Meridianbet FA Trophy – Round of 32
Żurrieq…….. 1
Mellieħa…… 0
Żurrieq secured their place in the last 16 of the Meridianbet FA Trophy with a narrow 1-0 victory over Mellieħa after extra time.
The decisive goal came in the 108th minute from the penalty spot. A cross by De Barros struck the hand of Mellieħa’s Matthias Vella, prompting referee Reuben Spiteri Delicata to award the penalty. Mamadu Bah Sulahmana stepped up to convert, despite veteran goalkeeper Anthony Curmi diving in the right direction and nearly making the save.
The match was closely contested, with both teams creating opportunities during the first half. In the 17th minute, Mellieħa came close with a counterattack as Luke Theuma’s shot was saved and pushed out for a corner. From the resulting corner, taken by Iven Zammit, Żurrieq goalkeeper Nicholas Stone made another fine save to deny Mellieħa.
As the first half drew to a close, Emerson Camilleri’s effort sailed just over the crossbar for Mellieħa, while Żurrieq’s Bah Sulahmana also saw a shot narrowly miss the target.
Żurrieq began the second half strongly, with a powerful strike from Xavier Portelli forcing an excellent save from Curmi. Despite dominating the second half, Żurrieq struggled to break through Mellieħa’s resilient defence, sending the game into extra time.
It was during this period that the penalty incident unfolded, giving Żurrieq the breakthrough they needed to advance.
Lineups
Żurrieq: N. Stone, G. Eziefula, E. Camilleri, M. Bah, A. De Barros, X. Portelli, J. Mwenda, A. Camilleri, S. Bezzina, S. Darmanin, D. Borg
Mellieħa: A. Curmi, W. Vella, J. Saliba, L. Theuma, M. Camilleri, E. Ayorinde, I. Zammit, M. Vella, A. Akl, K. Adonis, D. Camilleri
Referee: Reuben Spiteri Delicata
Żurrieq will now look ahead to the next round as they aim to continue their journey in the competition.
