TOP FOUR
SWIEQI UNITED 1-0 HIBERNIANS
Rafanny 87 pen.
Swieqi United are the new women’s league leaders after a late Rafanny penalty secured a narrow 1-0 victory over title rivals Hibernians.
Swieqi now lead the Top Four section with 38 points, just one point ahead of Hibernians after the opening three matches. Both teams are set to meet again during the league’s final six matchdays as the title race intensifies.
Dorianne Theuma’s Swieqi clinched the win when Venezuela international Rafanny converted a penalty in the 87th minute. The Owls’ latest signing, Ylenia Azzopardi, formerly of Birkirkara and Lija Athletic, remained on the bench for this match.
SWIEQI UNITED
P. Araujo; E. Micallef (46 J. Flask), S. Urpani, E. Xuereb, S. Abdulai, K. Abdulai, S. Zammit, Rafanny, J. Schembri, T. Falzon, M. Cachia.
Coach: Dorianne Theuma
HIBERNIANS
E. Harrington; N. Geren, J. Dimech, K. Chetcuti, M. Borg (79 Joelma), G. Mifsud, L. Ayres (72 C. Ellul), N. Sciberras, I. Farrugia, A. Espitia, S. Vella Barberi (84 A. Busuttil).
Coach: Kenneth Costantino
Referee: Danilo Francalanza
BIRKIRKARA 2-3 MĠARR UNITED
Erica Bispo 33, Mariah Cardona 56 (B); Veronique Mifsud 14, Rebecca Bajada 36, Valeria Villegas 45 (M)
Meanwhile, Mġarr United closed the gap on second-placed Hibernians to two points after a 3-2 victory against Birkirkara in a thrilling encounter. Despite losing captain Brenda Borg early, Mġarr took the lead through Veronique Mifsud in the 14th minute.
Birkirkara’s Erica Bispo equalised in the 33rd minute, but Mġarr quickly regained their lead when Rebecca Bajada scored three minutes later. Just before half-time, Valeria Villegas made it 3-1. In the second half, Mariah Cardona pulled one back for Birkirkara in the 56th minute, but they couldn’t find the equaliser, leaving them in fourth place, six points off the top.
BIRKIRKARA
E. Muscat; G. Zahra (63 A. Vassallo), L. May Azzopardi (82 M. Gauci), L. Cabral (82 S. Francalanza), A. Cassar, V. Rapa, C. Zammit, C. Schechinger, V. Nanez, M. Cardona, E. Bispo.
Coach: Vince Galea
MĠARR UNITED
P. Ebejer; A. Camilleri, A. Villegas, V. Mifsud (65 A. Said), L. Cefai, V. Villegas, Y. Mendez (92 E. Xuereb), L. Hernandez, R. Bajada, B. Borg (12 Y. Carella), A. Grech.
Coach: Ryan Vella
Referee: Stefan Minic
BOTTOM FOUR
SAN ĠWANN 2-1 VALLETTA
Tourki Chaimaa 5, Hailey Russell 57 (S); Sabrin Blihi 63 (V)
SAN ĠWANN
J. Caruana; A. Rapa, N. Kobayashi, M. Schembri, H. Russell, T. Chaima, O. Mhalli, S. Gheiti (78 N. Attard), N. Blundell, F. Al Girbi, K. Vella.
Coach: Julian Camilleri
VALLETTA
G. Grima; A. Aloisio, O. Le Gouez, M. Sultana, R. Zerafa (87 L. Vella), S. Farrugia Sacco (81 M. La Rosa), Y. Grech, E. Micallef, S. Blihi, Lilou Lucas, Lucie Lucas.
Coach: Jean Lopes
Referee: Jo-Anna Vassallo
LIJA ATHLETIC 2-0 MTARFA
Estefany Gonzalez 10, Nell Zarb Cousin 57
LIJA ATHLETIC
J. Marie Zarb; L. Cassar (46 S. Bugeja), S. Caruana, M. Stagno, V. Carneiro, E. Gonzalez, N. Cousin (70 E. Marmara), K. Pantalleresco (70 C. Deguara), L. Micallef (74 M. Ibrahim), L. Gonzalez, I. Sultana.
Coach: Jethron Azzopardi
MTARFA
D. Grech; C. Vertseegh, L. Tobon (72 J. Camilleri), E. Csik, J. Camilleri, M. Abdilla (85 E. Farrugia), K. Ciappara, K. Gribbon (66 K. Camilleri), P. Ciappara, R. Zammit.
Coach: Simon Spiteri
Referee: Carmel Vassallo
