St. Andrews found no difficulty in beating neighbours Pembroke Athleta 6-0 at the Hibernans Stadium to make sure of retaining Premier League status.

On the other hand, Pembroke remain anchored at the bottom of the table as they suffered the eighth consecutive defeat.

The Saints welcomed back Bong Won Che while goalkeeper Dean Sciberras was preferred to Jake Galea with Godwin Mckay also starting on the bench. Pembroke, on the other hand, had three changes as Adrian Borg, Daniane Jawad and Go Nagaoka replacing Filippo Scozzese, Tyron Fenech and Raphael Kooh Sohna.

St. Andrews managed to take the lead on the 18th minute when Tonci Radovnikovic brought Kyrian Nwoko down inside the area; referee Stefan Pace ordered a penalty and sent off the Croatian defender and from the penalty spot, Ivan Edgardo Paz ended at the back of the net after the ball hit the foot of the post and the goalkeeper.

One minute from the end of the first half, Dale Camilleri doubled the score with a well-placed shot from just outside the area which gave goalkeeper Roppas no chance.

Two minutes in the second half, the Saints scored the third goal thanks to Joseph Farrugia who slotted the ball from close range past the Pembroke custodian following an assist from the left by Aidan Friggieri.

Dale Camilleri went close to adding another on the 61st minute with a low shot from outside the area hitting the foot of the upright.

However three minutes later, Aidan Friggieri scored a fourth goal, slotting the ball past Roppas following an assist by Kastrevec.

Five minutes from time, Bong Won Che made it 5-0 as he headed the ball home off an Ivan Paz freekick.

But it was not over yet as St. Andrews scored a sixth goal on the 90th minute thanks to substitute Jacob Walker who rounded a defender before hitting low past Roppas following a pass by Friggieri.

ST. ANDREWS Dean Sciberras, Bong Won Che, Karlo Kesinovic, Michael Johnson (46′ Felix Okon Udoh), Enmy Pena Beltre (54′ Godwin Mckay), Dale Camilleri, Joseph Farrugia, Aidan Friggieri, Ivan Edgardo Paz, Ziga Kastrevec (73′ Jacob Walker), Kyrian Nwoko.
Subs not used: Jake Galea, Ryan Darmanin, Liam Grech, Daniel Brandle.
Coach: Danilo Doncic

PEMBROKE Argyrs Roppas, Daren Falzon, Miguel Attard, Stevan Racic, Adrian Borg (65′ Tyron Fenech), Zoran Levnaic (72′ Zachary Grech), Daniane Jawad, Go Nagaoka (89′ James Mifsud), Tonci Radovnikovic, Sunday Eboh, Iralkis Roppas.
Subs not used: Matthew Calleja Cremona, Craig Abdilla, Neil Grech, Matthew Buhagiar.
Coach: Artim Shakiri

Referee: Stefan Pace
Assistant Referees: Jurgen Spiteri, Paul Apap
Fourth Official: Ishmael Barbara
Yellow Cards: Camilleri
Red Cards: Tonci Radovnikovic
BOV Player of the Match: Aidan Friggieri

Meanwhile at the National Stadium, Sliema Wanderers scored twice in the final fourteen minutes to beat Hamrun Spartans 2-0.

The Spartans have now gone ten matches without a win and are still third from bottom.

The Wanderers had three changes from their last outing as Ryan Spiteri, John Mintoff and Frank Temile replaced Wisdom Salomon, Peter Xuereb and the suspended Jean Paul Farrugia. Hamrun also had three changes as Igor Misan was suspended while Saturday Nanapere and Jorge Mesqueu Neto started on the bench with Luis Vergara Rodrigues, Siraj Arab Eddin and Mathieu Manset all being named in the starting line-up.

The Spartans were unlucky not to take the lead with Leandro Motta freekick hitting the upright on the 27th minute.

On the 63rd, it was Sliema’s turn to hit the woodwork with Stefano Bianciardi’s header from close range following a corner by Denni.

The Wanderers finally managed to break the deadlock on the 76th minute thanks to Matias Muchardi whose shot from outside the area hit the upright before the ball ended at the back of the net.

Sliema doubled the score on the 90th minute thanks to Riccardo Correa Duarte who tapped the ball home from close range following a cross from the right by Denni.

SLIEMA Giuseppe Sarao, Alex Muscat, Jonathan Pearson, Denni Rocha dos Santos, Mark Scerri (79′ Wisdom Salomon), Matias Muchardi, Stefano Bianciardi, Ricardo Correa Duarte, Ryan Spiteri, John Mintoff (73′ Peter Xuereb), Frank Temile (89′ Luca Brincat).
Subs not used: Miguel Bonnici, Luca Martinelli, Gabriel Aquilina, Michele Sansone.
Coach: John Buttigieg

HAMRUN David Cassar, Luis Vergara Rodrigues, Manolito Micallef, Karl Micallef, Siraj Arab Eddin (60′ Massimiliano Giusti), Luke Grech, Mathieu Manset (72′ Saturday Nanapere), Leandro Motta dos Santos (51′ Brandon Diego Paiber), Jake Grech, Sergio Raphael dos Anjos, Luke Sciberras.
Subs not used: Matthew Farrugia, Jorge Mesqueu Neto, Glenn Azzopardi, Jeremy Busuttil.
Coach: Jacques Scerri

Referee: Etienne Mangion
Assistant Referees: Christopher Francalanza, Theodore Zammit
Fourth Official: Philip Farrugia
Yellow Cards: Mintoff, J. Grech, L. Sciberras
BOV Player of the Match: Denni

Renato Vella reporting from the National Stadium