2018–19 Gozo First Division
# 2018–19 Gozo First Division

The 2018–19 Gozo First Division (known as the BOV GFL First Division for sponsorship reasons) was the 72nd season of the Gozo Football League First Division, the highest division in Gozitan football. The season began on 14 September 2018. Victoria Hotspurs were able to defend the title won the previous season, winning their thirteenth title in their history.

## Format

The season is composed of a round-robin system where each team plays each other three times, totalling 21 games. The seventh-placed team will play a relegation play-off with the second-placed team in the Second Division. Most of the matches are scheduled to be played at the Gozo Stadium, with Sannat Ground and Kerċem Ajax Stadium being used as well.

## Teams

Eight teams compete in the league – the top six teams from the previous season, the winner of the relegation play-off between the seventh-placed team and the second-placed team in the Second Division, and a promoted team from the Second Division. Second Division winner Munxar Falcons replaced Oratory Youths.

| Team | Home city | 2017–18 season |
| - | - | - |
| Għajnsielem | Għajnsielem | 4th |
| Għarb Rangers | Għarb | 6th |
| Kerċem Ajax | Kerċem | 5th |
| Munxar Falcons | Munxar | 1st (Second Division) |
| Nadur Youngsters | Nadur | 2nd |
| S.K. Victoria Wanderers | Victoria | 7th |
| Victoria Hotspurs | Victoria | 1st |
| Xewkija Tigers | Xewkija | 3rd |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Victoria Hotspurs (C) | 21 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 68 | 22 | +46 | 58 | |
| 2 | Nadur Youngsters | 21 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 72 | 25 | +47 | 49 | |
| 3 | Xewkija Tigers | 21 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 57 | 45 | +12 | 27 | |
| 4 | Għajnsielem | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 41 | 52 | −11 | 26 | |
| 5 | S.K. Victoria Wanderers | 21 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 29 | 44 | −15 | 21 | |
| 6 | Kerċem Ajax | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 26 | 44 | −18 | 21 | |
| 7 | Għarb Rangers (O) | 21 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 32 | 50 | −18 | 18 | Qualification for the relegation play-off |
| 8 | Munxar Falcons (R) | 21 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 30 | 73 | −43 | 17 | Relegation to the Gozo FA Second Division |

## Results

### Matches 1–14

Teams play each other twice, once assigned as home and once away.

| Home \ Away | GĦJ | GĦB | KRĊ | MXR | NDR | SKVW | VCH | XWK |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Għajnsielem | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–6 | 2–3 | 4–2 |
| Għarb Rangers | 0–3 | — | 4–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 |
| Kerċem Ajax | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 |
| Munxar Falcons | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | — | 1–7 | 4–1 | 0–8 | 5–4 |
| Nadur Youngsters | 6–2 | 5–0 | 3–0 | 6–0 | — | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| S.K. Victoria Wanderers | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–4 | — | 0–2 | 2–5 |
| Victoria Hotspurs | 3–1 | 3–1 | 6–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | — | 2–1 |
| Xewkija Tigers | 1–1 | 7–1 | 2–3 | 9–0 | 1–2 | 5–0 | 2–0 | — |

* ↑ The match played on 12 October was abandoned at half–time due to heavy rainfall with Kerċem Ajax winning 1–0. The second half was played on 15 October.
* ↑ S.K. Victoria Wanderers is originally the home team in this tie
* ↑ Għajnsielem is originally the home team in this tie
* ↑ Kerċem is originally the home team in this tie
* ↑ Victoria Hotspurs is originally the home team in this tie
* ↑ Kerċem is originally the home team in this tie

### Matches 15–22

Teams play every other team once (either assigned at home or away).

| Home \ Away | GĦJ | GĦB | KRĊ | MXR | NDR | SKVW | VCH | XWK |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Għajnsielem | — | 1–4 | 1–2 | | | | 1–5 | |
| Għarb Rangers | | — | 1–1 | | 2–2 | | 0–3 | 2–4 |
| Kerċem Ajax | | | — | 1–1 | 0–6 | | | 1–0 |
| Munxar Falcons | 1–2 | 1–4 | | — | | 0–3 | | |
| Nadur Youngsters | | | | 4–1 | — | | | 3–1 |
| S.K. Victoria Wanderers | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | | 1–4 | — | | |
| Victoria Hotspurs | | | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–1 | — | |
| Xewkija Tigers | 2–5 | | | 4–2 | | 1–2 | 2–7 | — |

## Relegation play-off

A play-off match took place between the seventh-placed team from the First Division, Għarb Rangers, and the second-placed team from the Second Division, Sannat Lions, for a place in the 2019–20 GFL First Division.

## Season statistics

### Top goalscorers

    As of 28 April 2019

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Elton da Silva | Victoria Hotspurs | 30 |
| 2 | Marcelo Junior Barbosa | Nadur Youngsters | 28 |
| 3 | Luis André de Melo Lima | Għajnsielem | 23 |
| 4 | Hugo Santa Rosa Cruz | Għarb Rangers | 17 |
| 5 | Darko Krstic | Xewkija Tigers | 15 |
| 6 | Leiner Garcia Panesso | Munxar Falcons/Nadur Youngsters | 12 |
| 7 | Augustine James Obaje | S.K. Victoria Wanderers | 11 |
| 8 | Felipe Augusto de Oliveira | Kerċem Ajax | 10 |
| 8 | Henrique de Souza Maciel | Victoria Hotspurs | 10 |
| 10 | Claudio Antunes Pavlidis | Xewkija Tigers | 9 |
| 10 | Yuri de Jesus Messias | Nadur Youngsters | 9 |

## Awards

### Monthly awards

| Month | Player of the Month | Player of the Month |
| - | - | - |
| Month | Player | Club |
| September | Elton da Silva | Victoria Hotspurs |
| October | Adrian Parnis | Victoria Hotspurs |
| November | Joseph Cefai | Xewkija Tigers |
| December | Marcelo Barbosa | Nadur Youngsters |
| January | Felipe Augusto de Oliveira | Kerċem Ajax |
| February | Mark Grima | Xewkija Tigers |
| March | Ferdinando Apap | Victoria Hotspurs |
