Spirited Marsa block Zejtun
Zejtun C Marsa 1 1
A spirited Marsa side yesterday blocked struggling Zejtun who had to settle for a disappointing draw.
The precious point earned was a deserved one for Marsa who are still in search of their first victory
Zejtun found the going hard as a well disciplined Marsa side never gave away an inch. However Zejtun took the lead on 34 minutes when off a Miguel Ciantar low cross, Marsa defender Melvin Busuttil committed an own goal in an attempt to clear.
Play did not change much in the second half with Zejtun in search of the second goal.
They went close on 70 minutes when Nanapere dribbled past the goalkeeper but still failed to score.
Ten minutes from time Marsa drew level when from a corner action, central defender Benjamin Essel scored a great goal with a powerful header.
D. Zarb, D. Albanese, A. Scozzese (L.A. De Melo 87 min), Y. Camilleri, Elland Vella, Emerson Vella (R. Cauchi 77 min), A. Carabott, B. Farrugia, M. Ciantar (P. Lapira 73 min), M. Brincat, S. Nanapere.
S. Micallef, E. Grech, N. Micallef, M. Busuttil, R. Mercieca (D. Pirotta 57 min), B. Essel, J. Farrugia, M. Gauci, C. Newuche (D. Galibov 56 min), R. Alegria Jimenez, E. Bonello.
Sandro Spiteri Valencia spent the last couple of seasons trying to avoid relegation in the Spanish league.
After eight matches this season, it’s already looking to dethrone Barcelona from the top of the standings.
Valencia reached second place with an emphatic 6-3 win at Real Betis on Sunday, moving to within four points of Barcelona, which lost its perfect record after a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Defending champion Real Madrid, which defeated Getafe 2-1 with a late winner by Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday, is one point behind Valencia in third place. Atletico and Sevilla are another point behind.
Valencia, whose last league titles came in 2002 and 2004, struggled in recent seasons under the ownership of Singapore investor Peter Lim.
Under coach Marcelino Garcia, Valencia has already won five times this season, and it’s