The title races continued to intensify in the BNF U15 and U17 Leagues, as we reach the closing stages of the season. There were matches from Leagues A and B of the U15 section, and Leagues B, C and D from the U17 section.
BNF U15 League A – Phase 2 Matchday 8
In the Top Six section, Pietà Hotspurs FC recorded a resounding 6-0 victory over San Gwann FC, as they looked to get a winning run going before facing off against the champions, Hibernians FC, in the next matchday.
Pietà Hotspurs FC 6-0 San Gwann FC – 05.04.2025 – Photo by Timmy Cutugno
Pietà were clearly the stronger of the two sides straight from kick-off, with the Hotspurs looking comfortable in possession, despite San Gwann doing all they can to disrupt them.
In the 35th minute, Gianni Camenzuli fired Pietà ahead with a strike that went past goalkeeper Mikhail Mangion, making it 1-0 to the home side. Only seconds after the restart, the Hotspurs made it 2-0, this time thanks to a goal from Giorgio Cristauro.
San Gwann, regrouped followed the two quickfire goals, and solidified their defending to ensure they did not go into the break more than two goals down.
However, Pietà really came to life after half-time, and the goals started flowing. In the 49th minute, Cristauro made it 3-0 with his second goal of the game, before Fayton Gatt quickly extended Pietà’s lead to four, adding his name to the scoresheet only two minutes later.
Nathan Micallef continued to goalscoring action for the Hotspurs with a strike in the 61st minute, before Joe Caruana, who had only been brought on a few minutes earlier, tucked away an opportunity in the 63rd minute to make it 6-0.
Pietà saw out the 6-0 win, taking their tally for the season up to an impressive 31 points, solidifying their place in second.
In the Play-Out section, there were two games that were filled with goals from start to finish, as Hamrun Spartans FC beat Melita FC 9-4, while Mosta FC eased past Fgura United to win 9-2.
At the Rabat Ajax Ground, Hamrun showed their attacking prowess with a dominant display against Melita.
Captain Matthew Higgans was on fire on the day, as he continued his brilliant run of goalscoring form. The forward opened the scoring for Hamrun after just six minutes, yet Melita responded almost immediately after, thanks to their own firing forward, Sean Gove, who equalised for the away side.
However, Higgans was proving too tough for the Melita backline to handle, and he restored the Spartans’ lead in the 17th minute, only to make it three in the 39th minute, giving them a comfortable advantage going into the break.
The goals really started to fly into the net following the break. Hamrun made it 4-1 in the 50th minute after Higgans scored his fourth of the match, before Elias Aquilina got a goal of his own only five minutes later with a neat finish. A few seconds after the restart, Higgans continued to add to the scoring with another goal, before getting another goal to his name in the 62nd minute, making it seven for Hamrun, six of which being scored by the captain. Following his six goals, Higgans has now scored 26 goals in the league this season, becoming the outright top scorer of the division.
Hamrun were not done there though, and they made it 8-1 in the 65th minute thanks to Zayden Azzopardi, before Matteo Mangion wrapped up the win with another strike in the 71st minute.
While the match had been done for a long time, Melita did not let this get to them, and they still looked to push forward in the closing stages, as Hamrun slightly eased their foot off the pedal.
In the 76th minute, Gove got his second of the match, before Melita captain Nicholas Busuttil added his name to the scoresheet with a strike of his own in the 80th minute.
Gove completed his hat-trick right before full-time, and while it only served as a consolation goal, it was a small positive note on what proved to be a disappointing result for Melita. Due to the result and remarkable attacking display, Hamrun solidified their place at the top of the Play-Out section.
At Dingli Ground, Mosta also relied on their brilliant attacking play to beat the already-relegated Fgura.
Fgura United 2-9 Mosta FC – 05.04.2025 – Photo by Timmy Cutugno
Mosta came into the game as clear favourites, having picked up 24 points already this season, while Fgura only had a point. However, Fgura were the ones to go ahead, taking the lead in stunning fashion only a minute into the game through Aizen D’Amato.
Yet the Reds’ lead would only last a few seconds, as Mosta went up the other end from the restart and equalised, with Nathan Gauci getting the all-important finish.
Mosta got in their goalscoring rhythm following the equaliser, and Fionn Dullard was on hand to put the Blues in front in the 10th minute, before Mathias Borg extended their lead with a strike of his own in the 16th minute. Borg then made it 4-1 in the 18th minute with his second of the game.
However, Fgura were not giving up, and they responded following the setback, as Kaiden Ray Micallef Spiteri reduced the deficit to just two goals.
Fgura continued to contain Mosta, looking to disturb the Blues’ attacking play as much as possible, and they managed to go into the break with the score still 4-2.
It was after half-time that Mosta really seized control of the match. Mosta were awarded a penalty in the 58th minute, and Borg stepped up to take it, and he did so excellently to complete his hat-trick.
Dullard made it 6-2 in the 61st minute, before Jean Cilia got a goal of his own only two minutes later. Borg made it 8-2 only a few minutes later, before Logan Farrugia sealed the win with a nice and cool finish to make it 9-2.
The convincing win took Mosta up to 27 points, as the Blues continued their fine run of scoring in every game since December.
BNF U15 League B – Phase 2 Matchday 8
The title race in the BNF U15 League B continued to heat up as Gozo FC and Floriana FC remained toe-to-toe with one another after another matchday in which they recorded impressive wins.
Gozo edged past Naxxar Lions FC to remain top of the table, making it three wins from three.
It took the Gozitans just a few seconds to go in front, as Neil Micallef fired them ahead with his 12th goal of the season. It was 2-0 in the space of a few minutes, as Kalemaj Danielo doubled their advantage in the 12th minute.
Gozo continued to push forward, controlling the match, with Naxxar finding it difficult to get out of their defensive shape.
The Gozitans were awarded a penalty in the 26th minute as they looked to add to their scoring, and captain Zack Xiberras was entrusted to take it. He failed to convert his initial effort, but the ball then fell to him again, and he finished it excellently to make it 3-0 to Gozo.
Naxxar tightened up at the back in the closing stages of the half, and they made sure to not conceding any more goals before the break.
They could not remain so defensively sound after the break though, as Gozo continued to add to their scoring, with Izaak Grima getting on the end of a move in the 49th minute to make it 4-0 to the home side.
The Lions did get a goal of their own in the 63rd minute, with Francesco Vella reducing the deficit to 4-1.
The game’s rhythm seemed to slow down following the goal, particularly as Naxxar solidified their defending, keeping Gozo out. The match still finished in a 4-1 win to Gozo though, as they took another step towards the league title.
Their main rivals for the title, Floriana, also got a relatively comfortable win over the line, beating Zabbar St Patrick FC 3-0 on Saturday.
The two sides came into the game with only six points between them, with Floriana knowing they needed a win to continue their title charge.
The match started off very even, as each team looked to contain the other and to limit their opportunities on goal.
That was until the 35th minute, when Benjamin Licari found space in between the Zabbar defenders, before firing a shot into the back of the net to give Floriana the one-goal advantage.
The Greens seized control of the encounter following the opener, and they pressed on in search of a second. They got it right before the half-time whistle, with Luke Mifsud getting on the end of a move to fire in the second.
After the break, Floriana did not put their foot off the pedal, and they continued to threaten the Zabbar backline.
In the 52nd minute, Andreas Mangion made it 3-0 to wrap the game up.
While Zabbar tightened up at the back following the third goal, they struggled to push forward and get a goal of their own, and the match ended in a 3-0 win to the Greens, as Floriana remained level on points ahead of the final two matchdays.
BNF U17 League B – Phase 2 Matchday 9
In the BNF U17 League B, a match between Gozo FC and Qormi FC was resumed after it had to be stopped back in February.
At the point that the match was interrupted, Qormi were leading 3-0 at the Kercem Ajax Stadium, with Ryley Lee Borg scoring twice, and Michaeas Spiteri getting the other goal.
Following the resumption of the match in the second-half, Qormi were defensively sound, denying Gozo any space in behind the defence.
The Stripes made sure to get the win over the line, and they also added another goal to their tally, as Spiteri scored in the 90th minute to make it 4-0.
BNF U17 League C – Phase 2 Matchday 4
The BNF U17 League C title race is going down until the final matchday, after Mellieha SC and Marsaskala FC both recorded wins.
League leaders Mellieha remained top of the table after a second-half flurry helped them get a win over the line against Lija Athletic FC on Sunday.
Mellieha had beaten Lija 2-0 in the initial encounter earlier this season, but Lija improved immensely since then, to the point that they were one of the teams fighting for promotion at one stage this season.
The first-half of Sunday’s clash was very tight, with neither team managing to find enough space to get the better of their opposition’s defenders.
Following a goalless opening 45 minutes, Mellieha made a couple of substitutions and they sprang to life. In the 60th minute they got their opening goal, as Andrew Mifsud broke free from the shackles of the Lija backline, before hitting a strike that went past Julian Grech and into the back of the net.
The opening goal was vital for Mellieha, as it gave them momentum to push forward and continue attacking the Lija defence.
The visiting side got their second of the match 70 minutes into the game, as Neil Grima was on hand to tuck a shot in the net and make it 2-0 to Mellieha.
Lija tried to push forward in search of a response, but Mellieha proved too strong, and the match finished 2-0.
As a result, Mellieha have moved a step closer to sealing the league title, only needing a point on the final matchday in the coming weekend to get it over the line.
The title race remained alive due to Marsaskala mounting an incredible comeback from 2-0 down to win 4-3 against Rabat Ajax FC on Sunday.
Rabat came into the match as underdogs, yet they were determined to cause an upset, looking threatening going forward straight away.
Rabat went in front in the 39th minute, as Bekoe Maxwell Borg found space in between the Marsaskala defence, before finding the net with his effort. It was 2-0 in the space of a couple of minutes, as Andrei Bulgari was on hand to fire a shot past goalkeeper Zian Ellul Bondin, giving the underdogs a 2-0 advantage going into half-time.
Following the break, Marsaskala knew they needed to respond to have any chance of continuing their title charge, and they started to look more confident going forward.
In the 62nd minute, they halved the deficit, with Nickolai Cocker tucking a shot into the back of the net to make it 2-1.
However, it would not last very long, as Rabat were quick to bounce back, and Jack Cauchi Grech freed himself from his marker, before finishing the move off with a strike to make it 3-1 in the 64th minute.
Marsaskala did not let the setback get the better of them though, and they still pushed on in search of a route back into the game. They were awarded a penalty in the 69th minute, offering them an excellent opportunity to draw closer to Rabat. Diego Zammit was entrusted to take it, and he fired it into the back of the net.
Marsaskala used the momentum from the two quickfire goals to their advantage, and they pressed on, before finally getting their equaliser in the 76th minute through Karl Mallia, setting up a nervy ending.
Rabat were determined to hold on to what they had in the final 15 minutes, but they came under increased pressure from Marsaskala. The pressure eventually led to the Rabat defence faltering, and Jake Psaila took full advantage, as he stroked the ball into the goal to give his side the 4-3 win, completing a dramatic comeback.
As a result, the final matchday will determine who wins the league title, with Mellieha only needing a point to get it over the line, but should they lose and Marsaskala win, then the two teams will have to face off in a decider.
BNF U17 League D – Phase 2 Matchday 4
There will also be a lot riding on the final matchday of the BNF U17 League D, as both Marsaxlokk FC and Swieqi United won over the weekend, leaving them only a point apart.
Swieqi recorded a 2-0 win over West FC at Siggiewi Ground, taking their tally up to 36 points, responding from their shock defeat to Attard FC in the previous matchday. One of Swieqi’s two defeats this season came against West earlier this season, and as a result the Owls, while favourites for this encounter, were cautious, knowing they could not afford to drop points.
Swieqi United 2-0 West FC – 06.04.2025 – Photo by Timmy Cutugno
As a result, Swieqi looked to start on the front foot, taking the game to West in the opening stages.
They put the West defence under pressure, and it eventually took its toll in the 31st minute, as David Curmi fired the Owls ahead with a fine finish that went past goalkeeper Daniel Sargent.
West tried to respond, but they could not find a goal in the first-half, and at the break the score remained 1-0 to Swieqi.
Following the break, Swieqi really pressed on to make full use of their attacking qualities, and they managed to double their advantage only a few minutes after the restart. Curmi was once again on hand to round off a move and make it 2-0 to Swieqi.
While West pushed in search of a way back into the match, Swieqi continued to administer their advantage, and they came away with a 1-0 win.
Following that match at the same ground, Marsaxlokk produced a dominant display against Siggiewi FC to win 5-0.
Marsaxlokk were in full control of the encounter right from the first whistle, and it took them just 12 minutes to open the scoring, as captain Torsten Grech fired the visitors in front.
The Blues continued to attack the Siggiewi defence, which was finding it difficult to get out of its defensive shape.
Grech made it 2-0 in the 35th minute, taking his tally for the season up to an impressive 23 goals, the lone top scorer of the division.
Marsaxlokk got their third goal right before the break, with Luigi Camilleri scoring this time around, directing his effort past the Siggiewi goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
Following half-time, Siggiewi tried to solidify their defending, yet Marsaxlokk remained in control. In the 66th minute, the Blues made it 4-0, with Gabriel St John getting his name on the scoresheet. It was 5-0 in the space of a couple of minutes, as Keirynn Baldacchino also got in on the act. Both St John and Baldacchino had come on as substitutes only a few minutes earlier.
Marsaxlokk held out for the 5-0 win, moving up to 35 points, just one point below league leaders Swieqi, ahead of the crunch match between the two sides at Dingli Ground on Sunday which will decide who wins the league title.
