Mqabba too strong for lowly Gharghur

Mqabba Gharghur 3 0

Mqabba returned to winning ways easily disposing of bottom of the table side Gharghur. Mqabba dominated from start to finish, but were more polished after the break, with Gharghur custodian Valletta making a string of heroic saves to avoid a much heavier defeat.

With Arilson Mello Da Silva back in the team after missing the crunch match against Qormi through suspension, Clive Mizzi’s boys were a different lot and the Brazilian striker confirmed that he is an asset for the side.

After barely three minutes Gharghur had their best of the first half when De Lima Nicolau passed towards Saliba whose grounder missed the base of the upright. On eight minutes Mqabba took the lead when Arilson Mello Da Silva first timed beautifully from an acute angle, a long ball from Gesualdi.

Five minutes later Mqabba should have made it two but Paul Chimezie missed a sitter heading wide from two meters. Gharghur had some good moments but they were inexistant in front of goal. Five minutes from the break Mqabba doubled the score when Arilson Mello da Silva passed towards Michael Borg who drilled the ball home giving Valletta no chance to save.

On the resumption Mello Da Silva hit the base of the upright direct from a freekick, but was more sharp on 49 minutes when he slotted home from close range following a good run on the right flank by Lyden Micallef.

On 58 minutes Valletta made a great save denying Adamovic from close range. The same Valletta saved another point blank header from Chimezie and on 67 minutes he deflected against the upright a Lyden Micallef scorcher. Eight minutes from time Mqabba hit another woodwork after another great run from Arilson Mello da Silva.

Mqabba: J. Debono, L. Vella Critien, B. Muscat, G. Gesualdi, G. Adamovic, M. Bonnici (C. Cutajar), L. Micallef, M. Borg, P. Chimezie, A. Mello Da Silva, K. Cutajar (K. Azzopardi).

Għargħur: Z. Valletta, L. Galea, K. Fedele, D. Camilleri, J. Azzopardi (J. Agius), M. Sota, E. De Lima Nicolau, L. Busuttil, K. Conti (A. Zarb), C. Gie, G. Saliba (L. Vella).

Referee: Philip Farrugia Naxxar L Vittoriosa S Qormi Senglea A Lija A Mqabba Pieta H Sirens Zebbug R Melita Marsa Rabat A Fgura U Għargħur PW D L F A Pts 19 12 3 4 45 25 39 19 11 3 5 41 22 36 19 10 5 4 26 19 35 19 10 5 4 42 15 35 19 9 6 4 41 29 33 19 9 5 5 26 21 32 18 8 2 8 32 26 26 19 8 2 9 29 32 26 19 5 6 8 27 31 21 19 5 6 8 19 28 21 18 6 2 10 23 30 20 18 4 3 11 20 29 15 18 3 5 10 12 34 14 19 3 3 13 17 49 12