The BNF U17 Knockout returned in midweek, with four key encounters for the Quarter-Finals on 19th March, as the teams reach the final stages in the battle to come out on top in the competition.
BNF U17 Knockout – Quarter-Finals
Floriana FC 3-1 Mosta FC
Floriana FC had to come from behind to make it through to the BNF U17 Knockout Quarter-Finals after a tight encounter against Mosta at the Luxol Stadium.
The two sides had met in the BNF U17 League A earlier this month, and on that occasion Mosta had run out as comfortable 5-1 winners.
However, this time Floriana seemed more up to the task, looking to attack the Mosta backline.
Despite that, Mosta were the ones to find the breakthrough, as Zayden Chetcuti found space in between the Floriana defenders, before opening the scoring in the 35th minute.
Their lead only lasted a couple of seconds though, as straight from kick-off, Floriana got back on level terms. The equaliser came from Luca Baldacchino, who had already found the target on two occasions in previous rounds of the BNF U17 Knockout.
The match was in the balance at the break, with both sides having their fair share of the possession and opportunities on goal.
Following half-time, Floriana turned the game around and got themselves another goal, once again through Baldacchino, who put the ball past goalkeeper Jayden Farrugia in the 56th minute with a cool finish.
Mosta pushed forward in the second-half in search of a way back into the match, yet they could not break down the stubborn Floriana backline.
As the Blues searched for an equaliser, they left themselves more open at the back, and Baldacchino eventually capitalised. The Floriana forward got his hat-trick in the 91st minute to seal the win for Floriana, ensuring their passage to the Semi-Finals of the competition with a 3-1 victory.
Pietà Hotspurs FC 3-0 Sliema Wanderers FC
Pietà Hotspurs FC became the second team to book a place in the next round of the BNF U17 Knockout after getting a relatively comfortable 3-0 win over Sliema Wanderers FC.
Pietà came into the game as favourites, particularly since they are challenging for the BNF U17 League A title, while Sliema are in the title race for the BNF U17 League B.
The difference in divisions was evident from the very start, as Pietà took the lead after just eight minute thanks to Luke Cini.
Pietà continued to control the play following the opener, and it did not take long for them to double their scoring, this time thanks to Kayden Zerafa in the 19th minute, who struck a shot past Sliema goalkeeper Andrew Cassar Parnis.
The Hotspurs made it 3-0 in the 28th minute, practically putting the game to bed with a goal from Jaylen Zarb.
Sliema struggled to get back into the game in the first-half, and Pietà were happy to come away with a three-goal lead after 45 minutes.
In the second-half, Sliema tightened up at the back, yet they could not create many opportunities going forward to mount a comeback. Pietà saw out the 3-0 win, booking a place in the BNF U17 Knockout Semi-Finals.
San Gwann FC 2-0 Zabbar St Patrick FC
In a clash between two BNF U17 League B sides which are both going for the league title, San Gwann FC came away with a 2-0 victory over Zabbar St Patrick FC.
San Gwann came into the game in top form, having won all three of their previous league games, with their most recent defeat being a 1-0 loss to Zabbar in February. San Gwann were also scoring goals for fun in the BNF U17 Knockout, having put the ball into the net 25 times in the previous two games. On the other hand, Zabbar have relied more on their tight defence, and in the league they have gone on a six-game unbeaten run that stretched all the way back to the start of 2025.
This time around, San Gwann were the better of the two sides, especially in the opening stages of the match.
San Gwann attacked right from the start, and they got their opening goal only five minutes into the match, with Noah Cassar striking a shot past Zabbar goalkeeper Jake Debattista.
Zabbar regrouped following the goal, and they improved defensively, also creating some opportunities of their own.
However, they could not find an equaliser before the break, and the two sides went into half-time with the score still 1-0 to San Gwann.
After half-time, the match was once again very cagey, with both teams looking to get a foothold on the match. The two teams made a number of changes, as San Gwann looked to solidify their defence, while Zabbar wanted more options going forward.
San Gwann eventually put the game to bed with another goal in the 70th minute. This time around it came from captain Bjorn Caruana, who finished off a nice move with a cool strike. This goal was Caruana’s sixth in the BNF U17 Knockout, and 19th in all competitions this season.
While Zabbar looked to get a goal to get them back into the game, San Gwann proved too strong, and they saw out the 2-0 win, getting revenge for their league defeat against Zabbar.
St Andrews FC 2-5 Valletta FC
Valletta FC got a comprehensive 5-2 win over St Andrews FC in an entertaining Quarter-Final at the Charles Abela Stadium on Wednesday, becoming the final team to seal a place in the Semi-Finals.
The two sides met only a few weeks ago in the BNF U17 League A, and on that occasion St Andrews came out on top, winning 3-2. Valletta had won the prior two encounters this season though, first 3-2 in November, and then 1-0 in January.
Therefore, the match finely poised, with both sides feeling like they could get the win.
Valletta looked up for it from kick-off, and they immediately threatened the St Andrews backline.
It took the Lilywhites just 10 minutes to open the scoring, with Matteo Paolo Grech freeing himself from his markers, before firing a shot that sailed into the net, making it 1-0 to Valletta.
St Andrews recovered, and they improved as the half wore on, as they looked to get a foothold on the match. Yet Valletta were still the better of the two teams, and they doubled their advantage right before the half-time whistle thanks to Liam Buhagiar.
However, St Andrews fought their way back into the game in the second-half, and they got their goal in the 56th minute thanks to prolific forward Ethan Brincat Winters.
Just as St Andrews were mounting pressure on the Valletta backline, the Citizens got their third goal of the match, this time through an own goal from St Andrews’ Dale Vella in the 65th minute. Just a couple of minutes after the third goal, Valletta got their fourth through Liam James.
St Andrews were determined to not go out without a fight, and Brincat Winters continued his fine campaign in the 75th minute with another goal to cut the deficit back to two goals. Following his brace, Brincat Winters claimed top spot in the BNF U17 Knockout top scorers table.
Despite St Andrews’ efforts, Valletta proved too strong on the day, and the Lilywhites added to their scoring in the second minute of stoppage time, with Grech getting his second goal of the day, finishing the game just as he started it.
The match finished 5-2 to Valletta, meaning they will be joining Floriana, Pietà and San Gwann in the BNF U17 Knockout Semi-Finals.
