Swieqi United are the new women’s league leaders after a late Rafanny penalty handed them a narrow win over title rivals Hibernians.
The Owls move first on 38 points, with the Paolites trailing by just one point after the opening three matches of the Top Four section.
Both teams will meet a couple more times as the women’s league enters in its business end, with six matchdays left.
Dorianne Theuma’s Swieqi netted the winner through the Venezuela international, converting a penalty on the 87th minute.
The Owls had new signing Ylenia Azzopardi, formerly of Birkirkara and Lija Athletic, on the bench.
Meanwhile, Mġarr United cut the gap to just two points within second-place Hibernians after edging out Birkirkara in a five-goal thriller.
Despite losing captain Brenda Borg early in the match, the Greens took the lead on the 14th minute through Veronique Mifsud.
The Stripes levelled terms with an Erica Bispo goal on the 33rd before Mġarr regained the lead three minutes later, through Rebecca Bajada.
Just before the break, Mġarr added another one through Valeria Villegas.
After the change of ends, Birkirkara pulled one back courtesy of Mariah Cardona but could not rescue any points from this match as the champions drop to fourth place, six points distant from leaders Swieqi.
RESULTS
TOP FOUR
SWIEQI UNITED 1-0 HIBERNIANS
Rafanny 87 pen.
SWIEQI UNITED
P. Araujo; E. Micallef (46 J. Flask), S. urpani, E. Xuereb, S. Abdulai, K. Abdulai, S. Zammit, Rafanny, J. Schembri, T. Falzon, M. Cachia.
Coach: Dorianne Theuma.
HIBERNIANS
E. Harrington; N. Geren, J. Dimech, K. Chetcuti, M. Borg (79 Joelma), G. Mifsud, L. Ayres (72 C. Ellul), N. Sciberras, I. Farrugia, A. Espitia, S. Vella Barberi (84 A. Busuttil).
Coach: Kenneth Costantino.
BIRKIRKARA 2-3 MĠARR UNITED
Erica Bispo 33, Mariah Cardona 56 (B); Veronique Mifsud 14, Rebecca Bajada 36, Valeria Villegas 45 (M)
BIRKIRKARA
E. Muscat; G. Zahra (63 A. Vassallo), L. May Azzopardi (82 M. Gauci), L. Cabral (82 S. Francalanza), A. Cassar, V. Rapa, C. Zammit, C. Schechinger, V. Nanez, M. Cardona, E. Bispo.
Coach: Vince Galea.
MĠARR UNITED
P. Ebejer; A. Camilleri, A. Villegas, V. Mifsud (65 A. Said), L. Cefai, V. Villegas, Y. Mendez (92 E. Xuereb), L. Hernandez, R. Bajada, B. Borg (12 Y. Carella), A. Grech.
Coach: Ryan Vella.
BOTTOM FOUR
SAN ĠWANN 2-1 VALLETTA
Tourki Chaimaa 5, Hailey Russell 57 (S); Sabrin Blihi 63 (V)
SAN ĠWANN
J. Caruana; A. Rapa, N. Kobayashi, M. Schembri, H. Russell, T. Chaima, O. Mhalli, S. Gheiti (78 N. Attard), N. Blundell, F. Al Girbi, K. Vella.
Coach: Julian Camilleri.
VALLETTA
G. Grima; A. Aloisio, O. Le Gouez, M. Sultana, R. Zerafa (87 L. Vella), S. Farrugia Sacco (81 M. La Rosa). Y. Grech, E. Micallef, S. Blihi, Lilou Lucas, Lucie Lucas.
Coach: Jean Lopes.
LIJA ATHLETIC 2-0 MTARFA
Estefany Gonzalez 10, Nell Zarb Cousin 57
LIJA ATHLETIC
J. Marie Zarb; L. Cassar (46 S. Bugeja), S. Caruana, M. Stagno, V. Carneiro, E. Gonzalez, N. Cousin (70 E. Marmara), K. Pantalleresco (70 C. Deguara), L. Micallef (74 M. Ibrahim), L. Gonzalez, I. Sultana.
Coach: Jethron Azzopardi.
MTARFA
D. Grech; C. Vertseegh, L. Tobon (72 J. Camilleri), E. Csik, J. Camilleri, M. Abdilla (85 E. Farrugia), K. Ciappara, K. Gribbon (66 K. Camilleri), P. Ciappara, R. Zammit.
Coach: Simon Spiteri.
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STANDINGS
TOP FOUR
Swieqi United – 38
Hibernians – 37
Mġarr United – 35
Birkirkara – 32
BOTTOM FOUR
San Ġwann – 25
Valletta – 17
Lija Athletic – 12
Mtarfa – 0
