Spartans go top after comeback win

Senglea Athletic 2
Balzan Youths 1

Senglea's bright start to the season continued yesterday when they overcame a stiff challenge from an ever-improving Balzan team to move further up the standings.

Although Jimmy Briffa's side came back strongly in the second half to try and save the match, Senglea's win was fully merited as they were the more incisive side and showed better qualities overall.

With Glenn Bonello posing all sorts of problems to the Balzan rearguard, Richard Mercieca's Senglea started stronger. After five minutes a Silvio Sciberras throughball found Bonello unmarked but Ranier Farrugia was well-positioned to intercept the action.

A few minutes later Senglea took the lead. From a Sciberras cross, Dean Gera controlled badly and hit the ball inside his own net.

Senglea doubled the score a minute later when Bonello's inviting pass was chested down by Abela who hammered home the rebound after Farrugia had partially stopped the Senglea player's first attempt.

Balzan looked jaded and lost composure as Senglea almost added a third just before the break when a Bonello volley just missed the target.

In the 43rd minute Balzan had a chance to reduce the deficit when a first-timed David Agius shot was cleared in time by defender Tyron Ghirxi.

Balzan played better after the break. Gera almost made up for his earlier mishap but his header flashed wide of the post.

Then, a Jerryton Agius cross found Sergio Cappitta on the right spot but his header was saved by George Attard.

Balzan pulled one back midway through, a Sergio Anicic free-kick giving Attard no chance to save.

Briffa's team applied an extra gear in their bid to score again and perhaps save the match but they rarely threatened Attard's goal again as Senglea gave away little spaces and defended grimly till the final whistle to defend their unbeaten record so far.

Senglea: G. Attard, T. Ghirxi, F. Dingli, S. Aquilina, L. Mckay, S. Sciberras, E. Bobolayefa (K. Mifsud), G. Bonello, K. Abela, L. Attard (D. Aquilina), D. Grech.

Balzan: R. Farrugia, D. Agius (Z. Anicic), S. Cappitta, J. Agius, K. Curmi, S. Mizzi, A. Camilleri, M. Sciortino, P. Grima, R. Caruana, D. Gera.

Referee: Chris Lautier.

Hamrun Spartans 3
Mqabba 2

Hamrun Spartans climbed to the top of the standings following a superb comeback win after hitting back from two goals down at half-time.

After Mqabba's supremacy in the opening 45 minutes, Michael Degiorgio's Hamrun bounced back into action after the break, scoring three times without reply to surge to sole leadership with eight points, one ahead of Marsa and Senglea, who, however, have a game in hand.

Mqabba's pace at first was too hot for the Spartans to handle.

Mario Calleja's team took the lead after seven minutes when Neville Galea handled the ball inside his own box in his bid to stop Jean Paul Muscat from advancing further. The assistant referee spotted the infringement and drew the referee's attention.

A penalty was awarded and Uchanna Anywanna made no mistake from the spot to put Mqabba ahead.

In the 10th minute Mqabba threatened again through an Albert Busuttil drive which was ably saved by Jason Cordina in the Hamrun goal.

Mqabba continued to show the better ideas and it was Cordina again who saved his side on two occasions, first when diving at the feet of Martin Borg, who was unmarked in his box, and then on a Marlon Briffa drive.

Kris Calleja was alert at the other end to keep out a dangerous Nikolai Slavtchev free-kick but in the 33rd minute it was 2-0 for Mqabba when Borg banged home the second goal for his team following an Anywanna move.

Mqabba, however, were dumbfounded in two hot Hamrun raids soon after the break.

In the 48th minute, Ryan Fenech collected a bad clearance by the Mqabba defence before making it 2-1.

A minute later it was all-square after goalkeeper Calleja misjudged the flight of the ball and Stefan Sultana profited to tap home the equaliser.

It took Mqabba some time to shake off that bad patch but on 63 minutes it was Cordina who again effected a fine save to keep out another Anywanna effort.

The Spartans scored the winner seven minutes from time.

Briffa's cross fell Sultana's way and the veteran ace just managed to stretch himself enough to slot the ball home.

Hamrun: J. Cordina, S. Sadowski, N. Galea (M. Grech), K. Fabri, N. Slavtchev, K. Borg, R. Fenech, M. Brincat, S. Sultana, I. Briffa, J. Debattista.

Mqabba: K. Calleja, R. Farrugia (A. Formosa), A. Busuttil, E. Lufi, M.A. Psaila, M. Briffa, I. Zammit (E. Borg), J. Felice (A. Hili), M. Borg, U. Anywanna, J.P. Muscat.

Referee: Paul Caruana.