ST GEORGE’S 1
VITTORIOSA STARS 3
A thrilling Cottonera derby down at the bottom end of Division One table this weekend, gave Vittoriosa’s survival hopes a massive boost while left St George’s standing on the relegation trap door.
Ivan Zammit’s troops churned out a highly-deserved 3-1 victory over their neighbours but their inability to put their outclassed opponents to the sword had them enduring a nervy finish as St George’s came back at them after pulling a goal back late on.
“We failed to close out a game we dominated for large periods and they managed to find a way back into the match.
“So, there’s a bit of bitterness for a game we dominated but we were forced to endure a nervy finale before hanging on to a much-needed win,” Zammit told the Times of Malta.
Vittoriosa set the tempo early on when Oscar Guerrero nodded Dario Tabone’s flick towards goal and Renan Farias pushed it over the line as it was heading into the net on 17 minutes.
The Stars remained in the ascendancy and Shola Shodiya had a swerving shot saved by Leighton Mifsud. That left St George’s looking to break on the counter but made few inroads in the first half.
The Reds began the second half in quieter fashion but Farias’s second strike just before the hour mark swung the game back in their favour.
That put Vittoriosa fans and their bench in wonderland but more delight was to come when again they broke forward and Guerrero stayed onside to drive a stunner to complete an excellent move by Iro Curmi.
Vittoriosa looked as they had switched to cruise control after Guerrero’s strike but their hopes of tension-free finish vanished when Aaron Hili reduced the arrears seven minutes from time.
Vittoriosa captain Andreas Galea is hoping this win will spark a turnaround in the team’s fortunes after a series of disappointing results endangered their status.
“Our team suffered a lot of injuries and that hampered our progress. Our football is always pretty to the eye and we try to play nice football,” he said.
This last declaration may sound rather confusing given their position in the standings with the derby’s win dragging them off the bottom of the table at the expense of their rivals.
“Division One is always very competitive and 19 points at this point of the season for a side fighting relegation is definitely no mean feat.
“I’ve been out of the game for sometime but I hardly remember such a tough championship with promotion contenders teams losing with relegation-threatened sides. It happened this weekend again with Lija losing against Fgura,” Zammit said.
Zammit returned to coaching last November at Vittoriosa, a side rooted at the bottom of the table. Since his appointment, he has brought in a host of seasoned veterans in the team in the shape of Dylan Grima, Shodiya, Jamie Pace and Guerrero aimed at providing guile to his relatively inexperienced side.
And the turnaround is evident. The Stars made a double against their arch-rivals this season after also winning the first round 5-2.
Although these victories will undoubtedly add air of optimism within the Vittoriosa clan, Zammit had given his side little time to celebrate their derby victory.
“Up next is in-form Fgura. I really hope we learnt our lesson today. Games like these should be close out. In our previous games, against Pietá and Mqabba, we lost valuable points because we take certain aspects of our game foregranted. We need to raise the bar,”he added.
St George’s: L. Mifsud, A. Hili, L. Bonett, M. Mentosa, M. Uritani, H. Leute Dias (56 S. Le Metayer), G. D’Amato (70 A. Mallia), E. Amaira, J. Grech, A. Marshall, K. Camilleri (56 I. Camilleri Pirotta).
Vittoriosa Stars: Z. Valletta, J. Briffa, D. Grima, I. Curmi, D. Tabone, J. Pace, A. Galea, O. Guerrero, R. Farias (68 O. Sidibe), J. Attard (76 S. Grech), S. Shodija (79 L de Oliveira Barbosa).
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.
SUMMARIES
NAXXAR LIONS 1
QRENDI 4
NAXXAR: O. Borg, J. Sciberras (46 A. Azzopardi), R. Cassar, B. Essel (79 A. Bello Osagie), M. Fenech,S. Meilak, M. Mifsud, J. Ellul (58 G. Xuereb), D. Falzon, E. Farias, G. Martins.
QRENDI: D. Zarb, L. Martinelli, A. Agius, S. Schembri (87 R. Mercieca), E. Vella, D. Azzopardi, C. Camilleri, Cleo, S. Perdomo (70 B. Muscat), J. Silva Silveira (79 A. Nilsson), L.J. Schembri.
Referee Fyodor Zammit.
Scorers: Silva Silveira (Q) 19, 74, Schembri (Q) 45, Nilsson (Q) 90; Bello Osagie (N) 90.
Red card: Meilak (N) 81.
FGURA UNITED 3
LIJA ATHLETIC 1
FGURA UNITED: B. Bartolo, P. Chircop, J. Vella, C. Gandini, J. Stensen, J. Barbara (78 S. Hili), T. Grech, G. Martin, A. Berthe (80 G. Ferreira De Souza), D. Cartella (71 D. Quintero), G. Galea.
LIJA ATHLETIC: L. Bonnici, A. White (60 R. Fenech), C. Giordimaina, I. Borg, M. Clinch, G. Bugeja, A. Galea, C. Gauci, K. Seakanyeng, E. Beu, F. Temile (73 J. Wells).
Referee: Aleksandar Jovanovic.
Scorers: Galea (F) 15 pen, Beu (L) 27, Ferreira De Souza (F) 90, S. Hili (F) 90+.
Red card: I. Borg (L) 89.
ŻEBBUĠ RANGERS 2
QORMI 1
ŻEBBUĠ RANGERS: M. Grech, C. Brincat, D. Fava, G. Gesualdi, R. Vella (31 S. Darmanin), A. Aquilina, M. Del Negro, K. Tanti (38 J. Farrugia), N. Ojuola, M. Fagbeja (70 S. Nanapere), L. Chiedozie.
QORMI: J. Azzopardi, A. Abela, R. Mandic, A. Cassar, N. Ghio, F. Fladby, M. Borg, N. Borg, F. Gnindokponou (88 C. Farrugia), L. Farrugia (78 S. Seychell), B. Schembri (62 T. Gusman).
Scorers: Borg (Q) 72 pen, Chiedozie (Ż) 75; Nanapere (Ż) 90 pen.
Referee: Sandro Spiteri.
PIETÀ HOTSPURS 0
ST ANDREWS 1
PIETÀ HOTSPURS: J. Chircop St John, S. Mizzi, I. Jalo, L. McKay (76 C. Bouvet), C. Sammut (15 D. Vukovic), K. Amehi, J. Scicluna, N. Pisani, C. Ze Lucas, J. Ghio (83 S. Pisani).
ST ANDREWS: N. Grima, I. Azzopardi, J. Farrugia, M. Potezika, M. Muscat, L.A. Borg (86 J. Sixsmith), A. Borg Olivier, N. Bradshaw, W. Camilleri, D. Jackson, A. Chibueze.
Referee Daniel Portelli.
Scorer: Jackson 24.
ŻEJTUN CORINTHIANS 3
MQABBA 1
ŻEJTUN CORINTHIANS: C. Cassar, C. Grech, D. Sowatey, R. De Fex Mariaga (42 R. Do Nascimento), A. Mizzi, N. Tabone, G. Azzopardi, D. Agius, J. Suda (82 B. Farrugia), A. Carabott, J.J. Ogunuppe (63 M. Pereira Muniz).
MQABBA: J.M. Vella, B. Grech, D. Micallef, E. Sala, A. Spiteri, K. Xuereb, N. Micallef, M. Brincat (73 M. Caruana) S. Dos Santos Ferreira, P. Chimezie (86 Y. Omuro), F. Zammit.
Referee: Emanuel Grech.
Scorers: Tabone (Ż) 33; Micallef (M) 44; Ogunuppe (Ż) 46, Do Nascimento (Ż) 86.
SWIEQI UNITED 0
PEMBROKE ATHLETA 1
SWIEQI UNITED: E. Gatt, M. Attard, J. Azzopardi, M. Ivanovic, K. Muscat, M. Farrugia, R. Taliana, M. Vella, S. Gatt Baldacchino (71 L. Grech), C. Matombo (63 F. Fernandes), I. Salis (A. De Souza Bene).
PEMBROKE ATHLETA: P. Schranz, M.A. Borg, Z. Grech, D. Isakovic, A. Sultana (88 D. Camilleri), T. Fenech, K. Frendo, N. Frendo, J. Oliveira Santos, J.P. Mifsud Triganza (71 Y. Tonna), L. Mijic (84 K. Borg).
Referee: Stefan Pace.
Scorer: Frendo 50.