Marsaxlokk crush Melita to seal Top Six berth

MELITA 0

MARSAXLOKK 5

Messias 38, 57 pen; De Aguiar

Muscat 76; Aguirre 83

MELITA

G. Mizzi, JP Attard, A. Penha da Costa, A. Borg Olivier, M. van De Font Bovenkamp, D. Xuereb (46 K. Mohnani), A. Yepez (74  M. Cachia), G. Barone,  K. Bondin, A. Sanchez, S. Perlaza.

MARSAXLOKK

M. Calleja Cremona, K. Micallef, J. Ailton, N. Muscat, JC Corbalan (69 E. Pena Beltre), J. Arias, L. Dessypris, A. De Aguiar (78 D. Bonnici), L. Aguirre, R. Scicluna (69 M. Adamec).

Referee: Philip Farrugia

Yellow cards: Lopez, Dessypris, Bondin, Barone, Micallef.

Red card: Gareth Barone (Melita) 77

Marsaxlokk clinched a Top Six berth after a clinical display which saw them cruise to victory over Melita.

Marsaxlokk, needing a victory to claim a berth in the Top Six, made the early running. Alex De Aguiar missed the target with a header.

Melita eventually threatened and Alan Borg Olivier hit the ball wide when completely unmarked in the box.

As Marsaxlokk tried to move up a gear, Leandro Aguirre floated the ball towards goal where De Aguiar rose above friend and foe, but his header was pushed away by Gosef Mizzi, the Melita goalkeeper.

Marsxalokk were on top and took the lead after 38 minutes.

 With no Marsaxlokk player in sight, De Aguiar carried the ball forward as he entered the box, his effort was blocked by Jean Pierre Attard, the Brazilian striker defended the ball before he squared for Yuri Messias de Jesus who hit a diagonal shot into the net.

Marsaxlokk came out after the break and dominated territorially.

Yet, their vulnerability at the back was exposed by Jesus Morlets who hit a rising shot just wide off the post.

The Southseasiders doubled their lead after 56 minutes.

Borg Olivier’s challenge on Ryan Scicluna cost his team a penalty after making contact with the Marsaxlokk captain as he tried to make a covering tackle.

Referee Philip Farrugia pointed to the spot. Messias sent Mizzi the wrong way from the spot-kick.

The goal brought relief for Enzo Potenza. Jose Arias and Ailton combined down the right to tee up Messias shooting straight at Mizzi.

Marsaxlokk were soon out of sight – substitute Martin Adamec squared the ball for De Aguiar to prod the ball home.

Nikolai Muscat made it 4-0 when he curled a free-kick past Melita’s defensive wall. 

Seizing the intiative after Gareth Barone’s red card, Aguirre found the net with another free-kick to complete the rout.