Naxxar Lions pile the pressure on Żabbar and Mosta after crucial win

ŻABBAR SP                   1       

Fontanella 52

NAXXAR LIONS          2       

Fourmy 32; Vinicius 44

ŻABBAR SP

I. Colombo, P. Cejas, N. Agius (75 B. Gambarte), J. Micallef, S. Jovancic, Z. Leonardi, V. De Paiva (18 I. Akpan), R. Scicluna (85 L. Micallef), K. Scicluna, J. Pisani, M. Fontanella.

NAXXAR LIONS

M. Debono, JP Iseppe (88 C. Kontchou), G. Felipe (74 T. Kruger), M. Fenech, C. Fourmy, E. Farias, J. Victor (90 E. Bolanos), Rosiel, M. Micallef, V. Baiano, J. Moura.

Referee: Daniel Portelli

Yellow Cards: V. De Paiva, I. Akpan, M. Micallef, S. Jovancic

Naxxar Lions defeated Żabbar St. Patrick 2-1 to move to just a point behind the Saints and Mosta in the battle to avoid the second place from bottom.

With the faith of Tarxien Rainbows already sealed as they will end their commitments in the bottom spot, the final games from the Bottom 6 on Sunday will determine who will end second from bottom.

Żabbar St. Patrick face Gżira United, Mosta take on Hibernians with Naxxar Lions meeting Tarxien Rainbows.

The Saints had goalkeeper Ignacio Colombo making his debut while welcoming back Vinicius De Paiva in the starting line-up.

Nicholas James Agius replaced the suspended Mayron. Brian Gambarte, on the other hand, was included as a substitute.

Naxxar, on the other hand, had no less than five changes from the team which defeated Mosta in their last league outing with JP Iseppe and Christopher Fourmy making their first appearance for Winston Muscat’s side.

Żabbar threatened on eight minutes with a Pedro Cejas diagonal shot from the right which was deflected into a corner.

However, on 32 minutes, Naxxar Lions managed to take the lead when Vinicius Baiano sent Gustavo Felipe through and off the latter’s assist from the left, Christopher Fourmy flicked the ball home from close range.

One minute from the end of the first half, Naxxar doubled the score.

Joao Victor released Vinicius Baiano on the left and the latter advanced before beating goalkeeper Colombo with a fine shot from the edge of the area.

The Lions almost added another in added time when Joao Victor served Vinicius Baiano on the right and off the latter’s cross, the former just failed to connect.

Seven minutes in the second half, Żabbar reduced the gap.

The Saints challenged the referee for a possible penalty after Pedro Cejas appeared to be brought down inside the area and following FVS review, they were awarded a penalty with Mario Fontanella duly converting from the penalty spot.

Joao Victor concluded a good move for Naxxar with a shot from the edge of the area ending just wide on 67 minutes.

Three minutes later, Edson Farias served Fourmy whose conclusion from the right was turned into a corner. 

Nicholas James Agius had a shot from the edge of the area ending just wide on 75 minutes for Żabbar and a minute later, Joao Victor went close with a diagonal shot from the right which scraped past the post.

One minute from time, Żabbar went close to equalising but Mario Fontanella, served by Jurgen Pisani, had an overhead kick from close range blocked into a corner.