Nadur, Qala win to remain tied at the top

Nadur Youngsters and Qala Saints were victorious in last weekend’s matches to remain tied at the top of the GFA Division One to keep the title race wide open with three matches to go.

The other two matches from the GFA Division One failed to produce any goal with bottom side Oratory Youths continuing to lose ground from the teams above them in the standings.

Nadur Youngsters registered a 2-0 win over bottom-placed Oratory Youths.

The Youngsters held command for long stretches and secured the win courtesy of first-half goals from Marcelo Barbosa (31) and Joao Vitor (39).

Qala Saints responded to Nadur’s victory in style when they beat Għajnsielem 3-1.

It was a hard-earned win for Qala who for more than an hour struggled to create scoring opportunities as the match remained deadlocked.

The turning point of the match arrived on 64 minutes when Qala’s player-coach Shaun Bajada came on as a substitute to provide more flair to his team.

This tactical choice was rewarded as the Maroons opened a two-goal lead with quick goals from Igor Nedeljkovic (71), following a cross by Bajada, and Christian Mercieca (75) who concluded an initiative by Jordi Parnis.

Għajnsielem re-opened the issue on 79 minutes through Bruno Da Cruz.

Minutes later Nedeljkovic connected to a free kick by Shaun Bajada, but his header came off the bar.

Qala sealed the win by scoring a third goal through a low drive by Nedeljkovic.

In a direct clash for the third spot, Xewkija Tigers and SK Victoria Wanderers took a point each following a goalless draw to leave the Tigers one point ahead of their rivals.

The Wanderers saw more of the ball for long stretches but both teams had the opportunity to win the match.

Caique Silvio Souza and Junior Cabral came closest for the Wanderers.

On the other hand, Xewkija were close to taking the lead following attempts by Brian Parada and Claudio Frances that were blocked by the Wanderers’ defence.

Xagħra United missed an opportunity to go level on points with Kerċem Ajax as they could only manage a goalless draw.

For much of the game, Kerċem were on top but failed to take their chances.

Xagħra had a good patch early in the second half and could have taken the lead but a cross-shot by Marco Antonio Filho hit the crossbar.

Seconds from the final whistle, Kerċem’s Kaio Lucas could have snatched it but his close-range attempt was blocked by the defence.

Victoria Hotspurs champions

Victoria Hotspurs lived up to expectations as they were crowned Division Two champions.

The Hotspurs registered a 4-0 win over St Lawrence Spurs to take an unassailable eight-point lead at the top.

The Spurs tried to make life difficult for the Hotspurs but their resistance only lasted one half. In fact, after the break, Wellington took centre stage when netting a hat-trick with Joseph George Vella grabbing the other goal.

With the top spot sealed, the main interest will be the battle between Sannat Lions and Munxar Falcons for the second spot, and a relegation/play-off.

Sannat Lions saw their title chances come to an end when they were held by Għarb 1-1.
Għarb surprised Sannat for most of the encounter and enjoyed a deserved lead with a goal scored by Damian Depasquale (24).

The Lions fought back and managed to save a point with an equaliser on 85 minutes through Daniel Borg.

Munxar Falcons and Żebbuġ Rovers took a point each following a 2-2 draw so Munxar missed the chance to go second while Żebbuġ failed to move clear of the teams battling to avoid the bottom spot.

Munxar were twice ahead through Vitor Gabriel Soarez Soouza (41) and Neil Mifsud (50) but Żebbuġ each time drew level through a brace by Harry Paulin (48, 60).

NEXT FIXTURES

SATURDAY – GOZO STADIUM
GFA CUP FINAL
Nadur Y. vs Qala Saints 15.00

TUESDAY – GOZO STADIUM
GFA DIV. TWO KO SFs
Żebbuġ R. vs Munxar F. 18.00
Victoria H. vs Sannat L. 20.00