Early blitz sees Hibs beat Raiders Lija
Birkirkara, Swieqi United and Hibernians all registered important victories in this week’s Matchday 12 of the Assikura Women’s League.
Swieqi secured a crucial win over Mġarr United as now the run-in for the championship seems to be destined to a two-horse between the Owls and leaders Birkirkara.
Jade Flask scored a first-half brace for Swieqi with Shona Zammit scoring the other goal to wrap up a 3-0 win over the Greens.
The Owls, 23 points, remain second as they try to keep the heat on leaders Birkirkara. Judith Kuipers’ side trail Jose Borg’s team by three points having played the same number of league games.
Mġarr, on their part, have now slipped into fourth with 17 points as Hibernians lift themselves into third having beaten Raiders Lija 3-0.
Meanwhile, Flask has cemented her sole leadership at the top of the league’s scoring charts with 12 goals. Following her are three players on nine goals – Raiders’s Lexine Farrugia, Hibernians’ Alexis Espitia and Sara Saliba of Birkirkara.
Both Espitia and Saliba were on the scoresheet for their teams in their respective appointments.
The American-born forward scored one of Hibernians’ goals as they defeated Raiders to pick up their sixth win of the season and move to 19 points.
Espitia assisted Yolande Attard and Kayleigh Chetcuti on her team’s first and third goal as well, one in each half.
For Raiders, this was their fourth defeat of the season as they remain fifth on 16 points.
On the other hand, Saliba scored an impressive four goals for Birkirkara as they hit 12 past lowly Mtarfa on a night where Brisa Campos made her highly-awaited debut for the Maltese champions.
The Argentine forward promptly left her mark as she scored a hat-trick in the second half.
Birkirkara’s other goals were scored by Gabriella Zahra twice, Alishia Sultana, Kimberley Parnis and an own goal.
Borg’s team remain leaders of the championship with 26 points as their next test will be Raiders Lija in Matchday 13.
STANDINGS – AFTER MD12
BIRKIRKARA – 26 POINTS
SWIEQI UNITED – 23
HIBERNIANS – 19
MĠARR UNITED – 17
RAIDERS LIJA – 16
MTARFA – 3
SAN ĠWANN – 0
Photo: Swieqi United FC
