Birżebbuga Sp 2
Naxxar Lions 4
Buoyed by their surprising victory over Żejtun, Naxxar Lions maintained their positive momentum when yesterday they beat Birżerbbuġa in a six-goal thriller.
Boris Odwong, who had scored the winner against the Corinthians last week, was again decisive for the Lions when he grabbed a hat-trick as Birżebbuġa slumped their second successive defeat.
Naxxar took five minutes to forge ahead when Odwong profited from some poor defending from Birżebbuġa to slot the ball home from close in.
But the Lions’ joy was shortlived as two minutes later Dragan Milovic pulled Birżebbuġa level when he drove the ball home after being set up by Matthew Sciortino.
The match remained evenly balanced but it was Naxxar who regained the lead three minutes from the break. Darren Falzon’s shot went past Birzebbuga’s defensive wall to finish past Gabriel Mansueto and into the net.
Birżebbuġa tried to step up a gear after the interval in search of an equaliser. Instead it was Naxxar who added a third goal on 70 minutes when in a swift break Odwong dribbled past his marker before beating Mansueto with a low drive.
Naxxar were now in full command as Birżebbuġa rarely threatened to save the match.
In stoppage time they pulled one back when substitute Ronnie Celeste scored from close range following an Onuta header.
Naxxar immediately re-established their two-goal lead when Odwong completed his hat-trick when he headed the ball home from a De Lima Sequeira cross.
Birżebbuga Sp: G. Mansueto, K. Spiteri, M. Pullicino, D. Milovic, D. Baldacchino, F. Schneider (B. Marev), L. Grima, M. Sciortino (R. Celeste), M. Mifsud, K. Borg (K. Muscat), B. Onuta.
Naxxar J. Spiteri, V. Bellia, J. Debono (M. Maccari), M. Del Negro, D. Falzon (K. Fenech), A. Farrugia, R. Schembri, L. Micallef, A. Attard, H. De Lima Sequeira, B. Odwong.
Referee: Adrian Azzopardi.
Man of the match: Boris Odwong (Naxxar Lions).
St Andrew’S 2
St George’S 1
Two goals inside the opening ten minutes paved the way for St Andrew’s to claim three points over St George’s that lifted them in the upper part of the standings.
The Saints took the lead after only five minuets when Arafa Nakua’s cross was sliced in from close range by Emmanuel Sevasta.
St George’s had little time to recover as two minutes later St Andrew’s doubled their lead. They were awarded a corner from which Nicky Vella Petroni found Michael Calleja who slotted the ball home.
St George’s first attempt at goal arrived on 36 minutes but Glenn Bonello’s effort was pushed away by Daniel Balzan.
Four minutes from the break Neil Chetcuti was on hand to clear the ball off the line following a Bonello corner.
On 44 minutes, St George’s Eric Chukwunyelu was sent off for dissent.
Despite being a man down, the Cottonera side kept attacking and on 48 minutes Dylan Zarb just missed the target from close in.
On the hour, a Vella Petroni piledriver was pushed away by Thomas Galea Three minutes later, from another corner, Calleja missed a sitter when Brian Said’s header was fed into his path.
On 65 minutes, Aldinho Goncalves’s shot finished just over.
St George’s pulled a goal back on 83 minutes when Bonello’s low drive beat Balzan.
St Andrew’S: D. Balzan, N. Chetcuti, B. Diacono, J. Bugeja (K. Galea), B. Said, A. Camilleri Kamsky, A. Nakua, A. Goncalves (J. Briscoe White), N. Vella Petroni, M. Calleja, K. Coleiro.
St George’S: T. Galea; E. Sevasta, C. Grech (A. Abela), G. Inguanez, M. Zbiba, E. Amaira, D. Zarb (R. Boutahir), G. Bonello, J. Ruiz, M.A. Bonnici, E. Chuckwunyelu.
Referee: Andre Arciola
Man of the match: Thomas Galea (St. George’s).