NATIONAL AMATEUR LEAGUE I
MATCH DAY 4
Marsaskala 3-5 Attard
The only team in the Amateur League I on full points after four match days are Attard who, despite playing with a man less for 75 minutes, beat Marsaskala 5-3 in the Sunday morning kick off at the Centenary Stadium. As the score-line rightly suggests, it was a great game to watch, specially the first 45 minutes which produced seven goals, with Attard goalkeeper Zach Valletta finally beaten after keeping his net in-tact for over 200 minutes since the start of the season. Marsaskala, who failed to take advantage of their numerical superiority in this match, still lie on a relegation spot with just one point.
Attard had the perfect start, taking the lead on seven minutes courtesy of Nick Ghio who scored with a simple tap in following a shot by Nicholas Schembri. On 15 minutes, Attard’s Josmar Galea was given a straight red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, with many expecting Marsaskala to get back into the match. However, just before the half hour mark, Attard doubled thanks to a splendid free-kick by Yannis Tonna. Ivan Zammit’s side were, remarkably, completely in control and a minute later prolific striker Bledi Alla put his name on the scoresheet with an angled shot and a couple of minutes later, the Albanian added the fourth goal with another great strike.
With four goals down Marsaskala looked stunned but pulled one back thanks to a volley by Fabrizio Zammit on 35 minutes. Alla’s formidable performance continued, scoring a fifth Attard goal just before the break, which was his third of the morning. The oranges pull one back again in stoppage time thanks to Nobukatsu Tsuchiya, rounding up an incredible half with no less than seven goals.
Not long after the re-start, Tsuchiya reduced the deficit to two with a low drive after a good cross by Keeran Grech. It could have been the sign for a dramatic comeback, but Attard managed to control the seasiders throughout the second half to register their fourth consecutive league victory of the season.
Gharghur 1-4 Birzebbuga St Peter’s
In Sunday’s late Mosta Ground kick off, Birzebbuga returned to winning ways, beating Gharghur 4-1, always a tough obstacle for any team at this level. This time however, the victory for the Blues was never in doubt as they showed, once more, they are amongst the best Amateur League teams this campaign.
On 18 minutes, right flank defender Nathan Attard broke the deadlock, finishing off in the rebound a wonderful move through Marquinho and Samuel Saldanha. The second goal was scored after another great move through Leejoe Schembri and Keith Muscat, with Gharghur goalkeeper James Abela initially blocking Randall Vella’s goal attempt and Saldanha slotting home in the rebound. Just before the break, St Peter’s goalkeeper Julian Azzopardi did his part by tipping an on-target Isaac Chircop header over the bar, which was practically Gharghur’s first goal attempt.
In the second half, the Blues picked up from where they had left off, as in the 48th minute, Schembri added Birzebbuga’s third, rounding off another great attack with Saldanha and Chris Baker involved. Six minutes later, the same Baker should have added a fourth but the Barbados born striker headed just wide from a Marquinho cross.
In the 74th minute, substitute Samuel Agius was starting to offer Gharghur a different dynamic in attack as he went on a marauding run, finishing with a shot that went just over the bar. It was a sign of things to come however as in the 77th minute, Agius cut inside once again on the right side and fired past Azzopardi, giving some hope to the Gharghur clan to get back into the game.
However, Birzebbuga showed no mercy as in the 82nd minute, electrifying substitute Yusuf Sulaiman went on a good run down the left wing and should have finished but Abela saved well. At the very end of regular time, the seasiders made to all uncertainty an end as Muscat sent Sulaiman through, with the young Nigerian skipping past a player brilliantly before slotting home.
Vittoriosa Stars 2-1 Qrendi
Three goals, all from the penalty spot, decided the Vittoriosa versus Qrendi game on Sunday afternoon at the Sirens Stadium. It was a well-contested game which could have gone either way, a match that did not really deserve a winner.
The Stars started strongly and could have gone ahead after just two minutes when Gordon Saliba produced a shot that ended up just wide. After a quiet first half hour, the game sprang to life on 39 minutes when Birgu were awarded a penalty after Joseph ‘Jojo’ Ogunnupe was felled in the box. The Nigerian stepped up himself, cooly slotting the ball past Christian Cassar.
The Cottonera side doubled their lead on 62 minutes when Christian Degabriele was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box. Up stepped Ogunnupe who calmly slotted past a hapless Cassar for his brace, goal number 56 for Vittoriosa and his 99th goal in Maltese football. Seven minutes from time, Qrendi reduced the deficit when Brandon Bray was felled in the box and was awarded a penalty, spot-kick number three of the match. The same Bray made no mistake, blasting past Carmelo Caruana to set up an exciting finish.
Deep in stoppage time, Qrendi were unfortunate not to equalize when a bullet header by Leo Salgado was superbly kept out by Caruana.
Msida St Joseph 0-2 Luqa St Andrew’s
Neville Galea’s Luqa St Andrew’s are completely back in business after recording their third consecutive league victory in Saturday’s late Sirens Stadium kick-off. It was a delicate game for Galea, playing against his former team which whom he won promotion to the Challenge League last year. But the win was a deserved one, as Msida were kept into the match by their goalkeeper Nathan Mangion, keeping the score respectable for Msida with a fine performance.
In the ninth minute, Luqa were awarded a penalty for a hands ball infringement in the Msida box. However, Mangion saved Dasser Sammut’s spotkick in style. Luqa kept pushing however with Nathan Frendo, unmarked at the second post, missed a sitter just five minutes later. Mangion then put up a show, denying another Sammut opportunity on 19 minutes and up to the end of the first half, the former Birzebbuga goalkeeper continued to deny St Andrew’s with great goalkeeping.
Luqa finally broke the deadlock eight minutes after the re-start when Thomas Grech set-up Sheriff Mohammed, slotting home with an excellent strike to give his side the advantage. The Ghanese striker then hit the crossbar just after the hour, but had better luck on 76 minutes when he doubled from a Sammut cross.
Rabat Ajax 0-2 Qormi
Last Sunday at the Centenary Stadium, Qormi scored a goal in each half to beat Rabat Ajax 2-0 to move in joint-fourth place with Luqa, leaving the Magpies anchored at the bottom of the table without any points after four league games.
Ironically, Rabat held the initiative in the early stages. Japanese livewire Yuya Emura, served by Jerome Debattista, had a shot from the left ending just wide on five minutes while ten minutes later, a curling shot from the right by Jake Cordina was turned into a corner by Lydon Moore. Three minutes after this move, Emura’s freekick from the left was blocked by Moore, aided by the upright with the ball cleared into a corner by a defender.
Qormi, who lost ex-Sliema stalwart John Mintoff due to injury early in the match, were sighing with relief and replied with a cross-shot from the left by Carlos Debattista which was parried by Rabat goalkeeper Jean Matthias Vella on 20 minutes. Six minutes later, a powerful shot by Jayden Borg from outside the area ended just wide. Two minutes from the end of the first half, Qormi took the lead when Borg’s close-range effort was initially blocked but Debattista hit the rebound home.
Ten minutes into the second half, a good move between Cadu, Jamie Lee Micallef and Morientes Muscat ended with the former St. George’s forward hitting high. A long-distance freekick by Rabat captain Zachary Tanti was parried by the Qormi goalkeeer on the hour. Qormi were reduced to ten men on 63 minutes after Kurt Desira picked two yellow cards in less than three minutes. However, the Magpies failed to take advantage an Qormi sealed the issue with a second goal thanks to a rising shot by Cadu from the left which gave Vella no chance.
Rabat were unlucky not to reduce the gap seven minutes from time when Emura was unlucky to hit the foot of the upright with a shot from the right and substitute Calvin Bonett’s low shot off the rebound was neutralised by Moore.
Zejtun Corinthians 2-2 Xghajra Tornados
On Sunday morning at the Sirens Stadium, Zejtun were seconds away from their first league victory but their positive performance was marred by a stoppage time penalty. It was a game of two halves with Zejtun showing the better ideas before the break, while the Tornados staged a strong reaction after the change of ends.
The Blues got off to a flying start and went ahead after just five minutes when Albanian striker Stefi Cale connected from close range. It got even better for the Corinthians four minutes later when Adrian Carabott cannoned a shot past a hapless Lark Falzon to double. After a feisty first half with chances at both ends, Xghajra reduced the deficit at the end of stoppage time with a penalty that was cooly converted by Larsen Mallia after Raylon Paisley was felled in the box.
Zejtun missed an incredible chance on 64 minutes when Luke Farrugia saw his shot blocked from close range by a Xghajra defender with Falzon beaten. Although the Tornados put pressure on the Zejtun goal in the last half hour, the Corinthians seemingly held out but were undone at the death when they conceded a penalty for a hands ball, cooly converted for the seasiders by Mallia.
Kirkop United 0-3 San Gwann
In the early Mosta Ground kick-off on Sunday afternoon, San Gwann obtained a smart 3-0 win over Kirkop United. The Saints paraded, for the first time this season, a foreign player in their starting line-up, which is Ricardo Velasquez, an Argentinian striker who gave a good account of himself, scoring one of the goals.
San Gwann surged ahead on 20 minutes through a well-converted penalty by Matteo Vella after the same player was floored in the box. Kirkop replied on 33 minutes as Misael’s Tabone freekick finished wide. On 40 minutes, it was Mattia Zarb who tried his luck for the Saints with his ball well saved by Kirkop keeper Clayton Rapa. In stoppage time, San Gwann doubled the score when Velazquez produced an excellent run to slot home, beating Rapa for the second time.
Three minutes into the second half, Kirkop’s Ryan Dalli came close to reduce the deficit from a freekick with the ball going wide. Xavier Saliba’s side scored their third and final goal of the afternoon on 68 minutes when Zarb took full advantage of a defensive blunder to slot in empty net.
Pembroke Athleta 0-2 Mellieha
Also on Sunday afternoon but then at the Sirens Stadium, Mellieha bagged a moral boosting three points at the expense of Pembroke Athleta, which was just the second league win for the ambitious Blues. Ivorian striker Marc Adonis scored both goals for the Northerners.
Mellieha started strongly and laid siege to Pembroke’s goal although without much success in the opening minutes. And it was the Blues who took the lead on the half hour mark when a fine ball was squared to Adonis who slammed his shot with precision past Dean Sciberras. Mellieha had a couple more opportunities to increase their advantage but both Adonis and Sebastian Perdomo were guilty of squandering good chances.
The team of coach Warren Said continued pressing at the start of the second half with Adonis having an acrobatic kick that ended just wide on 52 minutes. Two minutes later it was Jayden Fenech who had a good chance for Pembroke, but his shot was saved by veteran goalkeeper Tony Curmi. However, 20 minutes from time Mellieha scored their second through another fine effort by Adonis. Pembroke capitulated after that and Mellieha could have added to the scoreline in what was, in the end, a comfortable win.
