Naxxar Lions….. 4
Melita………………2 (AET)
Naxxar Lions secured their place in the Last 16 of the Meridianbet FA Trophy with a dramatic 4-2 extra-time victory over Melita. The match, filled with penalty drama and late heroics, saw Naxxar edge out their opponents at the Centenary Stadium Stadium.
Melita took an early lead in the ninth minute when Matthew Debattista scored a stunning free-kick that left Naxxar goalkeeper Andre Fenech with no chance.
Naxxar had an opportunity to equalise in the 29th minute after Edson Farias Cerqueira was fouled in the box, and referee Slobodan Petrović awarded a penalty. However, Melita goalkeeper Gosef Mizzi superbly denied Maicon De Souza from the spot, maintaining his side’s 1-0 advantage.
In the 52nd minute, Naxxar were awarded a second penalty after Takuma Yamaguchi was brought down by Henrique Motta. This time, Ryan Cassar stepped up and converted confidently to level the score at 1-1.
Melita regained their lead in the 63rd minute when they were awarded a penalty following a handball by a Naxxar player. Matthew Debattista stepped up once again and calmly dispatched his effort to make it 2-1.
Naxxar equalised in the 74th minute after a defensive error by Melita allowed Tara Ndao to collect the ball and slot home a low shot past Mizzi, bringing the score to 2-2.
As the match moved into the final minutes, Maicon De Souza redeemed himself for his earlier penalty miss. In the 89th minute, he seized on a poor clearance by Mizzi and unleashed a stunning strike from near the touchline, giving Naxxar a 3-2 lead.
The victory was sealed in the 105th minute of extra time when Takuma Yamaguchi scored a sensational free-kick from the edge of the area, leaving Mizzi helpless and ensuring Naxxar’s progression to the next round with a final score of 4-2.
Line-ups
Naxxar Lions: Andre Fenech, Nikolai Micallef, Takuma Yamaguchi, Francis Jno-Baptiste, Edson Farias Cerqueira, Tara Ndao, Gilmour Cassar, Maicon De Souza, Fernando Barbosa, Degran Jackson, Vitor Moura.
Melita: Gosef Mizzi, Gareth Barone, Jean Pierre Attard, Carlos Penha, Matthew Debattista, Alan Borg, Marc Bovenkamp, David Xuereb, Andres Yepez, Kurt Bondin, Henrique Motta.
Referee: Slobodan Petrović
