Attard Charge Toward Title as Promotion Battle Intensifies
Attard 4-1 Luqa St Andrew’s
The league leaders showed no mercy at Sirens Stadium, effectively ending the contest within 30 minutes. Tejumola Ayorinde opened the scoring early, followed by Precious Nwankwo’s 25th goal of the season and a 20-meter “scorcher” from Paul Galea-Testaferrata. Luqa pulled one back before halftime through Bledi Alla, but their comeback hopes faded after a heated scuffle saw both Nathan Frendo (Luqa) and Josmar Galea (Attard) sent off. Ayorinde added a fourth late in the game to cement Attard’s status as the team to beat.
The league leaders showed no mercy at Sirens Stadium, effectively ending the contest within 30 minutes. Tejumola Ayorinde opened the scoring early, followed by Precious Nwankwo’s 25th goal of the season and a 20-meter “scorcher” from Paul Galea-Testaferrata. Luqa pulled one back before halftime through Bledi Alla, but their comeback hopes faded after a heated scuffle saw both Nathan Frendo (Luqa) and Josmar Galea (Attard) sent off. Ayorinde added a fourth late in the game to cement Attard’s status as the team to beat.
Kirkop United 3-1 Victoria Hotspurs
In the upset of the week, relegation-battling Kirkop United stunned the second-placed Hotspurs. Despite trailing at the break to a Christian Saint Ebisindor goal, Kirkop dominated the second half. Jordan Brett equalized in the 66th minute, before substitute Miguel Zammit and Neil Buttigieg completed the turnaround. The loss leaves Victoria seven points behind Attard.
Senglea Athletic 0-4 Qormi
Qormi kept their promotion dreams alive with a clinical dismantling of Senglea. Young star Jayden Borg netted his 33rd goal of the season, while Neil Tabone converted two penalties. Emmanuel Garba rounded off the scoring, leaving Qormi just two points behind Victoria Hotspurs for the second spot.
Mqabba 2-0 Pembroke Athleta
Mqabba stayed in the promotion hunt with a hard-fought win. Jairo Andres Viveros broke the deadlock just before halftime, and despite Pembroke hitting the crossbar in the second half, Luka Mijic secured the points with a brilliant curling strike in stoppage time. Mqabba now sits five points off the second-place slot.
Lija Athletic 3-0 Xghajra Tornados
Lija had a comfortable outing against a depleted Xghajra side. Lyvann Obissa bagged a brace, capitalizing on defensive errors, while Amir Amhamed added a third late on to ensure an easy three points for Keith Darmanin’s men.
San Gwann 1-0 Mellieha
San Gwann likely secured their safety from relegation with a narrow win over a desperate Mellieha. After the Northerners missed several early chances, Ryan Muscat hammered home the winner on the hour mark, moving the Saints further away from the danger zone.
Qrendi 1-1 Zejtun Corinthians
A tense survival battle ended in a stalemate at the Centenary Stadium. Joseph “Jojo” Ogonuppe put Qrendi ahead ten minutes into the second half, but Jamie Mifsud leveled shortly after with a powerful long-range strike. Both teams remain dangerously close to the relegation spots.
League Snapshot:
- The Title Race: Attard holds a commanding 7-point lead.
- The Promotion Hunt: Only 5 points separate 2nd place (Victoria Hotspurs) from 4th place (Mqabba).
- The Drop Zone: Zejtun, Kirkop, and Pembroke are all tied on points, making the final six matches a frantic sprint for survival.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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