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MELITA 2ND DIV LEAGUE |
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ZEBBUG STUN XAGHRA |
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XAGHRA UNITED FC ...
M. Vella, J. Agius, J. Attard, A. Farrugia, J. Galea, M. Scerri (M. Buhagiar), M. Bezzina, P. Attard, D. Attard (J. Sultana), D. Bartolo (D. Galea), J. Mercieca. |
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 ZEBBUG
ROVERS FC ... 
(S.
Galea 12’)N. Saliba, G. Sillato, R. Zammit, P. Cardona, S. Galea, M.Pace, A. Mutalib, F. Magrin, J. Hili, J. Farrugia, F. Attard (C. Gafa). |
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Zebbug Rovers registered a surprising victory over promotion contenders Xaghra United so that with the three points obtained the Rovers reached the third spot on the table. This result favoured mostly current leaders St. Lawrence Spurs who retained their four point lead over rivals Xaghra. It was a deserved win for Zebbug. They produced a good match where they managed to score an early goal and control play until the dying moments. Throughout the match Zebbug’s scoring opportunities were clearer than Xaghra’s so that they could have made sure of the three points at an earlier stage of the match. Xaghra, on the other hand, had a disappointing performance especially in attack where they find it extremely difficult to convert their technical superiority into goals. Xaghra took the initiative of play from the early stages and were dangerous after 10 minutes of play through a header by Daniel Bartolo from a cross by Johan Attard that ended high. Zebbug opened the score two minutes later. Sylvan Galea followed a through pass by Josmar Farrugia and took advantage of some hesitation by the goalkeeper and the central defender to place in goal with a low shot. Xaghra’s reaction arrived on 24 minutes when a ball from a throw-in by Philip Attard was cleared by the defense but Michael Bezzina’s first timer ended wide. Three minutes later a header by Josef Galea from a corner action missed the target. The Blues were again dangerous seven minutes from time through a header by Philip Attard that ended inches wide. On 41 minutes Zebbug had a direct free kick by Franco Magrin that ended over the crossbar and one minute later it was Xaghra’s Michael Bezzina who had his set piece ending high. Seconds from half time, Zebbug’s goalkeeper Noel Saliba denied Xaghra from leveling the score by turning in corner, with difficulty, a strike from outside the area by Michael Bezzina. After the resumption Xaghra produced pressure over their opponents in an attempt to recover the deficit. However, Zebbug were well deployed and managed to keep danger away from their area. On the hour of play they could have doubled the score when Abdul Mutalib entered Xaghra’s territory with a personal action but goalie Matthew Vella kept his position to deflect the ball before Mutalib could place into an open goal. Two minutes later Xaghra’s Philip Attard had a good effort from outside the area that ended just over the crossbar. As time passed by the Rovers gained confidence and created two other good opportunities to increase their lead. On 71 minutes Sylvan Galea came face to face with the goalkeeper following a fast break but lobbed badly with an open goal at his mercy. The same Galea once again entered Xaghra’s area one minute later but the striker controlled badly and goalie Vella cleared the danger. Seven minutes from time Xaghra almost leveled the score when a cross from the left surprised goalie Noel Saliba but central defender Philip Cardona recovered in time and cleared the ball from the goalmouth in corner before substitute Donald Galea could place into an open goal. Xaghra’s last chance to save the result arrived in the dying moments. In the 90th minute a header by Philip Attard from a free kick by Joseph Mercieca ended high and in the third minute of stoppage time a shot by substitute Joseph Sultana was neutralized by goalie Noel Saliba. Referee: Mario Apap |
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