QORMI-2, ST ANDREW'S-4

St Andrew's kept their hopes of avoiding relegation alive after beating fellows-in-distress Qormi 4-2 to set up a play-off against Senglea Athletic who finished third in Division One.

The Saints managed to move above Naxxar Lions in 10th place after the latter went down to Sliema Wanderers to suffer relegation along with Qormi.

An action-packed first half produced five goals.

St Andrew's took the lead after 17 minutes when defender Won Bong Che headed in after capitalising on a half-clearance but Qormi equalised through Ryan Micallef who also nodded home from close range after Jake Galea, the Saints' goalkeeper, failed to clear properly.

Two quickfire goals, the first a close-range effort from Eloy Nkene and the second a shot from Salomon Wisdom after good work from Kyrian Nwoko, looked to have put St Andrew's in command but Qormi narrowed the deficit six minutes from half-time.

Terence Vella scored a brilliant goal as his perfectly-hit free-kick beat Galea hands down.

Qormi raised their game in search of an equaliser after the change of ends..

Terence Vella had a shot saved by Galea.

After the Saints' protests for what looked like a late challenge on the advancing Nwoko were ignored by referee Clayton Pisani, Qormi broke on the counter, through Micallef, who passed to Ojuola. The latter freed Nagaoka in the box but his effort was stopped by Galea.

Wisdom then made headway in the Qormi box but his strike was deflected away for a corner. Oseghale was then denied by the crossbar.

But, six minutes from time, St Andrew's wrapped up their win when Oseghale drifted into the box from the left and squared to Cuestra who drove home.