XAGHRA UNITED….. 4
ORATORY YOUTHS..0
Xaghra United delivered a commanding performance in the first quarter-final of the GFA 1st Division KO, dispatching Oratory Youths FC 4-0. The match was marked by a red card, missed penalty, and clinical finishing that saw Xaghra advance to the semi-finals.
The drama began early in the 25th minute, when Oratory Youths’ Luis Gabriel Santos Silva was shown a red card for a dangerous challenge, leaving his team to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match. Despite being a man down, Oratory Youths managed to weather an early storm, but Xaghra’s Johan Alberto Castano had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 27th minute. However, his penalty was brilliantly saved by Oratory’s goalkeeper, keeping the score level.
Xaghra’s persistence finally paid off in the 44th minute when Castano redeemed himself, scoring a well-taken goal to give his side a 1-0 lead going into the break. The second half saw more of the same as Xaghra seized control. In the 58th minute, Damir Andelovic doubled the lead.
Julian Yoiti Suzuki Bicudo put the match beyond Oratory Youths with two quick-fire goals in the 62nd and 72nd minutes. Despite a few half-chances for Oratory Youths, Xaghra maintained their dominance and cruised to a 4-0 victory.
GHAJNSIELEM……………..0
NADUR YOUNGSTERS….2
In the second quarter-final, Nadur Youngsters booked their place in the semi-finals with a well-earned 2-0 win over Ghajnsielem FC in a hard-fought encounter.
The match was evenly contested throughout, but it was Nadur who struck first in the 20th minute. Matthias Mercieca was the hero for the Youngsters, finishing with composure and giving the Youngsters the lead. The goal seemed to shake Ghajnsielem, but they slowly regained their footing and came close to equalizing on a couple of occasions, only to be denied by Nadur’s solid defence and goalkeeper.
In the 55th minute, Ghajnsielem had a chance to level the score when they were awarded a penalty, but Joseph Zammit’s effort was well saved by Nadur’s goalkeeper, preserving the lead. The miss proved costly, as Nadur doubled their advantage in the 64th minute. Andre Gabriel Castro Martins was the man to seal the win, scoring with a clinical finish to seal the win.
Despite Ghajnsielem pushing for a late goal, Nadur held firm and saw out the match to secure a 2-0 victory.
