Sirens leapfrogged Valletta and Gzira United into second place as a goal by Flavio dos Santos da Silva Cheveresan handed them a narrow win over the Maroons at the National Stadium on Sunday.

This was the first defeat for Gzira after four draws and five wins while for Sirens, this was their sixth win in ten matches which puts them one point ahead of Gzira and two ahead of Valletta.

The Maroons threatened on the 6th minute when off a throw in from the right by Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Jefferson served Juan Corbalan whose conclusion hit the crossbar. Sirens replied with a low effort by Wellington de Oliveira which was parried by Haber on the 11th minute. Three minutes later, following an assist by Ryan Grech, a cross shot by Okoye from the left was palmed out by Haber. A Nikolai Muscat freekick was turned into a corner by David Cassar on the 18th minute.

On the 38th minute, Justin Haber performed a good save on Okoye and then, two minutes from the end of the first half, David Cassar turned into a corner a Jefferson de Assis header following a cross from the right by Hamed Kone.

Fourteen minutes in the second half, Hamed Kone’s effort from the edge of the area was blocked by Cassar, Samb crossed from the right but Adrian Borg cleared the ball into safety. 

Gzira went close once again on 69 minutes with a cross shot by Arthur Henrique Oyama, served by Jefferson, hitting the woodwork.

Sirens managed to take the lead on the 75th minute when off a cross by Emmanuel Okoye from the left, Flavio Cheveresan headed home past goalkeeper Haber.

Three minutes in added time, Gzira ended playing in ten men after Hamed Kone received a second yellow card. 

GZIRA Justin Haber, Fernando Barbosa, Gianmarco Conti, Nikolai Muscat, Rodolfo Soares, Juan Carlos Corbalan (46’ Andrew Cohen), Clfford Gatt Baldacchino, Hamed Kone, Amadou Samb, Arthur Henrique Oyama, Jefferson de Assis.
Subs not used: Brandon Debono, Luca Brincat, Alexander Scicluna, Christian Sammut, Sacha Borg, Romario Camilleri.
Coach: Giovanni Tedesco

SIRENS David Cassar, Ryan Grech, Wellington de Oliveira, Sergio Raphael dos Anjos, Emmanuel Okoye, Adrian Borg, Abdullahi Ige Adeshina (90+2’ Luke Sciberras), Romeu Pericles Romao, Romario Lucas Memezes, Thiago Espindola de Paula, Flavio Silva Cheveresan.
Subs not used: Miguel Montfort, Mustafa Elanadar, Dylan Galea, Daniel Sant, Siraj Arab Eddin, Russell Fenech.
Coach: Steve D’Amato

Referee: Ishmael Barbara
Assistant Referees: Luke Portelli, Darko Stankovic
Fourth Official: Trustin Farrugia Cann
Yellow Cards: Borg, Kone, Grech, Samb
BOV Player of the Match: Emmanuel Okoye