Mġarr United kept up their unbeaten run in the Assikura Women’s League with a 2-1 win over Birkirkara. Swieqi United also made a strong statement by coming from behind to beat Hibernians 2-1 and move level with them in second place. In the day’s other match, Valletta and San Ġwann played out a goalless draw, each earning their first point of the season.
Mġarr United 2-1 Birkirkara
Scorers: Y. Mendez 27’, V. Villegas 44’ (Mġarr); G. Zahra 47’ (Birkirkara)
Mġarr United:G. D’Antuono; K. Sciberras (75′ G. Antonelli), A. Camilleri, A. Villegas, M. Debono, L. Cefai, V. Villegas, Y. Mendez, M. Hernandez, R. Bajada, A. Grech
Coach: Ryan Vella
Birkirkara: J. Xuereb; L. May Azzopardi, S. Farrugia, P. Lamanna (85′ A. Vassallo), M. Gauci (46′ G. Zahra), Y. Grech (46′ I. Stringer), I. Camilleri, M. Ueda, H. Sekura, M. Cardona, E. Micallef (75′ A. Busuttil)
Coach: William Mock
Referee: Matteo Falzon
Mġarr made a strong start and took control with two goals in the first half, scored by Valeria Villegas and Yanina Mendez – two players who have been key for the team this season. Their sharp finishing gave Mġarr a comfortable lead going into the break.
Birkirkara responded quickly after half-time, with substitute Gabriella Zahra pulling one back just two minutes in. They pushed hard in the final stages, but Mġarr’s defence stayed firm to take all three points.
This loss is a big setback for Birkirkara, who now trail Mġarr by nine points after only four games. They’ll need to bounce back quickly to stay in the title race.
Swieqi United 2-1 Hibernians
Scorers: S. Saliba 20’, S. Abdulai 35’ (Swieqi); N. Geren 4’ (Hibernians)
Swieqi United: P. Araujo; V. Rapa, S. Urpani, E. Xuereb, S. Abdulai, A. Yaneva (88′ E. Micallef), S. Zammit, A. Kricak, M. Cachia, M. Conti, S. Saliba
Coach: Dorianne Theuma
Hibernians: M. Cachia; N. Geren, C. Schechinger, J. Dimech, K. Chetcuti, S. Farrugia Sacco (46′ A. Ghio), Y. Attard (46′ A. Galea), G. Mifsud, N. Celeste (46′ O. Nazarko), N. Sciberras, S. Vella Barberi
Coach: Martina Borg
Referee: Rapjan Xhyra
In their clash for second place, Hibernians made a quick start with a goal by Natalee Geren in the fourth minute. But Swieqi responded well, turning the game around before half-time with goals from Sara Saliba and Salamatu Abdulai. The Owls managed the second half well and held on to a valuable win.
Valletta 0-0 San Ġwann
Valletta: D. Grech; S. Fenech, L. Cassar, C. Falzon (46′ M. Belkis), E. Csik, L. Zolorsano, Joelma, H. Fenech (75′ D. Ciantar), N. Grixti, I. Sultana, S. Bugeja
Coach: Anthony Cremona
San Ġwann: J. Caruana; A. Rapa (55′ S. Blihi), L. Vella, T. Chaimaa, R. Borg, O. Mhalli (82′ K. Paris), N. Blundell, M. Fanega, K. Vella (55′ F. Al Girbi), H. Russell, R. Zerafa (75′ N. Attard)
Coach: Julian Camilleri
Referee: Derome Agius
In the final match of the round, Valletta and San Ġwann shared the points in a 0-0 draw. While there were few clear chances, the result was a positive one for both teams as they picked up their first points of the season.
Images:
Lara Schembri (Swieqi United vs Hibernians & Mġarr United vs Birkirkara), Nicholas Falzon (Valletta vs San Ġwann)
