Marsaxlokk beat Valletta to keep runners-up spot hopes alive, relegation battle to go down to the wire

Leandro Aguirre was the Marsaxlokk hero as the Argentine slammed home the all-important goal that lifted the Southerners to second place on 28 points, level with the Spartans, and it will be the final matchday that will decide who will finish behind Closing Round winners Floriana.

Ħamrun Spartans will be up against Valletta, while Marsaxlokk will take on Naxxar Lions, and should both teams win their respective matches, they will have to contest a decider to see who will finish in second place.

In that scenario, a win for Ħamrun Spartans would mean that this year’s title will be decided in a Finalissima on May 16.

Should Marsaxlokk prevail, the Final Four will be held that will be contested by Floriana, Ħamrun Spartans, Marsaxlokk and Valletta.

If the title race is going down to the wire, the same can be said on the relegation battle after Żabbar St Patrick held Sliema Wanderers to a 1-1 draw.

The result pushed Żabbar level on points with second-from-bottom Tarxien Rainbows and next week’s final day will provide important verdicts.

A similar scenario to the Top Six could develop in the Bottom Six as should next weekend Tarxien Rainbows overcome Sliema Wanderers and Żabbar SP beat Hibernians a decider will be necessary to decide who joins Mosta in the bottom two places.

If Tarxien finish second from bottom they are relegated and Mosta and Naxxar play a relegation play-off.

If Żabbar finish second-from-bottom a Final Four will be held together with Mosta, Naxxar and Tarxien.

At the National Stadium, Marsaxlokk were desperate for the three points and they went all with all guns blazing with Ulises Arias denied by Valletta goalkeeper Adilson Maring on 14 minutes.

Eight minutes later Dodo Soares was picked by Nicholas Muscat but fired over.

Valletta’s best chance of the half arrived on 33 minutes when, from a Yuri Messias’ corner, Steijner nodded the ball into the path of Emmanuel Mbende, who, however, headed over from routine distance.

That proved fatal for Valletta as a minute later Marsaxlokk struck.

In a quick transition, Kirby fed Muscat, who squared the ball to Arias who saw his shot cleared off the line by Diogo Tavares, but from the rebound Aguirre fired home.

Initially, the assistant referee waved for offside by after reviewing the action on the FVS, referee Slobodan Petrovic overturned the decision and awarded the goal to Marsaxlokk.

After the break, Valletta stepped up the pressure in search of an equaliser and on 63 minutes Meijer’s cross found Andrea Zammit, who fired over.

 Nine minutes later, substitute Adebayo intercepted Enrico Pepe’s pass and immediately squared the ball to Messias, who incredibly fired wide from close in.

On 81 minutes, Maringa came to Valletta’s rescue when Aguirre intercepted a pass just outside the area and his deflected shot was somehow kept out by the Brazilian goalkeeper as Marsaxlokk held on to the win.

At the Tony Bezzina Stadium, Żabbar St Patrick needed a Mario Fontanella goal to take a point against Sliema Wanderers.

It was the Wanderers who drew first blood when they were awarded a penalty on 33 minutes. Kean Scicluna floored Fernandinho inside the area, and from the spot, Luke Montebello made no mistake.

Żabbar fought back and on the stroke of half-time they levelled matters when Fontanella burst inside the area and hit a thumping drive past Rashed Al Tumi.

The second half produced little opportunities and got tense late on when a minute from time, substitute Etim Akpan was shown a red card for a challenge on Steve Pisani.

In stoppage time, Żabbar’s Bruno and Gustavo Alcino were also dismissed after they clashed in an off-the-ball incident as the stalemate prevailed.