Gzira United bounced back from the shock elimination from the FA Trophy as they defeated Mosta 3-1 at the Centenary Stadium on Saturday.

The Maroons therefore registered a seventh win in eight matches to stay three points behind leaders Floriana. For Mosta, on the other hand, this was the fourth consecutive defeat.

Gzira took the lead two minutes from the end of the first half when off a cross by Hamed Kone, Jefferson de Assis headed home past Andreas Vella.

Two minutes later, Amadou Samb doubled the score for Gzira, heading the home over the Mosta goalkeeper following another cross by Kone.

Mosta pulled one back on 63 minutes thanks to Nikita Kotlov, who received an assist by Dexter Xuereb and beat Haber with a shot from the right which hit the foot of the upright before ending at the back of the net.

Seven minutes later, they were however reduced to ten men after Sergio Villareal received a second yellow card and was therefore sent off.

Gzira sealed the issue with a third goal one minute in added time when in a swift counter-attack, Andrew Cohen concluded a good run by passing the ball back to Hamed Kone who beat Andreas Vella with a diagonal shot.

GZIRA Justin Haber, Fernando Barbosa, Gianmarco Conti, Nikolai Muscat (90′ Juan Carlos Corbalan), Zachary Scerri, Rodolfo Soares, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Hamed Kone, Amadou Samb (72′ Andrew Cohen), Arthur Henrique Oyama, Jefferson de Assis.
Subs not used: Brandon Debono, Luca Brincat, Christian Sammut, Sacha Borg, Romario Camilleri.
Coach: Giovanni Tedesco

MOSTA Andreas Vella, David Ifeanyi Nworah (46′ Christian Grech), Weverton Gomes, Nikita Kotlov, Dexter Xuereb, Kyle Gatt (68′ Duane Bonnici), Jean Barthelemy Diouf (84′ Zachary Brincat), Tyrone Farrugia, David James Brown, Sergio Leonardo Villareal, Matias Muchardi.
Subs not used: Andre Spiteri, Gabriel Sant, Matthias Ablett, Luke Formosa.
Coach: Mark Miller

Referee: Philip Farrugia
Assistant Referees: Alan Camilleri, Thomas Debono
Fourth Official: Slobodan Petrovic
Yellow Cards: Nworah, Barbosa, Villareal, Muscat, Samb, Scerri
Red Cards: 70′ Sergio Villareal
BOV Player of the Match: Hamed Kone