 2

Pembroke: P. Schranz, Y. Shaba, G. Azzopardi (78 C. Camilleri), A. Sultana (90 T. Muscat), M. Brincat, T. Fenech, M. Zarb, D. Camilleri, P. Santos, Y. Tonna, J.P. Mifsud Triganza (63 L. Mijic).

Swieqi: E. Gatt, J. Azzopardi, M. Ivanovic, S. Bugeja, K. Sultana, K. Muscat, L. Zammit (65 A. Schembri Wismayer), L. Grech, R. Taliana, B. Albuquerque se Souza (55 A. Tejumola), I. Salis (74 F. Fernandes).

Referee: Sandro Spiteri

Scorers: Salis (S) 16; Taliana (S) 71; Mijic (P) 88.

Red cards: Fenech (P) 70; Tejumola (S) 94.

Mqabba 2
Żejtun Corinthians 3

Mqabba: D. Carabott, M. Caruana, K. Camilleri, K. Xuereb (46 N. Micallef), J. Micallef, K. Magro (81 F. Zammit), D. Micallef, J. Spiteri, A. Ferreira, P. Chimezie, M. Andrely (78 Y. Omuro).

Żejtun: C. Cassar, L. Cassar Jackson, D. Sowatey, A. Mizzi, N. Tabone, D. Agius (67 R. Attard), G. Azzopardi, J. Suda (94 J. Busuttil), R. Santos, J. Ogunuppe (87 M. Pereira), A. Carabott.

Referee: Alan Mario Sant

Scorers: Santos (Ż) 24, 64; Chimezie (M) 43 pen.; Andrely (M) 65; Caruana (M) 74 og.

Qormi 1

Żebbuġ Rangers 2 

Qormi: J. Azzopardi, A. Abela, F. Gusman, J. Lokando, A. Cassar, N. Ghio, F. Gnindokponou, M. Borg, T. Gusman (53 S. Grech), I. Zammit (70 L. Farrugia), C. Matombo.

Żebbuġ: M. Grech, C. Brincat, D. Fava, R. Vella, R. Zammit, W. Borg, S. Buhagiar, M. Del Negro (55 J. Farrugia), N. Ojuola, M. Fagbeja (95 R. Cutajar), S. Nanapere. 

Referee: Matthew De Gabriele

Scorers: Gnindokponou (Q) 7; Fagbeja (Ż) 65; Vella (Ż) 90 pen.

Red card: Brincat (Ż) 69.

Lija Athletic 3
Fgura United 2

Lija: L. Bonnici, C. Cassar (64 D. Scerri), M. Clinch, L. Muscat, C. Giordimaina, C. Gauci, A. White, A. Galea (83 L. Pisani), K. Seakanyeng (92 G. Borg), E. Beu, H. Palomino.

Fgura: L. Moore, J. Cassar, P. Chircop, J. Vella, C. Gandini (46 A. Scicluna), S. Borg, T. Grech (46 A. Toncheff), S. Hili (82 A. Cilia Mumford), C. Valero, D. Cartella, G. Galea.

Referee: Andrea Sciriha.

Scorers: Beu (L) 15, 32; Hili (F) 
21; Seakanyeng (L) 41; Toncheff (87).

Red card: Gauci (L) 62.

Vittoriosa 5
St George's 2 

Vittoriosa: Z. Valletta, K. Vella, I. Abela, C. Spiteri, J. Briffa, L. Gauci (46 K. Abela), O. Guerrero, D. Tabone, G. Sultana, R. Farias (42 A. Ellul),  M. Lamlun (71 I. Curmi). 

St. George's: J. Azzopardi, L. Cutajar, A. Marshall, J. Grech (81 A. Hili), G. D’Amato, J. Dalli, C. Cassar, M. Uritani (87 JP. Formosa), S. Perdomo (61 T. Hiruma), L. Bonett, D. Caruana.

Referee: Daniel Portelli

Scorers: Farias (V) 10, 16; Bonett (S) 13; Gauci (V) 23; Hiruma (S) 67; Abela (V) 76; Curmi (V) 
93.