Żabbar St Patrick and Mosta took a point each from a balanced encounter at the Victor Tedesco Stadium. The 1-1 draw maintains both teams’ distance from the relegation places.

The match was a game of two halves: Żabbar held the upper hand in the first 45 minutes, while Mosta improved significantly after the break to secure a precious point that keeps them level with their opponents and six points clear of the relegation zone.

Żabbar looked the better side throughout the first half, dominating possession against a Mosta side short of attacking punch. The Saints created the first chance after 15 minutes when Vinicius de Pavia raced into the area and forced a fine reflex save from Mosta goalkeeper David Akpan.

Żabbar capitalised on their next opportunity. From a corner kick, the Mosta defence failed to clear the danger, and the ball fell to Jurgen Pisani, who hit a firm volley that flew into the top corner via the underside of the crossbar.

Mosta looked rattled, and minutes later, Nicholas Agius’s fine cross found Santiago Cejas, whose diving header drifted just wide. The woodwork soon denied Żabbar a second goal when Isaac Etim Akpan’s angled drive smacked against the upright with goalkeeper Akpan beaten.

The dynamic continued into the second half. Within the first minute, Cejas moved past his marker, but his rising shot was tipped over by Akpan.

Mosta needed a moment of brilliance to get back into the match, and it arrived in the 52nd minute. Ghanaian midfielder Simon Zibo unleashed a thumping low drive that beat Jonathan Grech in the Żabbar goal.

Mosta looked a revitalised side thereafter. In the 75th minute, Giancarlo Goncalves sped past his marker, but his low drive whizzed past the upright. The visitors almost snatched a winner in stoppage time when substitute Sekhou Almamy’s header was cleared off the line by Strahinja Jovancic, ensuring the points were shared.