ST GEORGE’S 2
ŻEBBUĠ RANGERS 5
Żebbuġ Rangers continued their turnaround in fortunes this season when they hit five past St George’s go in fifth place in the standings last weekend.
Although the final scoreline might suggest that Żebbuġ enjoyed a stroll, in reality St George’s made it very difficult at times and some might even say the result was unfair.
Speaking to the Times of Malta, Rangers assistant coach Pieter Gollcher said that even though it was harder than expected, the game was “testament to the hard work the club is doing”.
“I think the performance today was very good,” Gollcher said.
“We worked extremely hard and I believe that as a team, we are finally showing unity and now the mentality at this club is to get the three points in every game.
“We know that there are nine important games left to play but we just need to keep working and training well. For us, the key is to take things game by game.”
While the win was a team effort, one member of the squad who stood out was midfielder Clive Gauci.
The 24-year-old scored two and was influential to the game’s proceedings. However, it has been interesting to see how he has become what Gollcher referred to as an “integral part of the jigsaw puzzle” since joining from Pieta Hotspurs the summer.
“(Clive Gauci) is a very important player for us,” Gollcher said.
“He keeps his head down. He’s got the right attitude and is the type of midfielder that if he plays well, he can do special things for us.”
Żebbuġ were in control from the get-go and it only took them 12 minutes to show this with a goal.
A swift team play led the ball into the area as Giorgio De Marino evaded his marker and even though his shot appeared to be an easy save for Saints goalkeeper Mario Bartolo, the ball slipped through his clutches and fell behind him into the net.
St George’s responded with Yuta Nomura’s shot forcing a great diving save by Matthew Grech.
Żebbuġ doubled their lead on 21 minutes as De Marino laid the ball off to Gauci, who slotted it past Bartolo.
St George’s refused to buckle and after an impressive team effort, they got one back. A long ball from Jesmar Briffa was met by pacey forward Wilfried Zamble who hit past Grech.
Two minutes from the break, the Saints almost levelled but Zamble scuffed his chance in between the defence.
They were made to pay for this miss as Żebbuġ restored their two-goal soon after. The Saints defence cleared off the line what would have been an own goal by Zamble but were unable to stop Briffa’s deflected shot into his own net from the rebound.
After the break, St George’s made up for their mistake with Zamble finishing off a swift break after the hour mark.
St George’s hopes of a recovery ended on 77 minutes. From a short corner, the ball fell to an unmarked Luka Mijic who poked home.
It was game over a minute later, Gauci got his second goal of the day after an accurate one-two play into the area.
ST GEORGE’S: M. Bartolo, M. Caruana, J. Briffa, Y. Nomura (46 K. Suemitsu), B. dos Reis (77 C. Kelechi), W. Zamble, L. Agius, J. Sultana, M. Farrugia, R. Tanti (61 K. Abela), A. Hili.
ŻEBBUĠ RANGERS: M. Grech, S. Bugeja, J. Micallef, G. De Marino (53 L. Mijic), A. Mizzi, J. Silveira, C. Gauci, R. Vella (67 S. Gauci), S. Miloskovic (77 C. Vella), G. Gesualdi, K. Tanti.
Referee: Sandro Spiteri.
Best Player: Clive Gauci (Żebbuġ Rangers).
NAXXAR LIONS 4
ST ANDREWS 0
NAXXAR LIONS: O. Borg, M. Fenech, M. Mifsud, A. Azzopardi (77 R. Mercieca), R. Cassar (77 J. Bartolo), R. Blandon (61 A. Tenorio), S. Meilak, D. Kassekar, N. Borg (20 J. Sciberras), L. Schembri (77 B. Schembri), E. Farias.
ST ANDREWS: D. Formosa, M. Muscat (46 N. Bradshaw), L. Grech (46 M. Bartolo), M. Ono (67 J. Valletta), G. Stefansson, K. Sano, R. Micallef Decesare, A. Borg Olivier, J. Sixsmith (67 D. Jackson), L. Borg, W. Camilleri.
Referee: Malcolm Spiteri.
Scorers: Farias 5, 64; Kassekar 42; Sciberras 68.
MARSAXLOKK 1
QRENDI 1
MARSAXLOKK: F. Tabone, G. Barone, N. Ghio, P. Doffo,
Zezinho (90 R. Grech), J. Spiteri (76 D. Cartella), B. Sciberras (76 J.P. Mifsud Triganza), D. Sammut, C. Brincat, R. Winchester, R. Fenech (88 J. Morales).
QRENDI: J. Azzopardi, L. Martinelli, J. Busuttil, A. Nilsson, M. Brincat (90 D. Zarb), A. Agius, D. Bueno, J. Diumasumbu (58 S. Perdomo), E. Vella, D. Azzopardi, M. Gatt.
Referee: Ezekiel Barbara
Scorers: Bueno (Q) 18; Spiteri (M) 26.
Red card: Winchester (M) 69.
MQABBA 1
FGURA UNITED 2
MQABBA: M. Buhagiar, N. Falzon, G. Mannino, K. Cutajar, R. Spiteri, K. Borg (61 M. Bangoura), D. Micallef (87 R. Cauchi), G. Cesani, N. Abouaisha (75 S. Pisani), G. Azzopardi, G. Micallef.
FGURA UNITED: L. Moore, C. Ciantar, J. Barbara, T. Grech (66 G. Martin), S. Nanapere (75 J. Vella), O. Mifsud, C. Gandini (66 T. Yanagizawa), S. Borg, D. Caruana, N. Ojuola, D. Qunitero (84 N. Mbala).
Referee: Darryl Agius
Scorers: Borg (M) 10; Quintero (F) 63; Martin (F) 69.
Red card: Cesani (Mqabba) 77
PIETÀ HOTSPURS 4
SAN ĠWANN 3
PIETÀ HOTSPURS: M. Chetcuti, S. Okoh, M. Portelli (46 Z. Leonardi), N. Pace Cocks, J. Ghio, D. Segura, D. Mesa (87 C. Ze Lucas), N. Pisani (53 L. Cassar Jackson), I. Jalo, J. Scicluna, L. Galea.
SAN ĠWANN: C. Formosa, Q. Adediran, C. Gauci, S. Kuyper, O. Spiteri, Z. Bowman, A. Zammit (82 G. Pace), C. Omoruanzoje, C. Gauci, U. Calistus, A. Falzon (82 D. Mifsud).
Referee: Aleksandar Jovanovic.
Scorers: Mesa (P) 10, 71 pen; Adediran (S) 33, 62; Scicluna (P) 39; Segura (P) 87; Kuyper (S) 89.
Red card: Calistus (S) 55.
QORMI 1
MARSA 5
QORMI: M. Falzon, O. Sidibe, Mauro Busuttil (79 Miguel Busuttil), A. Ayoub (46 R. Uriu), L. Farrugia, L. Theuma, G. Borg, N. Meli (71 N. Falzon), I. Mizzi, N. gauci, A. Oliveira (79 K. Nanakida).
MARSA: N. Vella, P. Chircop (62 F. Gusman), J. Bondin (71 S. Diacono), D. Agius, A. Monticelli, M. Micallef (50 M. Gauci), J. Lima (71 J. Galea), C. Gatt Baldacchino; D. Grima (46 I. Zammit), P. Teixeira, L. Micallef.
Referee: Etienne Mangion
Scorers: Micallef (M) 12, 22, 38, 47, 90; Uriu (Q) 75.
SWIEQI UNITED 1
PEMBROKE ATHLETA 3
SWIEQI UNITED: JC Debattista, M. Attard, J. Magri Overend (66 I. Micallef), J. Micallef, J. Willy (76 A. Okamura), I. Salis, A. Schembri Wismayer, M. Vella, C. Cutajar, F. Temile (83 T. Ayorinde), J. Azzopardi.
PEMBROKE ATHLETA: P. Schranz, A. Marshall, K. Farrugia, D. Sant, K. Frendo, P. Santos (88 J. Ogunuppe), N. Frendo (83 M. Ciantar), A. Abdeen, C. Zamit, J. Bajada, P. Sammut (68 M. Zarb).
Referee: Slobodan Petrovic.
Scorers: Salis (S) 12; Sammut (P) 15; Frendo (P) 24; Abdeen (P) 41.
